KHL Western Conference Semifinal: 2) SKA St. Petersburg VS. 3) Dynamo Moscow

The second round of the 2017 KHL playoffs is now underway. This Western Conference Semifinal features SKA St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moscow.

Game 1: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. Moscow led off with a Maxim Karpov goal in the first period, courtesy of Alexei Tereshchenko and Andrei Mironov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Nikita Gusev goal in the second period, made possible by Evgeny Dadonov and Vadim Shipachyov. Dynamo retook the lead on a Karpov goal, via Ilya Nikulin and Tereshchenko. SKA tied it on a Pavel Datsyuk goal in the third period, a power play goal powered by Maxim Chudinov and Sergei Shirokov. Moscow won 3-2 in overtime with a Karpov power play goal, with assists provided by Nikulin and Juuso Hietanen. The three stars went to Karpov, Nikulin, and Tereshchenko. Dynamo leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg began in the first period with an Evgeny Ketov power play goal, powered by Jarno Koskiranta and Anton Belov. SKA added on with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, with a lone assist by Nikita Gusev. Moscow got on the board with an unassisted Andrei Kuteikin goal in the third period. This only made it 2-1, the final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (17 for 18 in saves), Shipachyov, and Ketov. The series is tied at 1 as it heads to the east.

Game 3: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo. Moscow opened in the first period with a Yakov Rylov goal, helped along by Denis Kokarev and Konstantin Gorovikov. St. Petersburg tied it on a Jarno Koskiranta goal, via Sergei Plotnikov. Dynamo took the lead with an Andrei Kuteikin goal, going in unassisted in the second period. SKA retied it in the third period with a Vadim Shipachyov power play goal, powered by Evgeny Dadonov and Nikita Gusev. St. Petersburg pulled ahead on a Dadonov power play goal, with assists provided by Anton Belov and Gusev. SKA iced it at 4-2 with an empty net goal by Ilya Kovalchuk, set up by Yegor Yakovlev. The three stars were Dadonov, Gusev, and Shipachyov. SKA leads the series 2-1.

Game 4: VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia. In goal: Mikko Koskinen of SKA and Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo. St. Petersburg started in the first period with an Anton Belov goal, coming off of Jarno Koskiranta and Sergei Shirokov. Moscow tied it on a Denis Kokarev goal, via Artyom Podshendyalov and Andrei Mironov in the second period. SKA retook the lead with a Shirokov goal, passed from Dinar Khafizullin and Alexander Barabanov. St. Petersburg added on in the third period with a Patrik Hersley power play goal, powered by Shirokov and Belov. SKA iced it at 4-1 with a shorthanded empty net goal by Evgeny Ketov, set up by Hersley. The three stars were Shirokov, Hersley, and Belov. SKA heads home with a 3-1 series lead. 

Game 5: Ice Palace Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia. In goal: Alexander Yeryomenko of Dynamo and Mikko Koskinen of SKA. St. Petersburg got going in the second period with a Nikita Gusev goal, helped along by Patrik Hersley. SKA added on with an Ilya Kovalchuk goal, assisted by Ilya Kablukov and Artyom Zub. This made it 2-0, the final, with the three stars going to Koskinen (20 save shutout), Gusev, and Kovalchuk. SKA wins the series 4-1, advancing to the Western Conference Final.

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