Sochi vs Novosibirsk

The opening period was a study in territorial control without reward. Novosibirsk started with sustained pressure, even killing off an early penalty without alarm. But as the first frame wore on — and particularly after another Sibir minor — Sochi found their footing and began to tilt the ice back. Neither Ivan Bocharov in the Sochi net nor Anton Krasotkin at the other end was seriously tested, and the teams went to the first intermission scoreless.

The pattern flipped in the second period. Sochi actually outshot Novosibirsk heavily — 29 total attempts to nine, with 10 on target to Sibir's three — but the one goal that mattered went to the team from Siberia.

At 34:17, Pavel Tyutnev was the first to react at the crease after a scramble in front of Bocharov, with Sergei Popov and Nikita Smirnov providing the assists. It was a goal against the run of play, but it stood up.

Just 3:57 into the third period, Mikhail Abramov doubled the lead with help from Taylor Beck and Darren Dietz, the kind of quick-strike finish that had eluded Sibir in the first 40 minutes. Four minutes later, at 48:13, Arkhip Nekolenko (Ivan Mishchenko, Maxim Osipov) made it 0-3 and effectively ended the contest.

With time winding down and Sochi pressing for a consolation, Alexander Mirzabalayev fired into the empty net at 58:32 to round off the scoring.

Sochi had the better of the second period territorially but could not convert. When Tyutnev scored from a loose puck at 34:17 — against the grain of play — it punctured Sochi's momentum. A team that had outshot its opponent 10-3 on target in that middle frame suddenly trailed, and the deficit forced them onto the front foot in the third, leaving them exposed to the counter-attacks that produced goals two and three.

Anton Krasotkin (Novosibirsk) — The Sibir goaltender earned a deserved shutout. He was rarely overwhelmed but stood firm when Sochi pushed hardest in the second period, stopping all 10 shots on target in that frame alone. Finished with 22 saves.

Pavel Tyutnev (Novosibirsk) — Scored the crucial opening goal, showing sharp instincts at the crease to convert a loose puck. His strike changed the complexion of the game.

Ivan Bocharov (Sochi) — Kept Sochi in the game during the first period when Novosibirsk were dominant and could have been two or three ahead. Faced only 16 shots but conceded three before the empty-netter.

Player of the Match: Anton Krasotkin — a composed shutout in pre-season conditions, particularly resilient during Sochi's best spell in the second period.

The shot counts — Sochi out-attempting Novosibirsk 29-9 in the second period and 24-16 in the third — tell a curious story of a game Sibir controlled on the scoreboard without dominating territorially. That 3-10 shots-on-target deficit in the middle frame, followed by a goal against the run of play, is precisely the kind of efficiency a KHL team wants to see in pre-season. Sochi's inability to score from 22 shots on target overall points to a lack of finish that will concern their coaching staff.

This was Sochi's only match at the Belbet Cup Minsk — they lost it and faced Admiral on 16 August in their second and final game of the tournament (hockey.by). Novosibirsk improved to 1-1 at the tournament after losing 3-1 to Admiral on 13 August, with one more group fixture remaining.

For two KHL clubs tuning up for the 2026-27 regular season, this result gives Sibir a clear psychological edge. The shutout will please head coach David Nemirovsky; the porous defending and lack of cutting edge will give Sochi's bench plenty to work on before competitive games begin.

A professional, efficient pre-season performance from Novosibirsk: they absorbed pressure, took their chances, and never looked like conceding. Sochi had spells of control but nothing to show for them — a reminder that pre-season results matter less than the patterns they reveal, and the pattern here was a team that creates but cannot finish.