Club Friendly· Season 2026
Avto Yekaterinburg thrashed Sputnik Almetievsk 7-1 at the TNA Cup pre-season tournament in Kazan. Anton Lykov scored twice and added an assist in a dominant display.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Avto seized control inside the opening 90 seconds. Filipp Morozov opened the scoring at 01:10 of the first period, finishing a feed from Dmitry Tokmakov at the near post. The floodgates opened swiftly after that.
Nikolai Butko made it 2-0 at 07:09 (assisted by Ivan Plotnikov), and just 26 seconds later Anton Lykov fired home a third past Mikhail Yemelyanenko, prompting Sputnik's coaching staff to pull their starting goaltender. Danil Tychkin entered in relief at 07:35, but German Dudorga redirected a Lykov feed from the slot at 18:22 to make it 4-0 after one period. Sputnik managed seven shots in the frame; Avto scored on four of their 13.
The second period began tighter. Fyodor Kazadaev stretched the lead to 5-0 at 33:31 before Sputnik finally got on the board — Vilen Taziev beat Yefim Minayev at 35:51 off an Ilya Troyanov assist, the only blemish on an otherwise dominant Avto defensive performance.
Anton Lykov struck again 47 seconds into the third period (40:47), with German Dudorga collecting his second assist of the afternoon. Ivan Plotnikov rounded out the scoring at 44:44, finishing a Butko feed to make it 7-1.
A late fracas between Sputnik's Artyom Karimov and Avto's Konstantin Yurkov saw both players ejected with fighting majors and game-misconduct penalties at 49:39.
The Turning Point
The sequence between 07:09 and 07:35 — two Avto goals in 26 seconds plus the forced goaltender change — effectively ended the contest before the first period was eight minutes old. Sputnik never recovered from the 3-0 deficit, and the statistical blowout (32 shots on target to 29, 21.9% shooting to 3.4%) reflected a gulf in sharpness that pre-season margins often expose.
Key Performers
- Anton Lykov (Avto) — 2 goals, 1 assist. Three-point night on just three shots (66.7% shooting). His early third-period goal killed any faint Sputnik hope. Player of the Match.
- German Dudorga (Avto) — 1 goal, 2 assists. Physically active (4 shots, +2 rating) and central to Avto's transition game.
- Yefim Minayev (Avto) — 28 saves on 29 shots, 96.6% save percentage. Rock-solid in the Avto net, allowing only Taziev's consolation goal.
- Vilen Taziev (Sputnik) — Sputnik's lone goalscorer, but finished -3 on the night.
By the Numbers
The final shot count (29-32 in favour of Avto) was closer than the scoreline suggests, but the difference came in execution: Avto converted 21.9% of their shots on target compared to Sputnik's 3.4%. Sputnik actually won the faceoff battle 35-24 and threw 32 hits to Avto's 28, but couldn't translate possession into danger — they went 0-for-4 on the power play while Avto were perfect shorthanded in their single penalty kill. All eight goals were scored at even strength.
What It Means
The TNA Cup is a pre-season tournament featuring six MHL sides at the Tatneft Arena in Kazan. Avto entered the match after a 2-1 win over Irbis on 14 August; Sputnik had lost their opener to SKA-1946. Both teams play again on 16 August — Sputnik face Irbis (17:00 local time), while Avto take on Chaika (13:00 local time). For a betting audience, Avto's sharp finishing suggests they are further along in their pre-season preparations, while Sputnik's defensive structure and goaltending depth remain areas of concern with the MHL regular season approaching.
Verdict
A dismantling disguised as a friendly. Avto's first-period blitz ended the contest by the 8th minute, and Lykov's three-point display underlined the gulf in class between these two MHL sides at this stage of pre-season. Sputnik have work to do before the regular season begins.
Rivalry since 2016
Sputnik Almetievsk vs Avto Head to Head Results· 37
Sputnik Almetievsk and Avto have met 37 times — Sputnik Almetievsk won 12, Avto won 25, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2016. Avto leads the head-to-head with 25 victories from 37 meetings. A combined 210 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.68 per match (82 for the home side, 128 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 29 matches (78%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 32 games (86%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 8–5 in 2023.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 16 Aug 2026