Sputnik Almetievsk vs Chaika

Chaika’s discipline in the third period proved decisive. After taking 8 penalty minutes across the first two periods — including a 5-on-3 situation in the opening frame that Sputnik couldn’t convert — Chaika stayed out of the box in the final 20 minutes. Sputnik, by contrast, finished with 6 penalty minutes but mustered only one third-period goal. Once Fogelnest scored, Chaika’s defensive structure held firm.

Mark Fogelnest (Chaika) — Scored the 45th-minute winner, his first goal of the preseason. Showed composure under pressure in a tight game.

Ilya Troyanov (Sputnik) — The forward’s equaliser at 37:39 kept Sputnik alive and gave them a platform they ultimately could not build upon. Finished with 1 goal on 2 shots.

Nikita Sinikin (Chaika) — Set up two goals (Burov and Golan), driving Chaika’s second-period resurgence. His vision on the powerplay was a clear difference-maker.

Kirill Subbotin (Sputnik) — Faced 37 shots across the game and stopped 33, keeping Sputnik in contention after a shot-heavy second period (Chaika outshot Sputnik 24–13 in the middle frame).

Player of the match: Mark Fogelnest.

Through two periods, Chaika led the shot count 37–33 (20–14 on goal). The third-period shot differential narrowed, but Chaika’s 24–13 shot advantage in the second period tells the story: they tilted the ice after the intermission and created the volume that eventually produced the winner. Sputnik’s powerplay went 0/3, while Chaika did not score with the man advantage either but used even-strength pressure to overcome a 2–1 first-period deficit.

This was Chaika’s first win of the TNA Cup preseason tournament after a 4–3 shootout loss to Reaktor on 14 August and a 4–3 overtime win over SKA-1946 on 15 August. Sputnik, who lost 7–1 to Avto and 3–1 to SKA-1946 earlier in the week, remain winless at the tournament. Both teams play their final TNA Cup matches on 19 August: Chaika face Irbis (17:00 MSK), while Sputnik take on Reaktor.

A chaotic, end-to-end preseason game that Chaika controlled for longer stretches. Sputnik showed fight by recovering twice from deficits but lacked the final-period composure to claim a result. Chaika’s depth and superior shot volume gave them a deserved, if narrow, victory.