SKA thrashes Dynamo, seizes control of series. Western semi-finals, Day 4

(3) Dynamo Moscow 1 (2) SKA 6 SKA leads the series 3-1 SKA smashed Dynamo to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and move to within a single victory of the Western Conference final. Two goals for Patrick Thoresen and goal+assist returns for Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeny Dadonov led the St. Petersburg team to a decisive win in Game 4 on a night when everything went wrong for the Blue-and-Whites. The home team’s problems went from the painful – injuries to defenseman Maxim Solovyov and goalie Alexander Lazushin – to the farcical as Alexei Tsvetkov skated into the referee to allow Thoresen a free shot for his second and SKA’s fifth. Thoresen started the rout with the opening goal in the eighth minute. Tony Martensson’s shot slithered under Lazushin’s pads but couldn’t make it to the line; Thoresen’s outstretched stick slid in to complete the goal. Dynamo found an answer for that, with Yegor Dugin deflecting a Janne Jalasvaara shot past ...