CSKA and Traktor faced off for the first time this season. The established roster was back on the ice, featuring the usual pairings. The goaltender substitution was also traditional. It’s Alexander Samonov’s turn to play.
We didn't play our best hockey in the first period. Traktor had more zone time but generated very little. CSKA's defensive line was hard to breach. But the visitors did score once on the power play. Interestingly, just shortly before that, the Army Men created perhaps their most promising scoring chance while playing shorthanded. Maxim Sorkin intercepted the puck, went on a breakaway, aimed for the far corner, but the goaltender made the glove save.
The team completely transformed during the intermission. From the opening minutes of the second period, CSKA started playing aggressively and took control of the game, which quickly paid off. In front of the net, Maxim Mamin elegantly deflected the puck home off a shot by Pavel Karnaukhov, and shortly after, the Army Men took the lead. Dmitry Samorukov scored his first goal of the season on an assist from the Traktor defenseman Grigory Dronov, whose stick deflection completely fooled the goalie. A turnover behind the net gifted them the third goal. The Army Men moved the puck to the slot, Drozdov poked it home from the slot while falling. Late in the period, 17-year-old Nazar Privalov found the back of the net for the second straight game. After a quiet game against SKA, the young forward came alive in the crease, deflecting Egor Zamula’s shot. 4-1 – a total turnaround in just 20 minutes. It wasn't for a lack of trying from the opponent, but the Army Men completely shut the door. The outcome was already decided when Marat Khairullin scored on the power play to seal the win, snapping his multi-game goal drought in the process.
