SKA – Avtomobilist – 4:5 (series score – 1-4)
St. Petersburg SKA found itself back in a tight contest with Avtomobilist after three games, a surprising turn given the early home losses and a defeat in Yekaterinburg. The army team appeared to steady the ship at the end of the third game with a late push, only to fall in overtime (1:2 OT). Yet SKA bounced back in a big way, delivering a decisive 5:2 win that steadied the series and sent a strong message to their opponent in St. Petersburg.
Roman Rotenberg’s squad carried a heavy weight as the series progressed. It remained a rare feat in KHL history for a team to win a series after dropping the first three games, a record SKA famously threatened in the 2015 Western Conference final against CSKA, a moment that helped propel them to aCup victory.
With a sense of history on the line, the home side opened the scoring as Alexey Makeev finished a precise play from Anatoly Golyshev. The start showed SKA could tilt the balance, even as Avtomobilist pushed back with dangerous pressure. Goaltender Nikita Serebryakov stood firm for SKA, while Avtomobilist continued to press, testing SKA’s defensive structure led by Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Pedan.
In the 10th minute, Rotenberg’s team found an equalizer as Arseniy Gritsyuk converted a well-placed shot. The game remained tight, with SKA briefly holding the momentum after a power play, but a needless penalty in the late first period allowed Makeev to convert again and put the visitors ahead at the end of the frame.
As the second period unfolded, Avtomobilist asserted themselves with more purpose, while SKA tried to regain control. Nikolai Zavarukhin’s group looked composed, even when facing sustained pressure. A key moment arrived when SKA struck on the power play in the 32nd minute, Mikhail Vorobyov finding the back of the net in an empty corner. The visitors did not relent, piling shots on goal while Serebryakov faced a flurry of attempts.
The visitors then pressed again as Marat Khairullin knocked in a rebound but saw the puck bounce away at a crucial moment. A quick counter from Gritsyuk, capitalizing on a defender’s miscue, gave SKA a two-goal cushion. The margin soon widened from 1:2 to a 4:2 lead, and Zavarukhin responded by inserting Vladimir Galkin in goal late in the period to shore up the defense.
Avtomobilist fought back, narrowing the gap before the end of the second frame. Alexey Byvaltsev slipped through on a partial break and beat Serebryakov, though the puck struck the post and stayed out, only to be ruled a goal after a review in some leagues. The blast of momentum for Avtomobilist continued as Byvaltsev cashed in on the renewed pressure, delivering a crucial strike on the power play.
The third period brought a restart with Avtomobilist leveling the score. Serebryakov’s defense briefly cracked, and Nikita Tryamkin released a shot that found Nick Ebert, who unfortunately sent it wide. The pace grew feverish with both sides carving out chances, and the visitors continued to press, testing SKA’s goaltending and defense. Andrei Obidin’s shot at the 52nd minute nearly changed everything, slipping through to the right circle only to miss the target.
The closing moments turned chaotic. SKA carried the momentum, attacking relentlessly, often playing with an extra skater in a 6-on-4 setup while pressuring the Avtomobilist goal. Yet the defense held firm as Avtomobilist blocked a remarkable 33 shots, compared with SKA’s 8, an indicator of the defensive resilience that decided the game.
historical season
Avtomobilist began the season mid-pack in the East but climbed to third place in their conference during the crossover rounds, reaching the Gagarin Cup semi-finals for the first time in club history. SKA, after their earlier playoff exit, watched as CSKA asserted itself along with Kazan’s Ak Bars and Ufa’s Salavat Yulaev, while Dinamo Moscow topped the regular-season standings. The team known as the Traktoritories experienced a rough postseason path yet demonstrated a successful run that kept them in the title chase.
In the semi-finals, Avtomobilist earned a place against the winner of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs. Moscow Spartak series. Magnitogorsk held a 2-1 lead, with game four scheduled in Moscow, marking a pivotal crossroad in the pursuit of the Gagarin Cup.