CSKA continue home stand against the Admiral. A 19-year-old the Army hockey school homegrown defenseman – Ivan Yukin – has earned his first-ever spot on a KHL game roster. He filled in for the absent Ivan Patrikhayev. Klim Kostin did not play, while young forward Nazar Privalov got a chance to prove himself on a line with veterans Pavel Karnaukhov and Maksim Mamin. Dmitry Gamzin returned to the crease after posting a shutout in his last game.
The first period was a tightly contested, back-and-forth affair. Both teams picked up two penalties each, but only the Army Men were able to capitalize on the power play. Dmitry Buchelnikov scored the opening goal for the third game in a row. After taking a feed from Alex Cotton, he blasted a mid-range shot so hard that, for a split second, nobody knew if the puck actually went in. Unfortunately, they failed to build on their success. Our team generated few chances for a second goal, whereas the opposition was actively pressing ahead. Late in the second frame, the away team tied the score, winning a puck battle along the wall and throwing it out front. Moreover, the Primorye team took the lead in the third period. The Army Men immediately rushed to bounce back. Maxim Sorkin had a prime opportunity when the puck bounced to him in a highly promising position. But the shot had too much on it, sailing over the net. Sorkin unleashed a final shot and found the back of the net on the very next play. However, the goal was waved off after the Admiral successfully challenged for offside. Still, our offense did enough to earn a goal. Pavel Karnaukhov sets up Ivan Drozdov from behind the net for the finish. Admiral had the last word, however. The visitors capitalized on the power play to retake the lead. In the dying minutes, the Army Men pulled their goalie for an extra skater but conceded an empty-netter.6
CSKA will host Lokomotiv in their next matchup on September 13.
