KHL
SKA St. Petersburg – Mytishchi 1:3 (end)
final
SKA St. Petersburg
1:3 (1:1, 0:1, 0:1)
Atlant Mytishchi
Friday 30.01.2015, 17:30 • The Ice Palace of Saint Petersburg • KHL
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.
     
    Good evening and welcome to this KHL regular season match between SKA Saint Petersburg and Atlant Mytishchi. This is a very interesting match up, with both sides needing a big win today.
     
    SKA began 2015 in simply superb form, winning all of their eight games, including against close rivals Jokerit and CSKA Moscow both 3:1. They have though fallen away recently, losing to Salavat Yulaev away 1:3 and to Slovan at home 1:2 after penalty shots. Atlant are in the mix of a huge play-off dog fight in the Western Conference, and have managed to win three of their past five encounters.
     
    This will be the third meeting between these two sides this campaign, with SKA coming out on top at home 3:1 before losing in Mytishchi 3:4.
     
    Starting lineups:

    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Shestyorkin)- Kalinin, Rukavishnikov, Kovalchuk, Tikhonov, Ponikarovskiy- Y Alexandrov, N Belov, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, Khafizullin, Khokhryakov, Ericsson, Cervenka- Ermakov, Yudin, Barabanov, Kablukov, Ketov

    Atlant Mytishchi: Engren (Artemyev)- Gilroy, Korobov, Shmelyov, Potapov, Soshnikov- Sorokin, Novopashin, Levitskiy, Bodrov, Yashin- Tyuyapkin, Yarullin, Chernov, Tatarukhin, Kozlov- Babchuk, Yunkov, Voronin, Leshchenko- Khlopotov

    Referees: Mikhail Buturlin, Antonin Jerabek, Evgeniy Streltsov, Denis Tarasov.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    00:46
    Off we go! SKA need a win for their confidence, while Atlant have to keep their play-off hopes alive!
     
    01:08
    We already have the first penalty of the day and it's against Atlant, as Igor Levitskiy has been handed a two minute minor for tripping
     
    01:39
    Goal for SKA!
    What a start for the hosts! That's just what the doctor ordered! A brilliant Vadim Shipachyov feeds the open ARTEMIY PANARIN on the left faceoff circle, and he makes no mistake! Powerplay goal and it's 1:0! Assists- Vadim Shipachyov
     
    03:02
    Cervenka! It could and maybe should have been two already! It's a two on one for Roman Cervenka down the right, he shoots himself, and misses the near post by only inches!
     
    04:13
    Icing is committed by SKA. The hosts really have began with power, and Atlant can expect to come under a lot of pressure!
     
    05:12
    A searching pass from deep lets Maxim Chudinov in streaking down the left, he attempts to catch out Atte Engren blocker side, and the netminder is alert getting something on it!
     
    07:20
    A pacy whipped puck across the danger zone from the right finds Vyacheslav Kozlov, and as he is hacking away for it SKA's Mikko Koskinen puts his glove over it to freeze!
     
    08:31
    Goal for Atlant!
    Out of nothing Atlant have got back on terms! With the home defence nowhere to be seen NIKITA SOSHNIKOV bursts through one on one, and he finishes brilliantly over Mikko Koskinen's blocker! It's 1:1! Assists- Anton Babchuk
     
    10:26
    The Saint Petersburg Ice Palace isn't happy at all about that goal going in, and the whistles from the crowd can be heard loud and clearly!
     
    12:05
    SKA have notably gone flat, they didn't expect to concede at all, and to be honest it didn't look like coming. Atlant are beginning to find their feet and are taking more care of possession
     
    13:27
    Ilya Kovalchuk twisting about by the left of the slot, wonderfully backhands to the onrushing Yury Alexandrov down the middle, and the latter waits too long before getting an attempt away!
     
    14:52
    Ermakov! Andrey Ermakov cuts in into the attacking zone, takes on a sharp slapper from the right faceoff circle, and the surrounded Atte Engren somehow beats it away!
     
    15:50
    Once again SKA's back line is caught cold, Nikita Soshnikov finishes off the two on one slightly to the right and he's denied by the netminder's pads! The pace is seriously high here at times!
     
    17:35
    The second penalty of the match has now arrived and again it's against the visitors, as for checking to the head Vsevolod Sorokin has been penalised. And he's been smacked with a 2+10 punishment for that!
     
    19:35
    SKA didn't do anything during that time though, and their opponents are back to full strength. It's also now already the final seconds of the first period, with it being anyone's game to take!
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    Statistics after the opening period of play:

    Shots: 17-13
    Shots on target: 9-8
    Faceoffs: 15-5
    Hits: 10-7
    Penalty minutes: 0-14
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    20:24
    Th second stanza has begun! Atlant have looked very confident so far, and SKA need to up their game!
     
    21:58
    Anton Belov poorly turns the puck over in his own zone, it's wristed into SKA's crease from the blue line, and Mikko Koskinen sweeps it up as to not take any chances
     
    22:20
    Goal for Atlant!
    The home fans weren't expecting that! The puck is chucked into the slot from the right hand boards, and VYACHESLAV LESHCHENKO is credited with the goal as it rolls over the goalkeeper and in! It's 1:2! Assists- Artyom Voronin
     
    24:29
    Kozlov! Vyacheslav Kozlov takes a huge swing at the puck directly between the circles, and it sears over the bar! The goaltender would have struggled with that one!
     
