Ak Bars wins derby thriller. September 16 round-up

Two late goals saved Ak Bars from defeat at Green Derby rival Salavat Yulaev. The Kazan team trailed 0-3 after two periods but recovered to it up at 3-3. Then Mitch Miller’s second of the night won it in overtime. Spartak snatched a 3-2 win at Metallurg despite being heavily outshot. There were shut-out roads wins for Neftekhimik (3-0 at Sibir) and free-scoring Barys (6-0 at Lada).

Dolganov blanks Sibir

Sibir Novosibirsk 0 Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 3 (0-0, 0-1, 0-2)

Filipp Dolganov delivered his first shut-out of the season as Neftekhimik recorded a fourth successive victory. Sibir continues to struggle, falling to a fourth loss in five games as its opening home stand comes to an end.

The first period was goalless, but Sibir could count itself fortunate not to be behind at the first intermission. A lopsided session saw the home team held to just four shots on goal, while Anton Krasotkin made 13 saves at the other end with Neftekhimik dominant.

Krasotkin’s resistance was breached at the start of the second, when Nikita Khlystov stepped up from the blue line to shot home from the deep slot on 22 minutes.

Soon after that, Sibir found a way back into the contest. A double minor penalty for Artyom Serikov, followed by a major on Matvei Nadvorny saw the home team enjoy plenty of time on the power play. However, despite having more than eight minutes of attacking possession in the middle frame, the home forwards were still unable to solve Dolganov.

Nadvorny returned from the box late in the middle frame, and midway through the third he doubled the Wolves’ lead. He rifled home a wrister from the left-hand circle after Vladislav Yeryomenko drilled the puck across a crowded slot.

Hopes of a home fightback were extinguished in the 55th minute when Taylor Beck was assessed a minor. Sibir killed the penalty, but Nikita Khoruzhev added a third just as the Canadian forward returned to the game. 

Huge fightback wins Green Derby

Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3 Ak Bars Kazan 4 OT (2-0, 1-0, 0-3, 0-1)

The home opener in Ufa was a mouthwatering prospect as the Green Derby rivalry between Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars got underway for another year.

Viktor Kozlov’s team was enhanced by the arrival of Matthew Maggio, who slotted into the third line alongside Alexander Zharovsky and Maxim Zagrebin.

For Ak Bars, Anvar Gatiyaullin promoted Yegor Sokolov to the top line and put Kevin Hayes on the left wing alongside Alexander Chmelevski and Semyon Terekhov.

Perhaps aided by a week’s rest ahead of the game, Ufa made a strong start. The home team took the initiative from the off and opened the scoring early when Sheldon Rempal’s feed set up Devin Brosseau on the counter. A few minutes later, from a similar position, Brosseau doubled the lead.

In the second period, both teams spurned power play chances. Ak Bars came into the game more in the middle frame, but still found itself further behind when Daniil Alalykin made it 3-0 in the 38th minute.

But a seemingly straightforward task for Salavat to close out the game went alarmingly wrong in the closing stages. Albert Yarullin’s first goal since March 2025 started the recovery on 48 minutes. And things picked up pace in the final minutes. With four to play, Vadim Shipachyov took a penalty, Ak Bars called a time-out and played six-on-four. Ufa killed the penalty, but Mitch Miller made it a one-goal game with 77 seconds left. Then, on 59:33 Sokolov pulled off a sensational tying goal, showing great composure on the slot to beat Semyon Vyazovoi.

Overtime didn’t last long. After 48 seconds, Miller bagged his second of the night to seal a 4-3 comeback win.

Battling Spartak sinks Metallurg 

Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2 Spartak Moscow 3 (1-1, 0-0, 1-2)

Spartak pulled off something of a smash-and-grab to claim a first win in Magnitogorsk since 2024.

Alexei Zhamnov’s team was outshot 42-22, but grabbed a 3-2 verdict on German Rubtsov’s goal midway through the third, stretching its hot streak to four games.

The first period brought good chances for both teams, with Magnitka having more of the play. However, the opening goal went to Spartak, Alexander Belyayev converting a power play in the eighth minute.

That goal came with Yegor Yakovlev in the box. But the defenseman atoned with a tying goal off Vladimir Tkachyov’s fine feed on 16:33.

In the second period, the two goalies excelled. Amid a flurry of great chances at both ends, Ivan Fedotov and Yegor Zavragin kept their goals intact. Spartak’s Fedotov faced 32 shots through two periods, but dug deep to ensure his team stayed in the game.

His resistance was broken at the start of the third when a power play saw Tkachyov put Metallurg in front for the first time. With 16 minutes to play, and the home team dominating much of the play, that felt like the beginning of the end.

But Spartak had other ideas. The Red-and-Whites tied it up a couple of minutes later on a power play of their own; Belyayev potted his second of the night. Then came a delayed penalty for Metallurg, and Rubtsov took advantage to net what turned out to be the winner. 

Bailey scores twice, Barys offense fires again 

Lada Togliatti 0 Barys Astana 6 (0-1, 0-2, 0-3)

The KHL’s leading scorer this season, Barys, got back on the goal trail with a 6-0 thrashing of Lada.

The visitor dominated from the start. Lada was limited to just one shot on goal in the first period and the only surprise was that Barys scored just once at the other end. That goal came after 18 minutes, Jake Massie opening the scoring.

At the start of the second, Justin Bailey continued his impressive scoring form to double the lead. Then, as in the first period, Barys scored late in the middle frame as Semyon Simonov made it 3-0.

Lada replaced starting goalie Nikita Podskrebalin with back-up Andrei Mushurin for the third period. But the understudy struggled under the spotlight. He was beaten by Ian McCoshen after 46 minutes and suffered more in the closing stages. Bailey got his second of the night, and the Lada defense did little to support its goaltender when it allowed a five-on-three power play for two full minutes. That brought a sixth and final goal of the game for Tyce Thompson. At the other end, Hunter Shepard had just seven saves to make in a one-sided clash in Togliatti as Lada set a record for the fewest shots recorded in a KHL game.

Sorkin double sinks Sochi

HC Sochi 0 CSKA Moscow 4 (0-1, 0-0, 0-3)

 Sochi's tough start to the season continued with defeat at home to CSKA. The Leopards failed to score for the second game running.

The first period saw CSKA dominate. The visitor got an early boost when Kirill Voronin was penalized. Sochi’s PK worked hard to keep the Muscovites at bay and managed to kill the penalty.

But the pressure continued. A lopsided shot count read 19-2 in CSKA’s favor, and inevitably that led to a goal. Maxim Sorkin made the breakthrough in the 14th minute, touching home Yegor Zamula’s point shot to beat Pyotr Andreyanov.

The young Sochi goalie has impressed in his early KHL games and he faced plenty of pressure tonight. Although Sochi managed a slightly greater offensive threat in the second period, helped by a power play early in the session, he was still busy in the middle frame and made 12 more saves to keep the score at 1-0.

 The turning point came at the start of the third. A major penalty for Jesse Graham brought a second goal for Sorkin. And Prokhor Poltapov padded the lead midway through the frame.

Late on, Zamula completed a hat trick of assists as Denis Zernov wrapped up the game.