HK Norilsk vs Soligorsk

Soligorsk stormed out of the gates and had Norilsk on the back foot inside the first 13 minutes. Anton Lazarenko opened the scoring at 08:00 of the first period, and Matvey Ladutko doubled the lead five minutes later at 13:00. With Soligorsk cruising at 2-0, Norilsk needed a response before the intermission.

They got it in the final minute of the period. With Soligorsk's Chizhikov in the box for a penalty, Mikhail Shalagin rifled a power-play goal past goalkeeper Rudovich at 20:00, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at the first break.

The second period passed without a goal — both defences held firm through a scoreless 20 minutes.

Norilsk continued to press in the third and found their equaliser at 55:00. Egor Klimovich struck on another power play, beating Rudovich to make it 2-2 and set up an overtime finish.

Just 61 seconds into the 3-on-3 extra period, Denis Gorbunov settled it, finishing past Soligorsk backup Snytko to give Norilsk the 3-2 win.

Shalagin's power-play goal at 20:00 of the first period — 60 seconds before the buzzer — completely shifted momentum. Soligorsk had controlled the first 19 minutes, leading 2-0 and looking comfortable. Conceding on a late penalty with one second left in the period let Norilsk back into a game that looked gone, and they never trailed again.

• Denis Gorbunov (Norilsk) — Scored the OT winner 61 seconds into extra time. His quick finish in 3-on-3 play was the decisive moment.
• Mikhail Shalagin (Norilsk) — Power-play goal late in the first period pulled Norilsk back from 0-2 and sparked the revival.
• Egor Klimovich (Norilsk) — Tied the game at 2-2 in the third period on another power play, forcing overtime.
• Anton Lazarenko (Soligorsk) — Opened the scoring early and was a threat all night on Soligorsk's top line.

Player of the Match: Denis Gorbunov — OT winner.

Norilsk scored on two of their power-play opportunities (Shalagin and Klimovich), which proved the difference in a game where Soligorsk controlled the opening 20 minutes. Soligorsk's early two-goal cushion evaporated once the penalty trouble started. Period scores (1-2, 0-0, 1-0, 1-0) show the shift: Soligorsk dominated P1, the teams neutralised each other in P2, and Norilsk gradually took over from P3 onwards, finishing with the OT winner just 61 seconds in.

For HK Norilsk — a VHL club preparing for the 2026/27 season — this comeback win continues positive pre-season momentum after a 4-2 victory over Kaluga on 11 August. Soligorsk (Shakhtyor), who play in the Belarusian Extraliga, now turn their attention to the Salei Cup group stage, where they face Yunost Minsk on 19 August. Norilsk's next pre-season fixture has not yet been confirmed.

A tale of two special teams: Norilsk's power play converted when it mattered, while Soligorsk's early 2-0 lead evaporated once penalties interrupted their rhythm. Gorbunov's quick OT strike was a fitting finish to a game Norilsk grew into after a slow start.