Langhamer impresses but SKA’s firepower is too much. December 27 round-up

SKA needed some time to solve Marek Langhamer and get the win in Khabarovsk, while Admiral shot down Vityaz with two third-period goals in Vladivostok.

Yakupov’s strike sets SKA on winning path

Amur Khabarovsk 0 SKA St. Petersburg 2 (0-0, 0-0, 0-2)

SKA secured a second victory on its Far East tour but once again the Army Men had to work hard for the success. Amur’s Marek Langhamer made 45 saves to test a visiting offense that struggled to find a way past him.

The visitor was dominant throughout the game but found Langhamer in obdurate mood. By the end of the second period, the Czech had made 28 saves and seen his defense block a further 12 attempts as SKA had almost all of the play but could not force a breakthrough.

Amur’s resistance came to an end in the third period when Nail Yakupov opened the scoring with a power play effort in th 47^thminute. Nikita Gusev dragged the puck back to the hash marks and Yakupov’s one-timer delivered his 12^th goal of the season. The home team was unable to respond, restricted to just two attempts on Igor Shestyorkin’s goal in the final frame, but SKA could not make the game entirely safe until the final seconds when Artyom Zemchyonok shot home his first of the season. Shestyorkin made 15 saves for his sixth shut-out of the season.

Vityaz slips to second Far East defeat

Admiral Vladivostok 4 Vityaz Moscow Region 2 (2-2, 0-0, 2-0)

Two goals in the third period lifted Admiral to a home victory over Vityaz and kept the KHL’s bottom club in touch with the teams immediately above it.

This game in Vladivostok got off to a lively start with the teams trading four goals in the first period. Admiral led twice, thanks to a third-minute goal from Gleb Zaitsev and Kirill Voronin’s power play effort in the 17^th minute. Vityaz responded with a Gennady Stolyarov power play marker and a tying goal from Borna Rendulic late in the frame.

The middle session was goalless and after two periods the teams were tied in goals and goal attempts. However, Admiral sailed clear in the third. Vasily Streltsov got the go-ahead goal in the 45^th minute and Konstantin Glazachev made the game safe on the power play in the closing stages. Vityaz remains eighth in the Western Conference, but missed the chance to extend its advantage over Dinamo Riga.