Moscow Dynamo secured a decisive victory over Nizhny Novgorod, and Nikita Tertyshny netted the game-winning goal for Admiral for the second consecutive match.
1 – 2 OT
Admiral Victorious in Tolyatti
1 – 4
Maxim Comtois` Double Secures Dynamo Moscow`s Win Over Torpedo
Admiral Clinches Overtime Victory in Tolyatti
Lada Tolyatti began their home series on a positive note, having secured their first victory under head coach Pavel Desyatkov against Neftekhimik (5-4) just three days prior, effectively snapping a lengthy losing streak. Meanwhile, Admiral Vladivostok was concluding its road trip, arriving fresh off a 5-4 win against HC Sochi two days earlier. Lada made only one roster change, with Joshua Lawrence stepping in for Alexei Ozhgikhin in the fourth line. Admiral`s coaching staff, however, opted for several adjustments to their defensive pairings, while keeping their offensive lines and goaltending squad unchanged.
The “Sailors” started the game energetically, firing several good shots at Ivan Bocharov`s net and forcing their opponents into the first penalty. They failed to convert on the power play, and immediately after the penalty expired, the visitors unexpectedly conceded. Admiral`s goaltender, Adam Huska, cleared the puck directly onto the stick of Lada forward Nikita Mikhailov, who simply had to tap it into an empty net. This shot was only Lada`s second of the game. Following this setback, the visitors noticeably sagged. For the remainder of the period, Tolyatti took over the game, though they couldn`t extend their lead.
Immediately after the first intermission, Admiral`s players seized the initiative. Leonid Tambiev`s team created several excellent scoring chances, including hitting the post, while the home team didn`t register their first shot on goal until the 30-minute mark. Bocharov emerged as Lada`s key player, stopping 17 shots during the period. Towards the end, Huska also had to work hard as Admiral found themselves in a 3-on-5 penalty kill, which they managed to survive with great difficulty. Considering that the visitors controlled most of the play, the unchanged scoreboard was largely in Desyatkov`s team`s favor.
However, at the start of the third period, Admiral finally broke through with a goal from Pavel Kolesov, who skillfully joined the attack after a pass from Semyon Koshelev. This goal marked Kolesov`s first official goal for Admiral. After the score was tied, the game settled down. Both teams were clearly afraid to take risks, and the match predictably went into overtime. In the extra period, Admiral snatched the win thanks to a goal from Nikita Tertyshny, who single-handedly broke through to the opponent`s net, making it 2-1 in overtime.
Three Stars of the Match
- Nikita Tertyshny – Scored the game-winning goal.
- Ivan Bocharov – Made 33 saves.
- Adam Huska – Made an error in the first period but was reliable afterward.
Maxim Comtois` Brace Leads Dynamo Moscow to Win Over Torpedo
Following a defeat to Severstal, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod continued its home series against Dynamo Moscow, a team that narrowly escaped a home loss to Traktor Chelyabinsk three days earlier. Despite this, Alexei Kudashov decided to stick with his winning lineup. In contrast, Alexei Isakov made significant changes across all lines for Torpedo, except for the goaltending. Notably, defenseman Mikhail Naumenkov was left out of the lineup for the first time this season, replaced by Denis Alexandrov, who made his debut for Torpedo. In the offensive lines, Nikita Artamonov took Viktor Fyodorov`s place in the first trio. Ilya Chefanov joined Alexei Kruchinine and Nikita Rozhkov in the third line, while Dmitry Shevchenko and Alexander Yaremchuk pushed out Andrei Belevich (who became the 13th forward) and Kirill Voronin (who was left out of the roster) from the fourth line.
The match began at a modest pace, with both teams prioritizing tactical positioning. Gradually, the hosts gained the initiative, repeatedly concluding their attacks with shots on Vladislav Podyapolsky`s net. Dynamo adopted a waiting strategy, anticipating opponent errors. Torpedo presented Moscow with three such opportunities early in the first period, forcing Ivan Kulbakov to make crucial saves for his team. The score was eventually opened after a swift counter-attack by the visitors from a face-off in their own zone: Dylan Sikura made a long rush down the right flank, finding a surging Maxim Comtois with a pass, who then beat Kulbakov. Torpedo regained the initiative, undeterred by the more physical play from both sides. Comtois received a harmless-looking penalty in the 16th minute, but Torpedo`s power play units failed to deliver a decisive shot.
After the break, one team dominated the ice. Nizhny Novgorod immediately pushed to equalize, and in the very first minute of the period, Artamonov missed a clear chance, rushing a backhand shot on an open net. Nikita Shavin gave Moscow a breather by taking an unnecessary penalty in the neutral zone against Pylenkov. Kudashov`s team created no significant threats to Kulbakov`s net, and as the power play expired, Comtois managed to pick up his second penalty of the match. The hosts` ineffective power play then culminated in a goal at even strength, thanks to Vladislav Firstov`s unexpected decision to shoot at Podyapolsky`s pads from a sharp angle. The calculation proved correct, and the teams went into the intermission tied, despite a significant 30-10 shot advantage for Torpedo.
As soon as Dynamo started playing a bit more actively in the third period, Torpedo`s earlier initiative vanished without a trace. In the 47th minute, during a positional attack, the visitors again took the lead after Fredrik Classon`s shot from the blue line was tipped in by Comtois. Two and a half minutes later, the Muscovites solidified their advantage: Artyom Ilyenko capitalized on a host error in their own zone and beat Kulbakov from close range.
Alexei Isakov shuffled the lines, bringing in a fresh Belevich, but Dynamo held firm and prevented Torpedo from creating anything serious offensively. With three minutes and forty seconds remaining, Torpedo went all-in, pulling their goalie, but conceded an empty-net goal just 12 seconds before the end of regulation time, scored by Maxim Dzhioshvili.
Three Stars of the Match
- Maxim Comtois – Two goals. The most impactful player of the match.
- Vladislav Podyapolsky – 44 saves. Kept his team in the game during the second period.
- Artyom Ilyenko – A goal, two blocked shots, significant defensive effort, including on the penalty kill.
Neville Woodall