In the same coin: SKA scored CSKA three goals in 179 seconds and equalized the score in the semifinal series of the Gagarin Cup

The victory in the fourth match of the final series of the Western Conference was a real matter of honor for SKA, because in the previous meeting, the Petersburgers suffered a crushing defeat.

After two periods, the team led (2:0) and seemed to have to keep the advantage until the final siren.

Instead, she conceded six unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes.

The new game also served as a kind of strength test for Roman Rotenberg's wards - whether they will cope with the blow received and whether they will demonstrate the presence of character.

Otherwise, they risked lowering their chances of reaching the Gagarin Cup final and being one misfire away from relegation.

Serious help for the guests could be an injury to the main striker of rivals Sergei Plotnikov.

According to the mentor of Muscovites Sergei Fedorov, the ward, who scored six points in the playoffs according to the “goal + pass” system (3 + 3), was seriously injured.

However, in the end, he still got into the application.

But SKA did not do without losses.

In the most important match, the main defender Mikko Lehtonen could not help the team due to health problems.

CSKA as the host started the game very powerfully.

One got the impression that Fedorov's team continued the previous confrontation.

The red and blue organized one attack after another on the gates of Lars Johansson.

Guests in the absence of a key destroyer acted in defense is not always reliable.

Fortunately, the Swede felt self-confident from the first minutes and neutralized all the threats, as if trying to rehabilitate himself for five missed goals.

The Muscovites went forward at high speed with all links, while the St. Petersburgers traditionally stood out as the leader.

Also very good was Leonid Komarov, who regularly created difficulties for opponents on someone else's penny and tried to prevent Ivan Fedotov from reacting to throws.

Actually, with the participation of the Finn, perhaps the most dangerous moment in the first period was created.

An experienced striker close to someone else's gate competently blocked the defender, and young Valentin Zykov literally from a meter away from an uncomfortable hand threw it into the near corner.

The goalkeeper played competently and did not leave a gap.

CSKA, despite the advantage, did not have 100% chances.

More often, Fedorov's wards tried to hit the target from an average distance, but did not succeed in this.

Moreover, they eventually lost in the number of shots on target - 6:7.

Only veteran Alexander Popov, who in this series is experiencing a second youth, tried to act outside the box.

Nothing could be invented and in the majority.

Georgy Solyannikov went to the penalty box for deliberately ejecting the puck, but the hosts spent two minutes ineptly and almost allowed the opponent to score in the minority.

Nevertheless, nothing foreshadowed that the second period would end in failure for the capital's team.

Yes, and he started it quite actively.

With the judge's siren, Popov almost ran out one on one with Johansson, and Igor Ozhiganov took on the most dangerous throw of Konstantin Okulov.

SKA took their moments much more attentively and scored three times in two minutes and 59 seconds.

It all started with the goal of the active Ozhiganov.

Having rescued his partners in defense, he joined the attack and, after an excellent transfer from Nikita Gusev, he accurately threw it into the near corner.

Fedotov tried to block the target, but did not have time.

Then it was the turn of Anton Burdasov.

He easily left Vladislav Provolnev, substituting his body for him, did not allow another opponent to get to the puck and outplayed the goalkeeper from close range.

Fedotov coped with the first shot, but was powerless on finishing.

At this moment, CSKA frankly “floated” and, to top it all off, remained in the minority.

Popov got two minutes for tripping.

Only six seconds was enough for the Petersburgers to realize the majority for the second time in the series.

Gusev, with an ideal pass from the boards, found Mikhail Vorobyov on the penny, who sent the puck into the near corner in touch.

The position of the red-blue became almost hopeless, but they were not going to give up and did not give up.

In the middle of the period, the hosts even managed to catch the opponent on the counterattack.

Vitaly Abramov took advantage of Nikita Nesterov's brilliant pass across the entire court and confidently converted a one-on-one exit - 3:1.

However, before the break, the St. Petersburgers continued to have the advantage and could well have scored more.

They were prevented from developing success only by the removal of Leonid Komarov for delaying an opponent with a club.

And at the start of the final period, the Moscow army team still achieved their goal and, having reduced the gap to a minimum, returned the intrigue.

They suppressed the defender with high pressure outside the goal and forced him to extremely unsuccessfully throw the puck right on the stick of Andrei Svetlakov.

He immediately made a powerful click from the starboard side.

The puck flew between the legs of Maxim Sorkin, but he managed to touch it and became the author of the goal.

Fans immediately remembered the last match of the semi-final series of the Western Conference with Dynamo, when CSKA lost - 0:3, but in the end pulled out a victory - 6:3.

This time, the team failed to make another comeback.

And the main reason for this was the correct reaction to what happened on the part of Rotenberg's wards.

They did not allow panic and unrest and, although they went on the defensive, they acted very calmly and compactly.

We also managed to avoid unnecessary fouls, as in the previous match.

As a result, the guests no longer spent a minute in the minority.

They also had a great moment to regain a comfortable difference in the score.

Zakhar Bardakov ran out to Fedotov, but failed to convert a kind of bullet.

Once again, the goalkeeper rescued the partners.

Two minutes before the final siren, Fedorov took a time-out, and one and a half changed the goalkeeper to the sixth field.

But these measures did not help.

In fact, the hosts had only one real opportunity to recoup.

With 22.2 seconds left, Johansson pinned the puck to the ice with some difficulty after an unsuccessful rebound from the defender and substitution of Popov.

The game ended with a mass brawl outside the SKA gates.

The Petersburgers equalized the score in the series, took revenge for the defeat and returned home in a good mood.