While RW Borna Rendulic, in his first game for SKA after having been acquired from HC Sochi, found the back of the net on October 11th in Saint Petersburg to cut the deficit to 1, the home team wound up falling to visitors Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3-2. Despite out-shooting Lokomotiv 31 to 22 and holding the slimmest margin of advantage at the faceoff dot (30 to 29), the home team was not able to get the better of them. Mental lapses and giveaways in their defensive zone were their undoing. Additionally, many of their shots were not on the most impressive scoring chances, and Lokomotiv made it hard for Saint Petersburg as they defeated them 16 to 11 in the shot blocks department. An attempt at a last minute strike was made as recently acquired star goaltender Nikita Serebryakov was pulled for the extra attacker with 0:54 remaining. However, it was fruitless, and the home club had to disappoint their fans and not live up to the electric atmosphere inside the Ice Palace. On that note, while he made some good saves, this was statistically a weak performance by Serebryakov as the team in front of him disappointed, causing him to register a .864 SV%, stopping only 19 of 22. On the other end of the ice, Lokomotiv G Daniil Isayev, aided by a good defensive effort, put up a .935 SV% with his 29 saves on 31 shots against. SKA Saint Petersburg were up against a solid opponent (who now hold the best record in the KHL), but with the bolstering they have made with their recent moves to gain a talented scorer and the defending Best Goalie in the KHL, they have to be disappointed with this loss. The inconsistency of head coach Roman Rotenberg’s group’s 2023-24 campaign to this point might be here to stay, but we will have to see. In any event, I am sure they would have preferred to finish the first half of their four-game homestand 2-0 rather than 1-1. I am eager to watch as they attempt to bounce back.

Currently, SKA Saint Petersburg sit at 8th in the Western Conference, 4th in the Bobrov Division, and 16th in the KHL standings/Continental Cup race. Their record sits at an even 8 wins and 8 losses, with all results in regulation, and their goal differential is currently a +8 (42 goals for, 34 goals against). The next game in this home series is on Friday, October 13th against Dinamo Minsk before they take on Admiral Vladivlostok (in their first matchup against them since the big trade between the two clubs that centered on Serebryakov took place) on Monday, October 16th. After that, they have a handful of days off before they embark on a four-game road trip that begins on the 21st and ends on the 27th. So far, this team appears as though they cannot consistently keep the wheels moving. Will this change after their reconfigured group is given a chance to develop more chemistry? It will be exciting to find this out, along with what other narratives play out in this intriguing season both on and off the ice in the KHL.