Yegor Milovzorov made the difference as Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk continued its impressive start to the season with a 3-2 shoot-out win at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. The former Dynamo Moscow man scored the decisive penalty shot, and earlier in the game his 18th minute goal tied the scores after Pyotr Schastlivy had given Torpedo the lead. The teams traded two more goals in the second period, with Martin Thornberg equalizing for the hosts after Renat Mamashev put Neftekhimik in front.
Neftekhimik, which failed to qualify for last season’s play-offs, has six wins from its first seven games and has picked up 16 points – two clear of Lev Prague and four more than Eastern Conference second-placed side Sibir Novosibirsk.
Donbass downed again
It’s been a tough introduction to the KHL for the hockey fans of Donbass, and the Donetsk side suffered a third narrow defeat in a row on home ice when Amur Khabarovsk edged a 3-2 verdict. After a first period stalemate the game erupted into life in the second session with three goals in barely three minutes. Vaclav Nedorost gave the home side the lead on 21:46, but Dmitry Shitikov tied it up almost immediately and on 23:02 Jakub Petruzalek put Amur in front. Donbass missed a great chance to level it on 34:11 when Evgeny Dadonov failed to beat Jan Lasak with a penalty shot, but Jani Tuppurainen made amends before the second hooter to make it 2-2. Home hopes were doused early in the third, however, with Alexander Osipov getting the winner on 41:04.
