At this point, it’s almost laughable.
He didn’t play a single second in the first period, had six shifts (3:30) in the second, and was only used during the last shift.
Ivan Demidov, the team’s top scorer in the regular season, finished the game with a spectacular (or not) 7:43 of playing time with his 11 shifts on the ice.
Even the SKA commentators don’t understand why Demidov is playing so little:
KHL reporters are also wondering why Ivan Demidov isn’t getting any playing time with SKA https://t.co/4NYdx9ZhbJ
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) March 27, 2025
The HK Dinamo Moscow (SKA’s opponent) has a good lineup on paper.
The team has players like Nikita Gusev, Jordan Weal, Maxime Comtois, and Cédric Paquette, who have all played in the NHL and have been useful.
But in the end, Roman Rotenberg’s decisions sank his team in the first playoff game.
He didn’t use his best players as he should have, and it backfired.
Let’s recall that he will probably lose his job if the SKA is quickly eliminated from the playoffs… and he needs to find a way to get things back on track before it’s too late.
But let’s also recall that the Habs prospect should finish the season in the MHL if the SKA loses quickly in the playoffs. The organization wants to give itself the best chance to win the junior league title, and we know Demidov had a lot of success in that league last year.
It’s just one game, but the playoffs aren’t starting well for the SKA and Ivan Demidov… and maybe that will encourage Roman Rotenberg to change his game plan before the team’s next game, which is on Saturday.
Overtime
– The Flames need to keep the pace.
“It’s been a lot of fun these last couple games. Hopefully we can keep building on it and take a step forward.”
Matt Coronato stopped by the #Flames TV desk to talk about playing alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Morgan Frost. pic.twitter.com/3OOy7BIG8j
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 27, 2025
– John Tortorella and the Flyers, it was bound to fail. [Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre – BPM Sports]
– The Habs must win tonight. [BPM Sports]
– I’m looking forward to the draft.
