Traktor comes up short in hockey lottery against Severstal
First period
Both teams began the match in a more or less calm manner until Traktor was left
shorthanded. However, the referees quickly turned it into four-on-four, and
this was when Severstal seized the lead; Yegorshev found Vadim Shipachev with a
great pass, and the latter pulled the home team ahead with a precise shot.
Traktor’s Valery Nichushkin was shining bright again; middle-period he created
a solo effort, and if it had not been for the observant Severstal’s defense,
Valery could very well score his long-awaited first KHL goal. After a flurry of
Traktor’s offense Severstal quickly recovered and doubled the lead; then Mezin
was substituted by Fokin in the second straight match. This change jarred Traktor
a bit, and the visitors quickly got down to business. Traktor’s fourth line turned
out to be the most productive in this offensive onslaught when Karpov added the
puck into the net from the goal crease. Not only did this goal bring Traktor back
in it, but it was also a truly historic event for Chelyabinsk team because
Valery Nichushkin collected his first point in his budding KHL career!
Second period
Game’s second period turned out to be equally eventful. Three minutes into the
period Traktor was left shorthanded, and it was only due to Fokin’s heroic
efforts that visitors kept a one-goal margin. Both teams then took a moment of
silence which was broken unceremoniously by Dugin’s goal-scoring effort that
came totally out of the blue. The score was tied, but not for long; four
minutes later Katichev caught Vasily Koshechkin off guard with a wrist shot
from the blue line, more than completing Traktor’s comeback. The home team, to
their credit, showed tremendous resilience and was not intent on giving up;
Fokin had to muster all his skill to keep Traktor ahead when Severstal stormed
his goal (this included a two-on-one battle). Later on Glinkin had an
opportunity to make the goal margin more comfortable for Traktor, but
Koshechkin prevailed on that exchange. Late in the second Traktor was left with
two-man disadvantage, and Severstal made the most of the opportunity; Nikita
Alekseyev tied the game dozens of seconds before the buzzer. Three all; and the
opponents had to start from scratch in the third period.
Third period
Third period was noteworthy due to two things – Fokin’s performance and
Traktor’s constant shorthanded play. Aleksandr Shinin received a 5+20 match
penalty for highsticking; during these troublesome moments Vladislav Fokin
proved that he was more than ready to be a part of regular roster, saving his
team on at least five or six exchanges. After the successful yet very
long-lasting penalty killing Traktor could finally take a breather. Nothing substantial
happened before the end of the period, and the game slowly rolled into
overtime.
Overtime and penalty shootouts
Severstal managed to score in the overtime, but…after the buzzer. The goal was ruled
out, and both teams had to decide the better man in penalty shootouts where the
home team prevailed.
Stats and details
Severstal (Cherepovets) vs. Traktor (Chelyabinsk) 4:3 SO (2:1, 1:2, 0:0, 0:0, 1:0)
Goals: Schipachev (Yegorshev), 7 (1:0 – shorthanded); Berdnikov (Kiselevich, Bergfors), 11 (2:0 – PP); Karpov (Nichushkin), 17 (2:1); Dugin (Nichushkin), 26 (2:2); Katichev (Yakutsenya, Bulis), 30 (2:3); Alekseyev (Schipachev, Ketov), 40 (3:3 – PP); Kazionov, 65 (4:3 – game-winning penalty shot)
Penalty Shootouts: Panov (0:0 – saved by goaltender), Berdnikov
(1:0), Yakutsenya (1:0 – saved by goaltender), Kazionov (2:0)
Severstal (Cherepovets)
Koshechkin;
Yegorshev – Kiselevich, Kazionov – Schipachev – Ketov (C),
Andersén – Laakso, Vandell – Berdnikov – Bergfors,
Stasenko – Caslava, Kazakovtsev – Medvedev – Kovyrshin,
N. Popov, Alekseyev – Fedoseyev – Mons,
Buchnevich.
Traktor (Chleyabinsk)
Mezin (Fokin 10:25 – 65:00);
Quint – Shinin, Yakutsenya – Bulis – Kuznetsov,
Belov – Katichev, Chistov (A) – Kontiola – Kostitsyn,
Nesterov – Ryabykin (C), Panov (A) – A. Popov – Glinkin,
Klimontov, Nichushkin – Dugin – Karpov,
Shalunov.
Penalty Minutes: 10 (4+2+4) - 39 (4+6+29)
Shots: 42 (7+18+14+3) - 26 (8+7+10+1).
Faceoffs Won: 44 (10+14+17+3) - 21 (8+9+3+1).
Time on Ice: Kiselevich (31:57), Yegorshev (31:02), Schipachev
(25:34) - Ryabykin (26:03), Nesterov (25:41), Katichev (24:47).
Power Play Goals: 2-0.
Referees: Aleksey Vasilyev (Saint-Petersburg), Roman Shchenev (Togliatti).
Linesmen: Sergey Mikhayevich, Aleksandr Nesterov (both – Saint-Petersburg).
November 28, 2012. Ice Palace in Cherepovets, Cherepovets, Russia. Attendance – 3775.
