2-2 for Minsk and SKA!!! Peter scored two goals for himself, another one from the Avangard player

Black day of Nikishin.

Every game day of the Gagarin Cup 2023 is pure delight! I really want this first round not to end – and, fortunately, he is in no hurry. Pre-holiday Wednesday gave the score 2-2 in three series, and in the fourth though 3-1, but there was a very tense and spectacular overtime. Even two.

Among the results of the seventh day of the playoffs, the victories of Neftekhimik and Dynamo Minsk stand out, of course. Two underdogs did not let go of the conference champions and returned to their series. It seems that both SKA and Ak Bars have a common problem – they believed in success too early.

SKA was waiting for its chance, waited – and fell down

The army team started the first period quite calmly – they attacked, but at the same time they didn’t fly anywhere. Yes, there were shots, and moments of varying degrees of danger, and even the majority, but this time Minsk broke the tradition of SKA with goals in the first period. And it seems that this had a little effect on the game of the guests. Discomfort: with a score of 0:0 for the second and third periods, they have not yet come out this spring.

It is important to note that Peter’s squad was different from the winning one: for example, there was no Top 6 Zhafyarov, who has 3 points in the series. And also defender Kamalov (0+2) and forward Zykov (0+1). So not only the triples played, but also the usual special teams were violated. And one would think that it was about injuries and forced substitutions, but no.

“Did you regret that they removed Volkov and Zhafyarov? We never regret what we have done. This decision was correct. Let’s see. We have reserves. The guys will come back angrier. And they definitely won’t play, carelessly, ”said Rotenberg. That is, SKA decided to carry out rotation – and even educational measures – right in the course of the series, in which they lead only 2-1. A little arrogant, don’t you think?

Although when you have Gusev in your squad, it seems that you can change anyone except him. But no, you need someone who will give transfers – like Nikishin.

Somewhere at this moment, it seems, the army team calmed down: they scored, immediately got the majority, then another one. What can go wrong?

But the SKA special teams were not working, and the Dynamo players had almost nothing to lose – a score of 1-3 in the series would have been a verdict. Minsk, on the basis of character, desire and, admittedly, luck, scored 3 goals in 5 minutes. The army team, with their slightly imposing game, could no longer arrange a comeback.

Want to know what a bad day is – ask Nikishin

The SKA defender drew the perfect pass for Nikita Gusev – and could well become one of the heroes of the evening. But then he began some unprecedented streak of bad luck.

Martynov runs away in the minority in the 50th minute, he is pushed back from the shooting position, he makes a backache – the puck does not reach his partner, but Nikishin’s stick flies into the goal. 1:1.

55th minute: Nikishin rolls to his goal, Nikolaev deflects the puck – and straight into his partner’s fad. So she flies into the net again – 1:3.

Probably more controversial today. only Yaroslav Busygin from Vityaz: a goal, two removals from which Loko scored, and a rebound from his stick against Shikin in the second overtime.

Is Nikishin to blame for the two goals? Well, except perhaps the choice of position, and even that is not a fact. This happens. Minus: stick. Plus: very angry Alexander for the fifth match.

Omsk took part in the victory over St. Petersburg

Whatever the end of this series, but Minsk is already writing history – Dynamo had a 2-2 score only once: when the Belarusians fought the legendary Lokomotiv in 2011. And SKA never won more than one cup match.

It is curious that a team from another conference, Avangard, made a contribution to today’s victory. The author of the key puck, Dmitry Sokolov, is in fact a player of the “hawks”: at the end of July, Minsk rented the Omsk pupil, and the striker had a good debut season in the KHL: 11 + 5 – and this with an average time of 10:32 per match.