Favorites hit by goal drought

Saturday saw two low-scoring games in the KHL, and two surprise wins for the outsiders. Defending champion Salavat Yulaev Ufa lost second successive game on its travel to the West, this time to Torpedo in Nizhny Novgorod, while Dynamo Moscow lost out at home to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Tarkki on top
In Moscow it was goaltender Tuomas Tarkki who starred, making 38 saves to help his team to victory. Dominik Granak was the only man to beat the Finn, coverting a seventh-minute powerplay. But Neftekhimik equalized before the first siren and Oskar Osala got the winner on 34:52.

Head coach Vladimir Golubovich celebrated winning debut at the helm of the Nizhnekamsk side, beating the team he had once guided to the Russian title back in 1995. Worth mentioning that last season, while working with Torpedo, he was also victorious over Oleg Znarok’s Dynamo, defeating Blue-and-Whites in both encounters.

Denial
Today Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod dug deep for two periods to fend off Salavat Yulaev - but turned the game around in the final stages to win 1-0 thanks to Ruslan Zainullin’s 55th-minute goal. The visitors had outshot Torpedo in the opening two periods but, on a good day for goalkeepers, Vitaly Koval was more than up to the task.