Ivan Demidov earned his coach’s trust during the match

Earlier today, we learned that Ivan Demidov scored his first career KHL goal.

He did so on his first shift of the game.

This may give you an idea of how his game went.

And indeed, back on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s third line, Demidov was dominant.

In the first half of the game, he didn’t get much playing time, but he earned his coach’s trust.

He was involved at every turn, both offensively and defensively.

Right from the start, following his goal, he hit the post twice.

He’s also hit the post twice today . He is having a dominant game . #gohabsgo https://t.co/eIqzUM027R

– Hockeyy Insiderr (@HockeyyInsiderr) September 15, 2024

Some footage of the game can be found on Platform X, and frankly, it’s encouraging to see.

As I mentioned, Demidov was involved in every shift and seems to have forced the hand of his coach Roman Rotenberg with his performance.

When it was 2-1 in favor of SKA St Petersburg, Demidov wanted to add to his tally and managed to get the puck behind the net.

Unfortunately, his goal was disallowed and he received a double minor on the sequence.

It was the Habs prospect who started the sequence with a clever through-ball to Kuznetsov.

The two players seem to be developing an interesting chemistry.

Second goal for Ivan Demidov today, but…… denied after video replay

His pass between the legs on the tho zone entry… #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/S82te1jP2a

– MasterHockey (@MasterHockey_) September 15, 2024

Grant McCagg posted several clips demonstrating Demidov’s fine work in this game.

During this shift, we could see his unparalleled vision and his ability to connect with his teammates with beautiful passes.

He’s very nimble with the puck, but he’s not afraid to drop back defensively to try and retrieve it.

Check out this shift from Demidov…he is feeling it today! pic.twitter.com/vcHxRnuZKm

– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) September 15, 2024

In another clip shared by McCagg, we see Demidov working hard, and as McCagg says, he’ll need to play like this in the pro ranks.

His coach must have appreciated that.

An excellent shift from Demidov here. He’s battling hard, and that’s what he’ll need to do in pro. Hard work pays off in all walks of life. pic.twitter.com/nBfda8TGLd

– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) September 15, 2024

As a matter of fact, this may well be the kind of involvement his coach is looking for, because in the third period, Demidov played much more than in the first two periods.

After playing just over seven minutes in 40 minutes, he finished the game with 13 minutes and 20 seconds, over six minutes in the last twenty.

SKA went on to win the game 4-3 in overtime.

He didn’t touch the power play, except at the very end of the game for 20 seconds in a critical moment.

SKA win in OT, Demidov had a strong game with 1 goal, several great chances. He got a regular shift today, but no pp time except a 20sec shift at the end (critical moment of the game, he did trust him)

– PKhabs (@habs_phoenix) September 15, 2024

With a performance like that on his return to the third line, Rotenberg will have no choice but to trust him more.

We could expect to see Demidov get a more prominent role by the end of the season, which would be very beneficial for his development.