Shabanov sparks winning start for Traktor

Game One of the Gagarin Cup final went to Traktor. Maxim Shabanov made the difference in Yaroslavl, moving to 20 points in this year’s playoffs with a game-winning display. 

Double blast at the start of the third settles game one of the Grand Final

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 1 Traktor Chelyabinsk 2 (0-0, 0-0, 1-2)

(Traktor leads the series 1-0)

Maxim Shabanov had a goal and an assist to give Traktor victory in the opening game of the 2025 Gagarin Cup final series. For the third round in a row, Lokomotiv started with a loss, going down 2-1 after allowing two goals in 13 seconds at the start of the final frame.

It all adds up to an early advantage for Benoit Groulx’s Traktor as it looks to bring a first ever Gagarin Cup to Chelyabinsk. Lokomotiv, swept by Metallurg a year ago when favored to win the cup, will hope for better as the series progresses.

Traktor had slightly the better of a lively first period, helped by the first power play of the game when Martin Gernat sat for tripping in the eighth minute. However, the best chance came shortly after that penalty was over. Vladimir Tkachyov seemed certain to score when he fired in a shot at the open side of the net, only for Daniil Isayev to pull off a sensational glove save and keep the scoreboard blank.

The middle frame was even, but Traktor’s net led a charmed life as Lokomotiv hit the piping three times. Maxim Shalunov, once a Traktor player, was the first to go close with a shot during his team’s first power play of the evening. Midway through the session, another power play saw Rushan Rafikov launch a mighty shot against the post. And then Alexander Radulov suffered the same frustration in the 34th minute as Zach Fucale derived maximum assistance from the frame of his net.

After two goalless periods, Traktor scored twice in the space of 13 seconds to blow the game apart. The opener was not perhaps the most neatly executed play of the game – Artyom Blazhievsky initially miscontrolled the puck and his hasty attempt to complete a pass forced Vasily Glotov into an awkward first-time prod towards Shabanov. But there was no faulting Shabanov’s finish, lifting a backhander to the top shelf to beat Isayev.

But the second was flawlessly delivered: following the face-off win, Sergei Telegin’s stretch pass sent Traktor’s forwards bearing down on goal. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev combined with Shabanov to send Alexander Kadeikin into the danger zone and he fired a wrister past Isayev.

Lokomotiv got a lifeline when Logan Day was assessed a major penalty in the 52nd minute. A video review determined that he was guilty of checking to the head of Artur Kayumov and the Traktor defenseman sat for five minutes. The first two minutes of that were played four-on-four, with Loko’s Georgy Ivanov assessed a roughing minor.

However, once back to full strength, the home team converted its power play. Once again, Radulov’s shot came back of the post, but this time Maxim Beryozkin put the rebound into an open net and made it a one-goal game.

The power play continued, and Lokomotiv had a couple more scoring chances before Day returned to the game with 3:39 on the clock. In the closing stages, Igor Nikitin called Isayev to the bench, playing the last 86 seconds with the extra skater. Traktor, unsurprisingly, abandoned any offensive ambition and focused on closing out the win. Fucale did well to deny Byron Froese before getting behind a shot from Rafikov in the last minute. One more glove save denied Georgy Ivanov as the seconds ticked down and the visitor secured a nervy verdict to open the series.