Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team suffered its first defeat in Kremenchuk, allowing the opponent to tie the score in the series.
Kremenchuk – Kyiv Capitals – 3:2, ОТ (1:0; 1:1; 0:1; 1:0)
Pucks: 1:0 – Tselohorodtsev (Lialka, Kryvoshapkin, – power play), 17:24; 2:0 – Hevorkian (Serednytskyi, Lialka), 26:25; 2:1 – Panchenko (Sirchenko), 32:28; 2:2 – Panchenko (Berdniks, Kryvonozhkin, – power play), 58:21; 3:2 – Lialka (Matusevych, Kryvoshapkin, – power play), 69:42.
Kremenchuk: Eduard Zakharchenko; Denys Matusevych – Daniil Kryvenko, Vitalii Lialka (c) – Bohdan Serednytskyi – Artem Tselohorodtsev; Bohdan Pankov – Dmytro Ihnatenko, Dmytro Poperezhai – Vladyslav Braha – Yevhenii Abadzhian; Bohdan Piddubnyi – Tymofii Materykin, Mykhailo Hevorkian – Hlib Kryvoshapkin – Yehor Bezuhlyi; Volodymyr Ponomarenko – Rasim Abdullaiev, Viacheslav Andrushchenko – Daniil Duka – Yurii Myronenko
Head coach: Andrii Sriubko
Kyiv Capitals: Nazar Boiko; Mykhailo Vasyliiev – Deniss Berdniks, Yang Hu – Serhii Chernenko (c) – Yaroslav Panchenko; Valentyn Sirchenko – Vladyslav Luhovyi, Andrii Kryvonozhkin – Sevastian Karpenko – Mykyta Oliynyk; Tymur Lapko – Oleksii Melnykov, Nikita Liesnikov – Yevhen Sekirko – Danylo Tyshchenko; Eetu Moksunen – Matvii Mazko, Oleksandr Koida – Oleksandr Valkun – Ihor Shevchenko
Head coach: Vadym Shakhraichuk
Series score – 3:3
The sixth match of the final series began with minimal changes for the teams. For the Kyiv team, they only affected the goalkeeper position. Boiko appeared for the second time in the Capitals’ goal during the playoffs. Instead, Matusevych found himself among the first pair of defenders for the hosts, and Piddubnyi took his place in the third pair.
Unfortunately, due to an air alarm, the start of the match was postponed to 15:50. One of the leading Ukrainian rowers, Liudmyla Luzan, made the initial throw and already had a similar experience in the final of the Ukrainian Cup, which also took place at the Iceberg Arena.
Speaking of the match itself, the initial activity of Kremenchuk quickly turned into an advantage for our team. The best moment to score had Panchenko, but Yaroslav could not get the puck into the empty net from close range. Once again, we must mention the excellent actions of Zakharchenko in the last line, who actively and often saved the host team`s goal.
In the 17th minute, the initiative shifted to the hosts, who earned the first power play in the meeting. It became the time for Boiko to demonstrate confident play. However, after several saves by Nazar, Andrii Sriubko’s wards took the lead. Tselohorodtsev was the first to be on the rebound and sent the puck into the empty net.
In the second period, Kremenchuk doubled the advantage. After the second assist from Lialka, Hevorkian sent the puck into the net. The referees reviewed the moment for skate play by Mykhailo but eventually confirmed the goal. Considering the camera angles from the broadcast, this decision is difficult to criticize or agree with.
Before the second break, Capitals were able to narrow the gap in the score. Panchenko’s throw into the corner forced Zakharchenko to concede for the first time in this meeting.
The hosts «dried up» the game in the third period, and Vadym Shakhraichuk`s team couldn’t score the crucial goal. With 3:25 left, our team took the lead. Capitals conducted the end in a 6×4 format and almost immediately equalized the score. After Berdnik’s shot, Kryvonozhkin directed the puck toward Panchenko, who calmly hit the empty net.
Therefore, the spectators waited for overtime at the Iceberg Arena. In a fairly intense game from both sides, the hosts got a chance for a power play in the 8th minute and converted it into a winning goal. Lialka took advantage of the confusion close to the guests’ zone and extended the series to a seventh match. On April 11th, the champion will be determined at the Chalette Arena in Kyiv.
