Poltapov, Leivo at the double. January 9 round-up

Prokhor Poltapov scored twice, including a late winner, as CSKA rallied from 0-2 to beat Shanghai. Traktor’s Josh Leivo also potted a double, helping his team to a 4-2 home win over Khabarovsk. Lada won 4-1 on the road at Sochi to halt a seven-game skid.

Leivo shoots down Amur

Traktor Chelyabinsk 4 Amur Khabarovsk 2 (1-1, 1-0, 2-1)

Josh Leivo scored twice as Traktor continued its winning start to 2026. Today’s success against Amur was the third consecutive victory in Chelyabinsk since the league resumed after the New Year break.

The only change to the home roster saw Savely Sherstnev replace Sergei Mylnikov as starting goalie. Amur recalled Kirill Petkov on offense and Yegor Rykov on defense.

Leivo opened the scoring midway through the first period on a great pass from Khabarovsk native Mikhail Grigorenko. In response, the visitor tied it up before the intermission when Alex Broadhurst potted the rebound following Alexei Solovyov’s shot.

The second period began with Traktor killing a penalty before Leivo scored again, thanks to a deflection off Artur Gizdatullin. That’s twice in a row that the Canadian has potted two goals.

Amur’s hopes of recovery were impeded by an inability to convert power play chances either side of the second intermission. However, when Traktor got on the PP, the home team needed just 17 seconds to add to its lead. Grigorenko continued to punish his hometown when he finished a well-worked combination. Soon after, Andrei Svetlakov added a fourth, taking the game away from the Tigers.

There was time for a consolation effort when Alexander Filatyev redirected Yaroslav Dyblenko’s shot home. But the clock denied Leivo a hat-trick: his shot into an empty net crossed the line just after the hooter.

Poltapov lifts CSKA over Dragons

CSKA Moscow 3 Shanghai Dragons 2 (0-2, 2-0, 1-0)

Two goals from Prokhor Poltapov’s completed a fightback from 0-2 as CSKA posted a fifth win in six games. Shanghai was looking to build on back-to-back victories, but came up short despite a promising start in Moscow.

The visitor opened a two-goal lead in the opening session. Defenseman Jake Bischoff got the first when he jumped out of the penalty box, collected a pass and advanced to score on Dmitry Gamzin in the eighth minute. Then he was involved in the second, six minutes later; his shot cannoned off the boards before Nate Sucese stuffed home the rebound.

However, CSKA had chances of its own. In the third minute, Ruslan Okhotyuk’s point shot slammed into the post. Later, the piping came to the Dragons’ rescue again when Vladislav Provolnev unleashed a long-range effort. The home team had more than twice as much offensive possession in the first period but could not beat Patrik Rybar in the Shanghai net.

The middle frame brought more home pressure, and this time CSKA was able to find the way to goal. Maxim Sorkin reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute after Hollowell drilled the puck towards goal and a deflection sent it wide left for Sorkin to shoot from a tight angle.

Then Poltapov got his first of the game, tying the scores just before the second intermission. Pavel Karnaukhov won possession in center ice and advanced on the Dragons’ net. His shot hit defenseman Adam Clendening in the face, but the rebound fell kindly for Poltapov to add insult to injury.

In the final stanza, the teams played more cautiously for a time. Just when CSKA seemed to be putting some late momentum together, a penalty onPoltapov handed Shanghai a great chance to win it late on. However, the home defense stood firm and Poltapov returned to the game in time to grab the winner. He combined with Sorkin and moved to the back door to receive a perfectly-timed pass and bang it home on 57:09. That proved decisive in the game, and also has a big impact on the race for a playoff spot in the West. CSKA’s win moves it nine clear of the ninth-placed Dragons, who had hoped to reduce the arrears to five points with victory here.

Lada takes honors in basement battle

HC Sochi 1 Lada Togliatti 4 (0-1, 1-2, 0-1)

Lada snapped its losing streak in some style, powering to a 4-1 win at Sochi. The visitor remains at the foot of the Western Conference, but closes to within three points of today’s opponent.

For the Leopards, a promising run of three wins either side of New Year has now been following by back-to-back losses with just one goal scored.

Sochi had substantially more attacking play in the opening frame. The home team spent 6:10 in Lada territory, against 2:29 at the other end. However, the visitor defended diligently, limiting its host to just six shots at Ivan Bocharov. Lada actually led the shot count at the intermission and, crucially, had a 1-0 lead on Nikita Setdikov’s sixth-minute marker.

The game was decided in the second period as the Motormen added two quick goals. Artur Tyanulin, Sochi’s all time scoring leader, got his second assist of the evening as Ivan Romanov made it 2-0 on 26:13. Three minutes later, defenseman Alex Cotton added a third, giving the visitor a comfortable lead.

Sochi only briefly threatened. Sergei Popov’s power play marker got the home team on the board with five to play in the middle frame. However, that was as close as Dmitry Mikhailov’s team got. Lada padded its lead after 46 minutes through Evgeny Groshev and that wrapped up a 4-1 verdict. Lada snapped a seven-game skid, winning for the first time since Nov. 19.