    27:17
    SKA simply cannot clear the puck from their own zone! With Atlant's first line all over SKA's fourth Mikko Koskinen eventually takes control of the situation blocker side! And that came seconds after Igor Levitskiy flashed a wrister wide from a decent position on the high slot
     
    28:41
    Tempers begin to rise here! Atlant's Vyacheslav Leshchenko riles up Viktor Tikhonov of the hosts, and the referees break it up before the gloves can be dropped!
     
    28:45
    Oh dear, SKA are completely losing it here! Their defenceman Nikolay Belov has been sent out of the game with a 5+20 penalty for kneeing against Nikita Soshnikov, and it's a fantastic chance for Atlant to extend their lead!
     
    30:48
    Levitskiy! Igor Levitskiy charges clean through, and is shut down by an amazing Mikko Koskinen glove save! How did he keep that one out!
     
    33:45
    The hosts looked very effective killing that extended penalty, and they will be very relieved to be back at full strength
     
    35:13
    Atlant look to hit the left hand post for the second time in the period, but the referees aren't too sure and are going to take a look at the video!
     
    35:13
    Indeed the puck didn't cross the line, and we play on still at 1:2. SKA haven't done anything in the attack for practically the whole period, and need to shake something up promptly
     
    37:05
    Shipachyov! Vadim Shipachyov is fed with a eye of the needle pass on the doorstep, and he can't lift the puck over Atte Engren's outstretched glove!
     
    37:29
    Roman Rukavishnikov now drifts with the backhand to the left, sends it across dangerously, and no one is on the far post to tap home!
     
    37:57
    The tempo has been finally raised by SKA and they've worked a powerplay for themselves, with Atlant's Matt Gilroy being called for delaying the game
     
    39:57
    With Atlant defending solidly we're coming to the end of a fast and furious second period, with the visitors in the box seat!
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    Statistics after the first two periods:

    Shots: 27-36
    Shots on target: 13-19
    Faceoffs: 27-10
    Hits: 17-11
    Penalty minutes: 25-16
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    40:28
    As we get going in the third frame Alexey Ponikarovskiy wriggles free on the left wing, and fires powerfully into Atte Engren's stomach. SKA have been slow at times today, and will want to up their game!
     
    43:10
    Goal for Atlant!
    The visitors are simply on fire today! A three on two is quite beautifully worked to the doorstep, and ALBERT YARULLIN fires past Mikko Koskinen! It's 1:3! Assists- Evgeniy Bodrov
     
    44:48
    Kovalchuk! That was almost the immediate reply from SKA! Alexey Ponikarovskiy squeezes the puck to Ilya Kovalchuk practically on the goal line from the right, and it just doesn't go in!
     
    46:17
    The hosts are playing with more urgency now, but with a two goal deficit to claw back they are facing an uphill struggle even at home!
     
    47:10
    Soshnikov! He had an ideal opportunity to finish the game there! Nikita Soshnikov is open on the tip of the slot, and contrives to thrash it over the crossbar!
     
    48:54
    Dmitriy Yudin collects the puck at the blue line, his effort takes a tricky deflection, and Atte Engren still manages to flash leather confidently
     
    49:33
    An unbelievable goalmouth scramble erupts on Atlant's crease, and with some sort of miracle the puck doesn't move over the line! They got lucky there!
     
    51:00
    Atte Engren is playing almost on his own against SKA now! Evgeniy Ketov peels to the right hand post, attempts to stuff the puck in, and the goalkeeper stands his ground
     
    52:14
    The referee has his arm up and he's given SKA a huge chance to get back into things, as Atlant's Anton Babchuk has been called into the penalty box for tripping
     
    53:31
    Swedish forward Jimmie Ericsson has made his team's task a lot harder though, as he has made it a four on four hockey game for slashing
     
    55:31
    Both teams have their full quota of players on the ice again. There isn't much time left now, and SKA aren't really looking like making it a grandstand finish!
     
    57:31
    Roman Cervenka swings his stick at a flying puck in the middle of the air, and the goalkeeper sees it clearly to catch. He has been superb for Atlant today!
     
    58:08
    As Artemiy Panarin wrists into the netminder's chest from the right faceoff circle SKA have pulled Mikko Koskinen for the extra skater! And the hosts have now taken a timeout for their last roll of the dice
     
    59:53
    With the puck deep inside Atlant's zone the game is running to its end, with Atlant heading for a surprise 3:1 triumph away!
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    There's the final buzzer, and Atlant Mytishchi have defeated SKA Saint Petersburg on the road 3:1! Not many people predicted such a result, but it's a fully deserved win for the visitors. Nikita Soshnikov, Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Albert Yarullin struck for Atlant, with Artemiy Panarin replying for SKA. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more thrilling KHL action! (19:47:45)
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 2. Panarin (Shipachyov) – 9. Soshnikov (Babchuk), 23. Leshchenko (Voronin), 44. Yarullin (Bodrov)

    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Shestyorkin)- Kalinin, Rukavishnikov, Kovalchuk, Tikhonov, Ponikarovskiy- Y Alexandrov, N Belov, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Chudinov, Khafizullin, Khokhryakov, Ericsson, Cervenka- Ermakov, Yudin, Barabanov, Kablukov, Ketov
    Atlant Mytishchi: Engren (Artemyev)- Gilroy, Korobov, Shmelyov, Potapov, Soshnikov- Sorokin, Novopashin, Levitskiy, Bodrov, Yashin- Tyuyapkin, Yarullin, Chernov, Tatarukhin, Kozlov- Babchuk, Yunkov, Voronin, Leshchenko- Khlopotov
    Referees: Mikhail Buturlin, Antonin Jerabek, Evgeniy Streltsov, Denis Tarasov
    Attendance: 12154