SKA-VMF St. Petersburg — Chelmet Chelyabinsk: 3:2, VHL

SKA-VMF Saint Petersburg saw off Chelmet Chelyabinsk 3:2 in the Higher Hockey League on Thursday. The home side completed their five-match run with a hard-fought victory after a match that swung both ways. By then the visitors had already tasted success away from home, but this fixture demanded something extra.

We had backed the guests at 52 per cent confidence, a modest leaning that didn't materialise. And here's the thing — Chelmet came into this on the back of two heavy defeats, 0:5 against Gornyak and Magnitka, and the match reflected that vulnerability. The hosts, meanwhile, had shown resilience in their last outing with a 2:1 win over Magnitka.

What stood out was the tempo. SKA-VMF didn't dominate possession but they worked the game into channels they knew. Chelmet tried to press high and found themselves exposed when the home side broke quickly. To be fair the visitors created enough to make the scoreline feel generous, but they couldn't convert their best chances.

Chelmet remain thirty-first in the table with three points from three games. The gap at the bottom is still small, but this result puts further pressure on the visitors to find consistency. SKA-VMF move within touching distance of the playoff places with their fourth win in five matches.