MHL. Minimal loss

Medvedi’s coaching staff made a couple of changes before the game. Yegor Nazarov took place in the goal while Vasili Demchenko became his substitute. Aleksandr Gomolyako was put in the second attacking line to replace Vitali Abramov. Artyom Chistyakov became the seventh D.

The game started without delay as the teams exchanged dangerous moments already at the top of the period. Vyacheslav Osnovin replied to Andrei Churkin’s shot, sending the puck off target. In the very next attack, Osnovin had another chance on goal, but opponent’s goalie was on top. In the middle of the period, hosts gained straight minors and played four against five which drastically changed the course of the game before the first break. Though Medvedi did not score during the power play, they continued to create numerous chances in front of the opposition’s goal. Igor Shestyorkin put on a spectacular save after turning an Aleksei Zakarlyukin shot away with his shoulder, and Ivan Bezrukov could not outplay a prone goalie who made yet another save.

At the beginning of the second period, SKA-1946 organized a small assault of our goal, but the black-and-white defended pretty well. Medvedi still were able to create more dangerous chances. Aleksei Zakarlyukin, Artyom Melikhov and Andrei Yerofeyev all had chances to score, but all to no avail. Medvedi had the most realistic chance to score in a three-on-two breakaway during which Andrei Yerofeyev assisted Vyacheslav Osnovin who shot strongly but, unfortunately, hit the goaltender. Later on, Ilya Zinovyev went straight to the goal but couldn’t beat Igor Shestyorkin. If you don’t take your chances, you get punished. Aleksandr Dergachyov took the puck behind our goal, rolled out to the net and lit the lamp behind Medvedi’s goal – 1:0. Before the second break, the opponents exchanged minors, but the score did not change.

In the third period, Medvedi amped up the pressure. Saint-Petersburg team could not afford to even think about attacking. Medvedi switched to three line play which gave visitors momentum. Osnovin’s line locked hosts in their own zone for a minute and took several shots, but the score did not change. A few minutes later Osnovin was once again unable to beat Shestyorkin who made a great pad save. Ivan Bezrukov had a very dangerous moment as he got the puck on the slot, beat the goaltender, but at the last moment the puck went off the stick, and Ivan failed to take a shot. In the last minutes of the game, Medvedi locked hosts in their zone yet again and pulled the goalie, but SKA hung on to claim the go-ahead victory in the series.

Tomorrow the teams will play the second game.

Game details

SKA-1946 vs. BELYE MEDVEDI – 1:0 (0:0, 1:0, 0:0)

Goal: Dergachyov (Orlovich-Grudkov), 35 (1:0).

SKA-1946
Shestyorkin;
Kozlovsky – Yermakov, Komarov – Volodin – Volkov;
Gasyukov – Churkin, Larichev – Orlovich-Grudkov – Dergachyov;
Valentsov – Aleksandrov, Nikolayev – Grebenshchikov – Nekolenko;
Kostygov – Sulteyev, Lelin – Petkov – Khatsey.

BELYE MEDVEDI
Nazarov;
Zabavin – Nazarkin, Bezrukov – Sharov – Zakarlyukin;
Voynov – Isayev, Gomolyako – Tridchikov – Ionin;
Petrikov – Zhuldikov, Afonasyevsky – Melikhov – Zinovyev;
Chistyakov, Penkovsky – Osnovin – Yerofeyev.

PIM: 16 (2+12+2) – 6 (4+2+0).
Shots: 27 (8+12+7) – 34 (12+14+8).
Faceoffs won: 31 (10+16+5) – 35 (14+9+12).
PP goals: 0-0.
Series score: 1-0.

Senior official: Aleksei Belov (Yaroslavl), Denis Solovyov (Moscow).

April 7, 2015. Yubileyny Sports Palace (Smaller Arena), Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

Photo by SKA Press Office