Irbis vs Krasnaya Armiya

Krasnaya Armiya had all the momentum after pulling level at 3-3, scoring three goals in 6:09. The timeout called by the Irbis coaching staff immediately after Denisov's equaliser (30') completely flipped the game. Gataullin's go-ahead goal came just six minutes later, and Irbis never looked back, outscoring the Moscow side 3-0 in the final period.

Stepan Tsaregorodtsev (Irbis) — 3 points (1+2). The forward scored the empty-netter and added two assists, driving the offence in the third period.

Askar Kamalov (Irbis) — 3 points (1+2). Opened the scoring in the third with a power-play goal and set up two others, including the crucial insurance marker.

Ilya Kolomytsev & Konstantin Nikitin (Irbis) — Each recorded two primary assists, consistently finding teammates in dangerous areas.

Miron Denisov (Krasnaya Armiya) — Scored the equaliser at 30' that briefly brought the game level, the standout moment for the youngest team on the tournament roster.

The period scores — 2-0, 2-3, 3-0 — tell the real story. Irbis dominated the opening and closing frames but lost the middle period 3-2, revealing a vulnerability to quick transitions. Krasnaya Armiya's three goals in 6:09 of the second period showed their offensive potential, but their inability to sustain pressure beyond that burst exposed their inexperience — the Moscow side featured 10 players born in 2009 and seven born in 2010, making them the youngest team at the tournament.

Seven different Irbis players scored, pointing to balanced scoring depth rather than reliance on a single line. The final empty-net goal and Gimadiev's strike in the dying seconds padded what was a one-goal game at the second intermission.

This was Irbis's first match of pre-season preparations after a difficult journey — the team was stranded in the airport for nearly a day before taking a 20-hour bus ride to St. Petersburg. The win puts them on the right footing before facing Akademiya SKA on 3 August at 11:00 MSK.

Krasnaya Armiya, who lost 0-4 to SKA-1946 the day before this match, now sit with two defeats from two games. They face Akademiya SKA on 4 August at 11:00 MSK in their final tournament fixture.

Irbis's superior experience and depth told in the end, but the second-period wobble gives the coaching staff something to work on before the regular season. Krasnaya Armiya's young roster showed flashes of promise but lacks the consistency to compete with older, more physical MHL sides at this stage of their development.