CSKA entered Game 5 of the playoff series trailing 3-1 and with no room for error. In the previous game, our team continued to hold its own and earned its first win of the series, a success entirely driven by the game's content. The coaching staff made minimal changes to the lineup. Vladislav Eremenko replaced Mac Hollowell in defense.
The game didn't go our way right away, although the Army Men were generally more active in the first period than their opponents. In the first minute, a defensive error led to two forwards taking on a CSKA defenseman, and Giovanni Fiore fired a shot. Our players held off the shot and spent a lot of time on the attack, but the opponent managed to score again in a less-than-clear situation. After a rebound off the boards, the puck found its way to Avangard forward Dmitry Rashevsky, and after his shot deflected off the goalie, it went in for the 2-0 lead. In the second period, Omsk seized the initiative thanks to two penalties for CSKA, though our penalty kill units kept the opponent from creating much. However, our team had some potential scoring opportunities, but unfortunately, they didn't result in a goal because each shot was either off target or hit the goalie directly, who made a confident save. The most dangerous moment belonged to Denis Guryanov, who received the puck in an excellent position and attacked without resistance, but Serebryakov made a solid play. Late in the period, the Army Men earned their first power play of the game, and the opponent managed to fight back after the restart. However, they managed to score at even strength. Ivan Drozdov got into shooting position in the offensive zone, the defenders couldn't figure out who was supposed to mark him, and the forward easily fired home. The tension flared up again. The Army Men pressed hard, had chances, and Drozdov hit the post. But Avangard, too, attacked dangerously. The tense battle continued until the final seconds, but our team ultimately lacked a few small details to save the game and the series. CSKA's season was over.
