KHL
Ak Bars – SKA St. Petersburg 0:1 (end)
final
Ak Bars Kazan
0:1 (0:1, 0:0, 0:0)
SKA St. Petersburg
Monday 13.04.2015, 17:30 • Tatneft Arena • KHL
     
    There is the final buzzer, and SKA Saint Petersburg have taken a huge 1:0 victory against Ak Bars to take a massive 2:0 series lead! Their tactics were perfect today, not giving Ak Bars much joy at all. Anton Burdasov netted SKA's only goal, with netminder Mikko Koskinen grabbing a shutout for himself. Thanks for following the game with us, and see you again soon for more thrilling KHL action! (20:57:36)
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:17
    Ak Bars have now pulled goaltender Anders Nilsson for the extra skater, and also take a timeout! It's their last roll of the dice with less than a minute left!
     
    57:59
    Artyom Lukoyanov takes on a hopeful slap shot from the left faceoff circle, and he ends up hitting the near post! Mikko Koskinen lost sight of that one!
     
    57:17
    The puck is dug out from behind SKA's net, and as everyone piles on top of one another the referees eventually blow on the play. SKA's defence has been rock solid blocking shots all over the place today, and have to stay strong for a few minutes more!
     
    54:57
    Cervenka! Taking up the loose puck off a poor Ak Bars turnover Roman Cervenka closes down, and with Anders Nilsson powerless he slaps over the crossbar! SKA are the ones looking the more likely right now!
     
    52:40
    Having been let off in a big way Ak Bars are back at full strength. Already around only seven minutes remain inside the Tatneft Arena, and the hosts are running out of time to make something happen!
     
    51:23
    Panarin! Just how didn't he score, wow! The puck is brilliantly played around to the left side of the crease, Artemiy Panarin had a completely open net to aim at, but he can fire only into the far post! He'll be having nightmares about that one!
     
    50:40
    And Evgeniy Medvedev has now turned from hero to villain, being sent for a two minute sit down as a result of slashing against Anton Burdasov of SKA
     
    50:29
    Medvedev! What a skate that was from the home defenceman! Evgeniy Medvedev moves in from the right, goes up close, and pokes inches wide of the far corner! It would have been one to savour!
     
    47:08
    Mikhail Varnakov spins behind SKA's net, tries to get a backhanded attempt away, and away defencemen get their sticks out to prevent it from sliding through
     
    45:02
    Both teams' penalty kills are working with perfect effect so far today, and it's a five on five hockey game again
     
    43:02
    A very untimely penalty has been called against Ak Bars here and they aren't happy about it all, with their captain Alexander Svitov being penalised for goaltender interference
     
    42:01
    SKA's Roman Cervenka skates in beyond the blue line, wrists with a marker blocking the goalkeeper's view, however his wrister flies well wide of the left post
     
    41:13
    The puck has now dropped for the third, and crucial, period! Ak Bars have to give their all to get back on level terms, with SKA in the box seat at he moment!
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Statistics after the first two periods:

    Shots: 34-31
    Shots on target: 15-19
    Faceoffs: 25-17
    Hits: 8-8
    Penalty minutes: 6-8
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:56
    As Ak Bars also are back to full strength the second period is drawing to its close, with SKA knocking the puck around confidently as they still lead!
     
    37:56
    SKA will be very relieved to be at full strength again. And now Ak Bars have taken an unwanted penalty against their names, as for interference experienced defenceman Evgeniy Medvedev has been penalised
     
    36:01
    Zakharchuk! Stepan Zakharchuk is the next to try his luck, and from the high slot the goaltender's chest is there to cover! Ak Bars are getting closer and closer!
     
    35:30
    Koskinen! He's on fire at the moment! Seconds after Igor Mirnov smacked the right post a seriously powerful slapper is dumped in, and Mikko Koskinen makes a stunning glove save! Wow!
     
    34:30
    Pressuring behind the net Ak Bars have earned a handy powerplay for themselves here, as SKA's Vadim Shipachyov has been found guilty of tripping
     
    32:03
    Rukavishnikov! Roman Rukavishnikov is allowed to skate all by himself to the left, he wrists with the goal almost at his mercy, and he can only hit the far post! He simply had to at least hit the target!
     
    30:01
    Ilya Kovalchuk takes aim form the left faceoff circle, and only Anders Nilsson's flying outstretched glove keeps him off the board! And following that scare Ak Bars are back at full strength
     
    28:57
    Andrey Kuteikin waits patiently at the blue line, takes a whack at it, and with Evgeniy Dadonov lurking in front of him Anders Nilsson fields confidently
     
    27:58
    Young SKA defenceman Dmitriy Yudin is completely taken out here, he looks in pain! And for boarding in that play Ak Bars' Igor Mirnov has been deservedly punished
     
    26:30
    As an almighty goalmouth scramble erupts on SKA's crease the visitors are back at full strength. Ak Bars are getting their game together now, and are beginning to act with power!
     
    25:51
    Mirnov! Ak Bars are making more and more opportunities for themselves! Igor Mirnov is open to the right of the slot, one times it, and somehow Mikko Koskinen gets across in time to get something on it! He had to be at his best!
     
