SKA suffers fifth straight loss against Lokomotiv

In a KHL championship match, Saint Petersburg SKA lost to Yaroslavl Lokomotiv with a score of 1:3, marking the fifth consecutive defeat for the Army Men in the regular season.

Before the game, the club made personnel changes. On the last day of the transfer window, defenseman Pavel Kolyedov and forward Scott Wilson joined the team. At the same time, assistants Vladimir Filatov and Maxim Semyonov left the coaching staff, and Boris Mironov, who previously worked with head coach Igor Larionov at the 2002 Olympics, took their place.

Just before the start of the match, rumors emerged about the possible appointment of Leonid Tambiev, former coach of Admiral. According to various reports, he could either take over the team or join Larionov«s staff as an assistant.

The meeting was dedicated to the 82nd anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the blockade. In agreement with the league, the game started at the symbolic time of 19:44. SKA hockey players took to the ice in special jerseys with the inscription «Leningrad».

However, the commemorative date did not help the hosts. Lokomotiv opened the scoring in the first minute and dominated throughout the match. In the second period, the Army Men made only 5 shots on goal compared to 20 by the visitors. The only goal for SKA was scored by Rocco Grimaldi in the last minute, ending the team«s goalless streak.

The defeat only intensified the feeling of a prolonged crisis among the Army Men. The team looked confused and could not offer worthy resistance to the reigning champion. Against this backdrop, talks about a change in coaching leadership are taking on more realistic contours.