Hawks one victory from the final

Avangard is one game away from ousting the defending champion. A 2-0 win at home to Lokomotiv put the Hawks up 3-1 in the series. Playoff leading scorer Konstantin Okulov moves to 20 points in post season after scoring the second goal in Omsk.

Serebryakov’s shut-out gives Omsk the advantage

Avangard Omsk 2 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 0 (0-0, 1-0, 1-0)
Avangard leads the series 3-1

Goals from Vasily Ponomaryov and Konstantin Okulov earned Avangard a hard-fought victory in game four of the 2026 Gagarin Cup Semifinal series.
At the other end, home goalie Nikita Serebryakov celebrated his 50th playoff appearance with a shut-out. The 30-year-old made 28 saves to backstop the win. In the process, he spoiled a landmark occasion for Lokomotiv’s Maxim Shalunov in his 800th KHL game.

The goalless first period was even. Avangard had the edge in possession, Lokomotiv managed more shots on goal. However, while there was much enterprise on view, neither team was able to fashion a truly clear chance to open the scoring.

That all changed at the start of the second. The visitor made a bright start after the intermission, only to be caught by Avangard’s first attack. The Hawks got the puck clear of their zone and Dmitry Rashevsky picked out a fantastic pass to release a two-on-one rush. Vasily Ponomaryov used Alexander Volkov as a distraction for the Lokomotiv defense before firing past Rushan Rafikov to beat goaltender Daniil Isayev.

The goal threatened to knock Lokomotiv off its game completely. The next five minutes were dominated by Avangard, which seemed able to launch counterattacks at will. And the host spurned a glorious chance to double the lead in the 27th minute when Rashevsky and Andrew Poturalski got beyond the defense. However, the forwards overthought the opportunity and Rashevsky’s eventual shot was straight at the waiting Isayev.

At the other end, Lokomotiv began to get back on the attack – perhaps too vigorously in the 30th minute. Richard Panik’s efforts to stuff a loose puck into the net saw him jolt Serebryakov and tangle with Max Lajoie, but no penalty was called.

The home goalie proved unruffled by that incident and made good saves before the second intermission, denying Alexander Radulov and Nikita Kiryanov in quick succession.

In the third period, Lokomotiv continued to press. However, the home defense was rigid and refused to give up any ground. Throughout the third period, Loko managed just seven shots on goal. Ten more were blocked as Avangard worked hard to deny the visitor a way back into the game.

That had an impact on the home offense and Avangard was limited to just two shots at Isayev. Nonetheless, that was enough for Konstantin Okulov to get his team’s second goal. It came midway through the session when Nikolai Prokhorkin won a face-off in the left-hand circle. Okulov collected possession and moved to the boards, from where his unexpected shot surprised Isayev and doubled the lead.

After that, Avangard rarely enjoyed possession. However, the home defense was formidable, working hard to protect Serebryakov’s net and deny Lokomotiv a chance to get beyond the perimeter. It took until the last minute to fashion a real opportunity. But, with Shalunov all alone to the right of the net, Georgy Ivanov elected to shoot at goal and offered Serebryakov the chance to make the save.