Home comforts. January 5 round-up

All three of Monday’s KHL games went to the home team. Salavat Yulaev had Maxim Zorkin to thank for a 2-1 win over Neftekhimik, Sochi blanked Dynamo Moscow to take a 2-0 verdict, and Shanghai Dragons recovered to beat Lada despite blowing a 2-0 lead.

Zorkin double downs Neftekhimik

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 1 (1-0, 0-1, 1-0)

A big day in Ufa started with news that Salavat Yulaev had swooped to claim Evgeny Kuznetsov off waivers. And it continued with a home victory over Neftekhimik.

Kuznetsov himself was not involved: he’s expected to make his debut on Thursday against Avtomobilist. Instead, Sergei Varlov was the only new face from Saturday’s game against Dinamo Minsk.

By contrast, Neftekhimik revamped the team extensively following defeat at Sochi. First-choice goalie Filipp Dolganov missed out through injury, as did scoring leader Andrei Belozyorov and defenseman Ilya Pastukhov. That put Yaroslav Ozolin between the piping, while Dinar Khafizullin returned to Ufa.

The home team had not played for five days, but showed no sign of rust. In the 11th minute Sheldon Rempal led a counterattack and his cross-ice feed set up Nikita Zorkin for a wrister to open the scoring.

The Wolves had chances to respond. Timur Khairullin had a good shorthanded chance, then Artyom Gorshkov dinged the piping. But Ufa held its lead until the intermission.

Once again, though, Viktor Kozlov’s team struggled in the middle frame. Although the host tried to cut out any risky play, it still allowed a goal late in the session as Nikita Khoruzhev tied the scores.

But the final stanza saw Zorkin get his second of the game with a long-range effort. Neftekhimik responded with a flurry of attacks on Semyon Vyazovoi’s net but could not find a second equalizer.

Dynamo stumbles in Sochi

HC Sochi 2 Dynamo Moscow 0 (1-0, 0-0, 1-0)

The Leopards recorded a third successive victory – their best streak of the season – while Dynamo slipped to a third straight loss.

Pavel Khomchenko made 39 saves to backstop the home win, with goals from Will Bitten and Jean-Christophe Beaudin seeing Sochi take the points.
Sochi made the brighter start, but faced the first penalty of the game in the 12th minute when Bitten sat for delay of game. The PK sprang into life, frustrating Dynamo’s special teams, and Bitten jumped right out of the box to open the scoring. The Canadian grabbed a loose puck and set off on a three-on-one rush. After exchanging passes with Denis Vengryzhanovsky, he had a routine finish past Vladislav Podyapolsky into an open corner.

Dynamo had a goal whistled off at the start of the second period. Dylan Sikura’s shot looped up before dropping onto the slot for Max Comtois stuff it home. However, the officials had spotted an infringement earlier in the play and halted the game before Comtois could score. After that, the Muscovites claimed the initiative but struggled to seriously test Khomchenko in a goalless middle frame.

The visitor kept up the pressure in the third period but still could not find a way past the goalie. Instead, the home team consolidated its lead in the 53rd minute on a goal from Beaudin. He claimed possession in center ice and did the rest himself, advancing to pot his first since Nov. 17 and take the game away from the visitor.

Dynamo kept plugging away but the offense was unable to generate the openings needed to retrieve the situation. Igor Ozhiganov came closest with a shot against the post in the last minute, but the Leopards held on for a second win over the Blue-and-Whites this season.

Foo gives Dragons a much-needed win

Shanghai Dragons 3 Lada Togliatti 2 (2-0, 0-1, 1-1)

After a long run of indifferent form, Shanghai Dragons needed a lift. And today’s game against Lada brought a valuable win for Gerard Gallant’s team – only its fifth in 16 outings.

Even so, the Dragons did not have it easy against the Western Conference basement team. The first period went perfectly, but Shanghai blew a 2-0 lead before recovering to win.

The first big moment came in the third minute when Spencer Foo put the home team in front. Foo, one of the few remaining players from the Kunlun Red Star era, has begun 2026 in impressive style after scoring twice in Saturday’s 3-7 loss to Metallurg. Troy Josephs, once of Lada, assisted on that opener.
And the home team built on its start with a 14th minute marker from Riley Sutter. That opened a 2-0 lead at the intermission, although Lada finished the opening frame with a slight advantage in shots on goal.

And shots turned into goals after the intermission thanks to Ivan Savchik, who pulled a goal back early in the session. Midway through, Austin Wagner took exception to a challenge from Lada’s Nikolai Makarov and started a fight. That didn’t end too well for the Canadian, who came off second best in that confrontation.

The third period began like the second, with Lada scoring again. This time Evgeny Groshev claimed the tying goal, while ex-Dragon Tyler Graovac claimed an assist. But the game was decided midway through the third by Foo. Wagner brought the play into the Lada zone, Doyle Somerby recycled the puck through the second phase, and Foo touched it home for his fourth goal in two games.