Vadym Shakhraichuk`s team emerged victorious in every period, securing a remarkable 14th win in the championship.
Kyiv Capitals (Kyiv) – Berserks-Patriot (Vinnytsia) – 7:1 (3:1: 2:0; 2:0)
Pucks: 1:0 – Bezuhlyi (Sekirko, Kryvonozhkin), 05:08; 1:1 – Osadchyi (Khalin, Duyun), 06:55; 2:1 – Panchenko (Kutsevych), 07:58; 3:1 – Kryvonozhkin (Sekirko, Luhovyi, majority), 19:28; 4:1 – Bezuhlyi (Kryvonozhkin, Tyshchenko), 37:44; 5:1 – Tyshchenko (Chernenko, Berdniks, majority), 38:53; 6:1 – Tyshchenko (Luhovyi, Bezuhlyi), 43:02; 7:1 – Panchenko (Chernenko), 58:27
Kyiv Capitals: Nazar Boiko; Tymur Lapko – Deniss Berdniks, Vladyslav Kutsevych – Serhii Chernenko (c) – Yaroslav Panchenko; Eetu Moksunen – Valentyn Sirchenko, Andrii Kryvonozhkin – Yevhen Sekirko – Mykyta Oliynyk; Kostiantyn Riabenko – Danylo Babchuk, Vladyslav Luhovyi – Yehor Bezuhlyi – Danylo Tyshchenko; Artem Arkhypenko, Denys Plesovskykh – Oleksandr Valkun – Oleksandr Dreval
Head coach: Vadym Shakhraichuk
Berserks-Patriot: Taras Muryn; Ihor Horbunov – Anatolii Reziuk, Nikita Bielik – Oleksandr Reziuk – Anatolii Revuka; Dmytro Klenov – Oleksii Melnykov (c), Denys Osadchyi – Dmytro Khalin – Daniil Duyun; Andrii Obremskyi – Oleg Ruzhytskyi, Valentyn Muryn – Taras Karnaukh – Daniil Derkach
Head coach: Pavlo Legachev
The teams entered the match with suboptimal formations, failing to find their ideal strategies. Team from Vinnytsia came to Kyiv with three fives, opting for a certain rotation as Vadym Shakhraichuk made some changes. Babik and Taran were given the opportunity to rest, while Dvornyk unfortunately missed the match due to illness.
As for the game, an intense series of events unfolded within the first five minutes, with both teams scoring three rapid goals. The thrilling sequence began with Bezuhlyi`s goal against his former team. Sekirko took a shot, Kryvonozhkin positioned his stick perfectly, allowing Yehor to effortlessly direct the puck into the net.
Despite this setback, the visiting team showed resilience and managed to equalize the score. Osadchyi brilliantly capitalized on Khalin’s pass, skillfully outmaneuvering Lapko and expertly deceiving Boyko. However, Capitals quickly regained their narrow lead when Yaroslav Panchenko, the team’s and championship’s top scorer, found the back of the net. Kutsevych launched a shot from behind the goal, enabling the forward from Kyiv team to make his statistics better. This goal marked Panchenko’s 26th puck of the season.
Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team seized the opportunity to dominate the game and make the advantage bigger. Andrii Kryvonozhkin, the standout player from the previous match against Berserks-Patriot, stepped up once again. As a striker for Kyiv Capitals, he scored his 18th goal of the season by firing a close-range shot into the opponent’s goal.
Just 15 seconds before the end of the first period, Capitals had a chance to extend their lead further with a penalty shot, but Taras Muryn skillfully defended against Berdniks’ attempt. Nevertheless, the first period concluded with a score of 3:1, keeping with the pattern of the previous match, only this time, Capitals team held the advantage.
The second period had fewer goals from both teams. Towards the end of the game, the home team managed to breach Taras Muryn’s defenses twice. Firstly, Kryvonozhkin showcased his quick attacking skills by delivering an impressive assist, resulting in a goal. Then, Bezuhlyi added another goal against his former team, solidifying their position on the scoreboard.
Capitals once again dominated the game, with Chernenko, their valuable assistant, making his 27th assist of the season. Tyshchenko also contributed by scoring his 12th goal with a swift one-touch throw. In the beginning of the third period, Danylo completed a brace, thanks to Luhovyi’s exceptional pass that set up Tyshchenko for a face-to-face opportunity against Berserks-Patriot goalkeeper, Taras Muryn. With two attempts, the forward from Kyiv team defeated Muryn, increasing the Capitals’ lead.
Later on, Pavel Legachev’s team had a chance to score during a 5×3 power play, but failed to convert on both the double and simple majority. However, the match featured another double, this time by Panchenko. Yaroslav skillfully outplayed the opponents’ defense and goalkeeper, securing the final score of the game with a brilliant goal. The final result stood at 7:1, marking the fifth victory of Kyiv Capitals over Berserks-Patriot team in the championship.
With this win, the team from Kyiv accumulated 44 points, securing the second position in the standings. On the other hand, Berserks-Patriot remained in sixth place with only four points. It’s worth mentioning that Vadym Shakhraichuk’s team will face Tryzub in their upcoming match, scheduled for January 22nd.