Neftekhimik 4–3 Salavat Yulaev (SO) 11/102026

Neftekhimik got a win over Salavat Yulaev 4–3 (SO).

In the first period Neftekhimik took the initiative and skated better, kept the puck closer, and set the tempo. That was especially clear on the power play. For three times with the man advantage, Neftekhimik put real pressure on the Ufa defense and on goaltender Semyon Vyazovoy.

Neftekhimik could not turn that superiority into goals, however. For all their pressure, they managed very few shots. The players kept looking for the perfect setup, and that approach worked against them: Salavat Yulaev read their intentions and closed down the key areas.

Salavat Yulaev, for its part, stayed composed even when things got difficult. Salavat Yulaev kept their heads, avoided panic, and still found room for sharp counterattacks toward Yaroslav Ozolin’s net.

Early in the second period, the visitors went short-handed again. This time Neftekhimik made the power play count in the Salavat Yulaev zone: Rafael Bikmullin and Artyom Serikov set up Nikita Khoruzhev for a shot, and the puck slipped through a gap right under the goaltender’s blocker. 1–0.

The lead did not last. A turnover in the neutral zone sparked a Salavat attack, and the visitors beat Yaroslav Ozolin – 1–1. Soon after, Salavat scored again while Neftekhimik had only three skaters on the ice. At the start of the third period, Sevastyan Sokolov showed a simple truth: you cannot score without shooting. His strike from mid-range was too much for Semyon Vyazovoy. That goal did more than level the score – it gave the team emotion and confidence. The push paid off in the 47th minute: after a hard battle in front of the net, Yevgeny Mityakin hammered the puck home to make it 3–2. With Neftekhimik in front, its winning resolve looked unbreakable.

Another defensive lapse in Neftekhimik’s own zone let the visitors answer. After a shot by Yaroslav Tsulygin, Artyom Nabiyev redirected the puck from the slot and tied the game again. The tension reached its peak; both teams pushed forward and left everything on the ice, but neither found a breakthrough before the final siren.

Overtime produced no winner, so the game went to a shootout. Composure and skill decided it, and Neftekhimik captain Andrei Belozyorov secured two crucial points for his team.

The win was Neftekhimik’s 500th in the KHL.

Upcoming game:
 
    DATE                 OPPONENT                  TIME 
11/14/2026           vs Avangard              ⏰2:00 am