Tight battles on Christmas Eve. December 24 round-up

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the league, our Wednesday program went into OT. The action started in Omsk, where a last-minute goal saved Avangard from defeat to Neftekhimik. The home team completed the turnaround in overtime to record a third straight win. Then, in St. Petersburg, Shanghai Dragons got the better of Spartak in a shoot-out, finishing with the same 4-3 scoreline.

Hawks leave it late to see off Neftekhimik

Avangard Omsk 4 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 3 OT (0-0, 1-2, 2-1, 1-0)

A last-minute goal from Nikolai Prokhorkin saved Avangard from defeat in its final home game of 2025. Then the Hawks went on to win it in overtime thanks to Vasily Ponomaryov.

That was rough justice for Neftekhimik, which turned the game around to lead in the second period, and hit the front again in the 57th minute before suffering a fifth successive loss.

The home team tried to start in its accustomed high-tempo fashion, but the visiting defense worked hard to prevent shots getting through to Filipp Dolganov. When he was called into action, he dealt with all that came his way in a goalless first period. The best chance of the opening frame fell to Ponomaryov late in the session, but Dolganov made a good save to keep the teams deadlocked.

After the break, though, Avangard’s pressure led to the opening goal. It didn’t take long: in the first 90 seconds of play, the Hawks had five shots on goal and in the end Nail Yakupov found the target following a swift attack. That goal did not immediately change the pattern of play, with Omsk continuing to control possession and force Neftekhimik to operate on the counter. Midway through the frame an extended spell of attacking play took in two shifts and ended with Klim Kostin spurning a great chance to score from the deep slot.

Dolganov continued to impress, making a fantastic save to deny Mikhail Kotlyarevsky. It seemed that only the goalie stood between Neftekhimik and a heavy loss, but suddenly the visitor found an effective counterattack and Andrei Belozyorov tied the scores. Then, late in the second, German Tochilkin emerged from the penalty box just in time to jump on a Yakupov error and give the Wolves an unexpected lead at the second intermission.

The third period felt much like the first with Avangard looking to dominate Neftekhimik while the visitor defended carefully and prevented the home team for keeping play in front of Dolganov’s net. Nonetheless, when the Hawks finally managed to establish a foothold in the Neftekhimik zone, it brought a tying goal for Ponomaryov.

Once again, though, Avangard was unable to build on that success. And Neftekhimik showed it could do more than merely hang around in the game. With 5:20 to play, a defensive breakdown saw Avangard forced to challenge a successful counterattack; the complaint was upheld and the goal was ruled out for interference on Nikita Serebryakov. Yet within a couple of minutes, the visitor had a legitimate goal and a 3-2 lead. Evgeny Mityakin’s feed from behind the net was brilliantly finished by Tochilkin for his second of the game.

That might have been terminal for Avangard’s hopes, but the home team kept battling. With two to play, Serebryakov went to the bench. The six-on-five play almost brought an empty-net goal, but the Hawks survived and then thrived as Prokhorkin converted a Konstantin Okulov feed from behind the net.
Overtime brought chances at both ends, but it wasn’t until the 64th minute that Avangard grabbed the winner. Okulov combined with Max Lajoie to set up Ponomaryov for his second, game-winning goal.

Rasskazov gets shoot-out winner on debut

Shanghai Dragons 4 Spartak Moscow 3 SO (1-2, 2-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-0)

Kirill Rasskazov had a fairytale debut for Shanghai, potting the shoot-out winner in his first game for the Dragons. He was the only player to score in the post-game series, ending a four-game losing streak and avenging Monday’s 1-3 loss to the same opposition.

Rasskazov, 33, began the season with Sibir but managed just 4 (2+2) points in 23 games. His appearance today was part of several changes for Gerard Gallant’s roster. He replaced Alexander Burmistrov, while goalie Andrei Kareyev came in for Patrik Rybar. Gallant also reshaped his lines, deploying Rasskazov on a new-look, all-Russian second line with Pavel Akolzin and Vladimir Kuznetsov.

Spartak came into this game having beaten the Dragons here two days ago. And the visitor made a confident start in the first period, outshooting Shanghai 13-5 and having more than twice as much attacking possession.
However, that did not translate into an entirely straightforward opening frame for the visitor. A deflected Ben Harpur shot gave Gallant’s men a surprise lead after six minutes.

However, Spartak recovered fast. Midway through the game, Mikhail Maltsev won a power play in center ice and immediately set up an attack that ended with Alexander Pashin burning away from Borna Rendulic on the left and getting to the slot to beat Andrei Kareyev.

Then came a spell of intense pressure from Spartak, with Joey Keane twice going close, before Maltsev spun to shoot home from close range on a power play in the 16th minute. Once in front, Spartak continued to look the better team and, just before the intermission, the Red-and-Whites got another boost when Nick Merkley took a major penalty for checking to Andrei Mironov’s head.

But Shanghai killed that penalty and almost immediately got a power play of its own. That led to Nikita Riley Sutter tying the game. And the home team was more competitive in the second period, to the point that it grabbed the lead late in the session thanks to Troy Josephs’ reactions as the puck bounced around in front of Alexander Georgiyev’s net.

Another penalty for Merkley presented the Muscovites with a power play to start the third period, but again Shanghai defended it well. In an evenly contested third stanza, the visitor got a tying goal midway through the session when Maltsev potted his second of the night.

And the action continued. The Dragons had a goal rubbed off in the 54th minute when Spencer Foo’s effort was disallowed for a high stick. Then overtime brought more drama. Spartak got on the power play, then Ivan Morozov forced a big pad save from Kareyev. The next attack earned the visitor a penalty shot, but Luke Lockhart – franchise appearance record holder for the Dragons – fluffed his chance to win the game.

That proved prophetic, as Kareyev proved unbeatable in the shoot-out. At the other end, Rasskazov’s successful attempt ended the Dragon’s latest losing streak.