Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Ivan Demidov and his KHL team, SKA St. Petersburg, were kicking off their chase for the Gagarin Cup yesterday, and to say it was a disappointing start would be an understatement.

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As reported, Demidov started the game as SKA’s thirteenth forward, and while Roman Roterberg had said he would play, he rode the pine for the entirety of the first frame. After 20 minutes, SKA was losing 2-1 to Dynamo Moscow.

The right winger then saw 3:30 of action in the second frame and a further 4:16 in the final one, including a two-minute shift at six on five when St. Petersburg was desperate to find a goal, losing 3-1. It was too little too late, however, and the score remained the same.

Demidov ended his work night with 7:46 ice time, two shots on goal, two hits, and a blocked shot. Will Rotenberg decide to change the lineup after that less-than-ideal result? We’ll see when the two teams face off again on Saturday.

Two former Canadiens are skating for the Dynamo in that series. One is Jordan Weal, who spent three seasons in the Habs’ organization, registering 25 points in 65 games in the NHL and 24 in 34 games with the Laval Rocket in the AHL. The center got a pair of helpers in the 3-1 win, while the other, Cedric Paquette, also grabbed an assist.

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