    25:29
    Nikulin! What a fearsome effort! Ilya Nikulin draws his stick back, and thumps the puck inches wide of the left post! Mikko Koskinen would have had a hard job of keeping that one out!
     
    24:30
    Out of nothing here SKA are going back on the penalty kill, as for having too many men on the ice they have been called by the referees
     
    22:17
    Arkhipov! That got the home fans excited! Escaping the away defence Dmitriy Arkhipov slips in down the right, and Mikko Koskinen just manages to shut the five hole in time to keep him out!
     
    20:34
    The second frame is go! SKA are content with being one up, while Ak Bars need to take their game up to another level!
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Statistics after the first period:

    Shots: 14-14
    Shots on target: 7-10
    Faceoffs: 12-5
    Hits: 2-5
    Penalty minutes: 2-4
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:51
    The last few seconds of the first period are now here, with SKA feeling the better of the two teams at the moment with that opening goal!
     
    19:01
    Goal for SKA!
    Wow, what a massively important goal that is for SKA! ANTON BURDASOV takes up his own rebound to the left of the crease, and he brilliantly hits the far corner! It's 0:1! Assists- Roman Rukavishnikov
     
    15:30
    Having not let SKA have many openings Ak Bars are at full strength again. Defensively neither team are giving up much, with the puck being fought for everywhere on the ice
     
    13:30
    And SKA will now have a powerplay of their own, as Ak Bars defenceman Evgeniy Medvedev has been penalised for tripping his opponent up
     
    12:00
    Despite taking a couple of needless penalties SKA are solid so far on the penalty kill, and have their full quota of players back into the action
     
    10:00
    The referee has his arm up and again it's against the visitors, as for tripping Patrick Thoresen has been sent to the penalty box
     
    07:03
    Martensson! SKA also now create something of their own! Tony Martensson is cleverly set up on the doorstep alone, however he's denied by Anders Nilsson! He was all on his own!
     
    05:52
    Surviving that scare SKA are back at full strength. They haven't settled fully into things yet, and will be waiting for their chance to pounce
     
    05:01
    Oscar Moller now winds up for a powerful slap shot, and this time it bounces off the goalkeeper's chest and out of danger! Ak Bars are asserting themselves on the game well!
     
    04:13
    Nikulin! Ilya Nikulin has a huge slapper kicked away by Mikko Koskinen, and then Igor Mirnov's follow up glove side is also stoned by the away goaltender under pressure!
     
    03:52
    We now have the first penalty of the day and it's gone against SKA, as their Czech forward Roman Cervenka has been spotted for tripping directly under the referee's nose
     
    00:45
    What an early chance for Ak Bars! Setting up in the attacking zone with power the puck trickles to the right of the crease, and Mikko Koskinen makes a desperate diving stop to keep it out! That got the home fans inside the Tatneft Arena excited!
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The teams are now out on to the ice, and after the Russian and Tartar national anthem we'll be getting underway!
     
    Starting lineups:

    Ak Bars Kazan: Nilsson (Garipov)- Medvedev, Brookbank, Glukhov, Vrana, Varnakov- Korneev, Nikulin, Moller, Azevedo, Mirnov- Zakharchuk, Rylov, Lukoyanov, Svitov, Koltsov- Musin, Paigin, Arkhipov, Burmistrov, Petrov

    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Ezhov)- N Belov, A Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Kovalchuk- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Khafizullin, Rukavishnikov, Tikhonov, Ericsson, Cervenka- Yudin, Barabanov, Burdasov, Kablukov, Ponikarovskiy

    Referees: Jyri Ronn, Antonin Jerabek, Alexander Zakharenkov, Sergey Shelyanin.
     
    This will be the second game in the series, with SKA having taken the first match 4:2 on Saturday in Kazan.
     
    Ak Bars have been virtually flawless during these playoffs, dropping just three games on their way to the final. They defeated Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, HC Avangard Omsk and HC Sibir Novosibirsk all by a score of 4:1, and will be confident in their abilities. Their opponents SKA have had to work a bit harder, seeing off HC Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and HC Dynamo Moscow both by a score of 4:1, before making KHL history beating HC CSKA Moscow in seven 4:3.
     
    Hello and welcome to this KHL Gagarin Cup final match between HC Ak Bars Kazan and SKA Saint Petersburg. This is the grand final which we have all been waiting for, and it should be an amazing spectacle.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 17:30.
    Commentary by

    Shaun Nicolaides

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 20. Burdasov (Rukavishnikov)

    Ak Bars Kazan: Nilsson (Garipov)- Medvedev, Brookbank, Glukhov, Vrana, Varnakov- Korneev, Nikulin, Moller, Azevedo, Mirnov- Zakharchuk, Rylov, Lukoyanov, Svitov, Koltsov- Musin, Paigin, Arkhipov, Burmistrov, Petrov
    SKA St. Petersburg: Koskinen (Ezhov)- N Belov, A Belov, Thoresen, Martensson, Kovalchuk- Y Alexandrov, Kuteikin, Panarin, Shipachyov, Dadonov- Khafizullin, Rukavishnikov, Tikhonov, Ericsson, Cervenka- Yudin, Barabanov, Burdasov, Kablukov, Ponikarovskiy
    Referees: Jyri Ronn, Antonin Jerabek, Alexander Zakharenkov, Sergey Shelyanin
    Attendance: 8285