SKA – Dynamo Moscow – 2:0
Thanks to a perfect performance from hugely impressive goalkeeper Dmitry Nikolaev, SKA shut Dynamo Moscow out 2:0 at the Ice Palace in the 2022/2023 KHL regular season.
SKA were rewarded for a fast start with a powerplay goal in the fourth minute.
From the right flank, Nikita Gusev tried to find the unmarked Dmitrij Jaskin on the doorstep, but his pass was diverted past Dynamo goaltender Konstantin Volkov via a wicked deflection.
Marat Khusnutdinov came close to our second not long later when backhanding against the pipe.
Nonetheless, Dynamo rapidly improved as the first period continued. To the surprise of our team, the visitors suddenly started piling on the pressure, taking aim from the blue line with regularity and pouncing on the ensuing rebounds. Tall 20-year-old forward Andrei Nikonov was particularly dangerous, causing SKA major problems on the crease with his sheer size.
Nikolaev was indeed forced into 14 saves during the opening stanza alone.
Visibly fired up, Dynamo continued from where they left off at the start of the second period.
However, as the period progressed, proceedings evened themselves out. Just like the fifth duel of the campaign against Dynamo in December, the two sides were matching each other across the ice with chances at a premium, refusing to take risks and not leaving any space available.
SKA did manage to create a handful of promising opportunities in the second half of the period. Nikita Komarov, Zakhar Bardakov and Valentin Zykov made Volkov work in the Dynamo net, winning the battles on the crease and shooting as soon as a lane opened up.
The visiting team thought that they had equalised in the fourth minute of the third period. But, as a consequence of a successful coach’s challenge for goaltender interference committed by Jordan Weal, the marker scored by Swedish forward Jakob Lilja was disallowed.
Moments before that goal, Dynamo had come incredibly close to equalising on the powerplay, with Georgy Solyannikov heroically sweeping the loose puck off the line after Nikolaev had failed to freeze the initial shot from distance.
Predictably, the Muscovites increased their urgency and applied incessant pressure on SKA. When clean through, Vladislav Kodola was denied brilliantly by Nikolaev with the left pad, and we were rather fortunate that Dmitry Rashevsky sent the rebound wide of the gaping right corner.
Dynamo huffed and puffed, but they simply couldn’t find a way past the inspired Nikolaev. In the closing minutes, they opted to swap Volkov for the extra skater, but that only resulted in Marat Khairullin icing it with an empty-netter.
SKA – who have now defeated Dynamo five times this campaign – will now prepare to host Amur Khabarovsk in Saint Petersburg on Sunday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 17:00 local time.
Match protocol:
SKA – Dynamo Moscow – 2:0 (1:0, 0:0, 1:0)
Goals:
1:0 Gusev (Nikishin, Gusev), 03.18 PPG
2:0 Khairullin (Pedan), 58.15 EN
Goalkeepers: Nikolaev – Volkov
Shots: 46 – 70
Shots on target: 28 – 37
Faceoffs: 22 – 19
Hits: 21 – 11
Blocked shots: 18 – 11
Penalty minutes: 4 – 4
Referees: Naumov, Olenin
Linesmen: Kuchava, Novikov
13.01.2023. Ice Palace, Saint Petersburg.