CSKA kicked off their road schedule for the 2026/27 season in Sochi. Coming off a three-game losing streak to start the season, the Leopards were going to leave everything on the ice for their first win. Aleksandr Samonov made his season debut, after Dmitry Gamzin had started the first four games of the season for CSKA. Oleg Maistrenko draws into the lineup, skating on a line alongside Denis Zernov and Ivan Drozdov. The first line featured an interesting new combination: Prokhor Poltapov, Pavel Karnaukhov, and Maxim Mamin.
In the first period, our team didn't just drive the play – we dominated. The game was played almost entirely in Sochi's zone, and only the superb goaltending of Petr Andreyanov – whom the Leopards loaned from CSKA for the season – saved the hosts from a blowout. Despite multiple high-danger chances and getting a look on the power play, the Army Men were held to just a single goal. Egor Zamula fired a long-range shot, and Maksim Sorkin tipped it in from the doorstep. Early in the second, Dmitry Buchelnikov beat a defenseman on a rush but couldn't convert, as Andreyanov made another huge save to rescue his team. The Army Men continued to hold the edge and had chances to double their lead; however, the opposition began putting up stiffer resistance, increasingly generating pressure on Samonov's net. Our penalty kill units had to put in work too.
It was a close game until the third period, but our players pulled away early and didn’t let it come down to the wire. Sorkin struck again on the power play, before Poltapov netted his first of the season with a brilliant shot. Denis Zernov also got on the board, assisted by Egor Zamula, who completed a playmaker's hat-trick. As a result, a confident 4-0 win. Next stop on the road trip: Nizhny Novgorod.
