Euro Hockey Challenge. Slovakia - Russia - 1:2 SO

Russia played their second away game against Slovakia in the Euro Hockey Challenge. Head coach Oleg Znarok made no changes to the line-up following the 6:0 victory on Thursday, and goaltender Igor Shestyorkin kept his place in net. Branislav Konrad was between Slovakia’s pipes.

Our players picked up from where they left off in the first match, and took control of proceedings in Poprad. Slovakia were looking shaky in defence, and we had two big opportunities early on – Vladimir Galuzin was shut down at point blank range, and Vladislav Kartaev came close when open on the left wing. The pressure was building, and on the powerplay we made it count. Vladimir Galuzin took on a slap shot with a man’s advantage, and it crashed into the right corner The Slovakians weren’t getting a lot going at the other end, and Igor Shestyorkin was largely a spectator.

The tension took a rise in the second period, and in a crazy opening minute, both teams came incredibly close to scoring. Vyacheslav Voynov smashed the woodwork, Vadim Shipachyov fired wide of an empty net on the right faceoff circle, and a tricky Slovakian effort from distance hit our crossbar. Slovakia were playing with much more aggression than in the first, and as time rolled on, Igor Shestyorkin was becoming the busier goalkeeper. The hosts were taking aim from any angle possible, and with tempers getting hot, both Ilya Lyubushkin and Vladimir Dravecky received 5+20 penalties.

Unfortunately, Slovakia’s pressing took its toll immediately at the start of the third stanza. On the powerplay Michal Sersen drew his stick back, and thumped beyond a stranded Igor Shestyorkin. That was a setback for our players, and it took a while for us to get back on our game. Slovakia had a handful of openings, and open at the blue line Dominik Granak shot directly into the netminder’s chest. Nevertheless, during the final minutes it was Russia who regained the initiative, and openings did come our way. Nikita Gusev had the best of the lot, however clean through he failed to get the better of Slovakia’s Branislav Konrad.

Overtime it was, and had it not been for Igor Shestyorkin, we would have conceded quickly. Slovakia cut to our crease, and Igor somehow kept a backhander out from the doorstep. Our goalkeeper was about to become our hero in the shootout too, as added to Nikita Gusev’s brilliant goal between the legs, he kept out all three of Slovakia’s penalty shots. 2:1 today, and we defeat Slovakia for the second time in a row!

Match protocol:

Slovakia – Russia – 1:2 SO (0:1, 0:0, 1:0 – 0:1)

Goals:

0:1 Galuzin (Yakovlev), 08.49

1:1 Sersen (Reway), 40.58

1:2 Gusev, 65.00

Goalkeepers: Konrad – Shestyorkin

Penalty minutes: 33 – 39

16.04.2016. Poprad, Slovakia.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation