SKA Saint Petersburg:

Game 48: Saturday, January 25th

SKA 3-2 Salavat Yulaev Ufa

Game 49: Tuesday, January 28th

SKA 4-1 Vityaz Moscow Region

Game 50: Thursday, January 30th

SKA 4-3 Spartak Moscow (SO)

Game 51: Saturday, February 1st

SKA 4-3 Dynamo Moscow (OT)

The injury concerns that mounted in recent times were not quite as bad as anticipated, as captain Alexander Nikishin returned to the lineup and a potential scare with Ivan Demidov during the week ultimately did not amount to any games missed. However, Arseni Gritsyuk is still absent, Evgeny Kuznetsov will remain out for a while, and the team that is out there is presenting worries of its own via its on-ice performance even if the club did not lose this week. I’ve noticed a pattern of them letting their opponents into games, with Ufa cutting close and SKA being forced into OT by both Spartak and Dynamo (with the former being a notable collapse, albeit one prompted mostly by a vigilant Spartak club doing the work and executing on their chances, and the latter coming on a GTG with less than 30 seconds remaining). As long as they’re getting it done, though, it is a forgivable situation. They need the points in this Western Conference race however they can get them.

On the bright, individual side, Nikishin’s return to the lineup after his brief absence has been fruitful. The future Hurricane was kept off the scoresheet against Spartak but was a delight against Dynamo, with 2 goals (including the OT winner) and 1 assist. The OT GWG was significant in that it brought Demidov’s point total to 42 on the season, which tied Kirill Kaprivoz’s KHL U20 season record. This came just two games after his first career hat trick, coming against Vityaz as he tallied 3 of the team’s 4 goals, including both the opening score and the empty netter to ice it. I won’t get into the potential “caveats” or the controversies around where he sits in the all-time Russian prospects debate, as I think enough breath has been wasted on that by many. I think we should just reduce this to the brass tacks: He has had a very good D+1 and is showing the promise that got him drafted high by the most decorated professional franchise in the world. Montreal, you’ve got a good one. Pertaining to the goalie situation, Artemy Pleshkov got all the starts this week, giving him quite the work load. I cannot possibly read Roman Rotenberg’s mind, but I do think that this could mean that the 22-year-old netminder draws out for the next matchup. Perhaps we will see Flyers prospect Yegor Zavragin again, but who knows given the bizarre rotation situation between the pipes.

Off-ice developments:

While it was already pretty certain, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt at this point that Gritsyuk will be suiting up for the New Jersey Devils next season. JP Gambatese of Dobber Prospects reports he had correspondence with Gritsyuk’s agent Shumi Babaev and he states that the plan remains in place for Gritsyuk to come to Newark once his deal with SKA expires in May. I anticipate that he will be a solid addition to the depth of NJD’s offensive firepower.

HC Sochi:

Game 48: Sunday, January 26th

Sochi 3-4 Severstal Cherepovets (SO)

Game 49: Tuesday, January 28th

Sochi 1-3 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

Game 50: Friday, January 31st

Sochi 4-2 Kunlun Red Star

I know there comes a point where you cannot be let down because you aren’t burdened by expectations. The problem is, I have to be frustrated because this team subjects me to watching fundamentally poor hockey and one squad getting outclassed by the other so often that I feel as though I am staring into the abyss and it is staring back at me. Nietzsche warned me about this, and I am feeling as though I did not adequately heed his warning.

The latest form of frustration comes in the fact that the team cannot play from ahead to save their lives They accrued a 3-1 lead against Severstal, even hitting that point during the third period itself. They created adequate chances to build upon it (the best way to protect a lead, in my opinion), but did not capitalize on them. Sure enough, that two goal lead is destroyed, and they fall in the shootout. Against Torpedo, they scored the game’s first goal with just over a minute remaining in the opening stanza, then conceded the GTG within short order. Subsequently, they were outmatched for the rest of the game. These two games inspired plenty of ennui on their own. However, what made things worse was a lack of production from Will Bitten. While not on his level of generational talent (not even close), Bitten is analogous to what Matvei Michkov was for Sochi during his two loan stints with them in that he possesses the best hockey IQ on the squad currently and produces the most excitement. Him not having a point in these two matches removed a crucial component of their watchability.

Against Kunlun, they did nominally control the majority of the game and rode their dictation of pace to a rare victory. Bitten also returned to the scoresheet, registering 1 assist. However, they appeared shaky enough to where I wasn’t convinced that the win was going to happen until it did. It speaks volumes that there isn’t room for optimism with this team even when they perform at their best, because they’ve ended up proving their pockets of competency to be apparitions time and time again. Additionally, this could be considered a successful week by their standards, and they earned just 3 points out of a possible 6. Truth be told, the KHL should just order them ineligible for the postseason as a matter of business since their elimination from contention is a foregone conclusion and will happen soon enough, anyways.

Standings updates:

SKA: 2nd in Bobrov Division, 6th in the West

Sochi: The status quo

Next games:

SKA: vs. Ak Bars Kazan – Tuesday, February 4th, 11:30 AM EST

Sochi: @ Traktor Chelyabinsk – Tomorrow (Sunday, Feb 2nd), 6:00 AM EST