In the first game of the year SKA has failed to overcome the opponent's resistance and didn't score enough to win in Pervouralsk, as Trubnik showed yesterday that they can still grind.

It has become a tradition, that the games on the road, which usually take place after the New Year's break, don't pan out for our team. For the last forty years they have managed to win only in five new year opening games, yet against those at the bottom of the standings. In case against Uralskiy Trubnik, SKA were facing well-motivated and artful rivals, that were yearning to redeem themselves for two 2016-2017 home ice disasters, 0-7, 0-8.

According to the trend having set this season, SKA players are being so slow to "jump on board", so the game against Trubnik was no exception. The numerous mistakes in a defensive zone resulted in a 3-1 fiasco midway through the first half, putting our hometown team in a tight spot. It took SKA enormous efforts to "turn the tide", Valeriy Ivkin was lucky to have found a seam and score a goal to equalize at the very last seconds of the match, 4-4.

The next game against Sibselmash is slated for January 8.

Says SKA head coach Mikhail Yuriev, " I want to thank Uralskiy Trubnik's management for giving extra drill time on ice, as we arrived two days prior to the game, which has turned out to be so spectacular for fans to watch, with them being intrigued by the last second resolution. I believe none of the teams is satisfied with its' outcome." 

Aleksey Zherebkov, Uralskiy Trubnik head coach comments on the game, " I want to be short-winded. I think that our players have exhausted their winner."