Sunday, Jan 5, 2025. 11:32
Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov continued his hot streak as he scored a goal in a sixth straight game to help St. Petersburg SKA defeat Moscow Vityaz 5-2.
In addition to his goal, Demidov thought he had a double, but his first goal of the match was ultimately awarded to Zakhar Bardakov who barely touched the shot from the 5e Habs’ total choice. During this six-game streak, Demidov produced seven goals and 4 assists.
Demidov’s first point reduced the lead to 2-1 in favor of Vityaz. His shot from the top of the slot grazed Bardakov’s leg before finding the back of the net. Leading 3-2 in the second period, Demidov maneuvered well in the opposing zone before passing it to Sergei Plotnikov and continuing his way to the other side of the net. Plotnikov immediately gave him the puck and Demidov doubled his team’s lead.
SKA has only lost one game since Demidov’s streak began, which also saw his ice time jump. The winger had only crossed the 10-minute mark once between November 13 and December 19, a sequence of nine games, in addition to being left out in another.
Since then, Demidov has played more than 15 minutes in four out of five games, including two over 18 minutes. His lowest total was 14:49, precisely in Sunday’s match against Vityaz.
This winning streak for SKA allows the team to move up the KHL rankings. Saint Petersburg is now in the top 5 on the circuit, with the best attack. SKA and Demidov will play their next match on Wednesday, against Spartak Moscow, direct rival in the standings.
