Torpedo vs Gornyak Rudny

Gornyak struck first at 17:27 of the opening period. Oskar Yulbarisov converted on the power play, with Alexander Kurshuk and Valeri Gurin drawing assists, to give Sergei Nevstruyev's side a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.

Torpedo emerged transformed after the break. Erik Aldabergenov levelled at 7:15 of the second period (27th minute of play), set up by Alexander Panchenko. Just 90 seconds later, Mikhail Rakhmanov fired Torpedo ahead — Dmitri Kairov and Pavel Zhirnov with the helpers — making it 2-1 at 08:45.

Gornyak refused to fold. Maxim Mozzherin restored parity at 18:08 of the second (38th minute), Dmitri Stulov providing the assist. But parity lasted only 44 seconds: Dias Guseinov tapped home at 18:52, with Artur Gatiyatov and Danil Butenko credited, handing Torpedo a 3-2 lead heading into the final frame.

Torpedo put the game to bed in the third period. Pavel Zhirnov made it 4-2 at 49 minutes, and Alexander Panchenko added the fifth at 57 minutes to complete the scoring at 5-2.

Guseinov's strike just 44 seconds after Mozzherin's equaliser was the defining moment. Torpedo had allowed Gornyak back into the match at 2-2, but their immediate response — regaining the lead before the second-period buzzer — meant Gornyak entered the dressing room chasing the game rather than sharing momentum. A Gornyak side that had scored 19 goals in Group B never recovered.

Dias Guseinov (Torpedo) — Scored the crucial 3-2 goal that reclaimed the lead within a minute of Gornyak's equaliser. The tournament's leading scorer entering the semi-final (5+1 in the group stage) delivered when it mattered most.

Alexander Panchenko (Torpedo) — One goal and one assist, setting up Aldabergenov's equaliser before scoring the fifth himself.

Pavel Zhirnov (Torpedo) — One goal (the 4-2 insurance marker) and one assist on Rakhmanov's go-ahead goal.

Oskar Yulbarisov (Gornyak Rudny) — Opened the scoring with a clean power-play finish, but Gornyak's penalty kill could not contain Torpedo's depth at even strength.

Player of the match: Dias Guseinov

Torpedo entered as the tournament's most prolific offence (23 goals in four group games). The 5-2 scoreline tracks with that profile — they conceded on the power play but held firm at 5-on-5 after the first period. Gornyak, who had scored 19 in Group B, managed only a PP goal and one even-strength strike in 40 minutes; their leading tournament scorers Kurshuk and Shingareyev (7 points each in the group stage) were kept off the scoresheet.

The decisive swing came in the second period, where Torpedo outscored Gornyak 3-2 across a frantic 13-minute stretch (27th to 39th minutes). For context, Gornyak had allowed only 10 goals across their four group-stage matches; Torpedo put five past them in 60 minutes.

Torpedo advance to the Kazakhstan Cup final, where they will face the winner of the second semi-final between Saryarka Karagandy and Aktobe, played later on 24 August at 19:00 local time. The final is scheduled for 25 August 2026, also at Karagandy.

As defending champions, Torpedo remain on course to retain the trophy. Their group-stage form — four wins from four, +18 goal differential — and this semi-final performance suggest they enter the final as clear favourites regardless of the opponent.

Gornyak exit the tournament at the semi-final stage after a spirited group-stage campaign that saw them finish second in Group B behind Saryarka. Their priority now shifts to the Pro Hokei Ligasy regular season.

Torpedo's depth told exactly when it needed to. Gornyak's power-play opener and Mozzherin's equaliser showed they belong at this level, but they could not sustain the pace against a Torpedo side that scored four times in the second half of the game. Alexei Zhdakhin's team look every bit the champions they are defending.