Kazakhstan Cup· Season 2026
Torpedo edged Kokshetau 3-2 in their Kazakhstan Cup Group A opener at the B. Alexandrov Ice Palace, with Dmitry Grents scoring the decisive goal in a three-goal third period.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Torpedo controlled the opening period, outshooting Kokshetau 8-3, and broke through at 16:14 when Mikhail Rakhmanov converted from close range with assists from Stanislav Borovikov and Marat Sagymbayev.
Daniyar Kairov doubled the lead 5:08 into the second period, finishing a feed from Stepan Rifel to make it 2-0 after a period in which Torpedo outshot their guests 10-4.
Kokshetau roared back in the third. Vyacheslav Korotin pulled one back on the power play at 45:35, redirecting a feed from Stepan Sannikov after Ivan Gavrilenko was called for hooking. But Torpedo responded swiftly — Grents restored the two-goal cushion at 49:21, firing home after Alexander Panchenko and Erik Aldabergenov worked the puck to him in the slot.
Igor Kissel made it 3-2 at 50:56 with a finish set up by Zakhar Zakharov, setting up a tense finish. Kokshetau pulled goaltender Denis Karatayev for an extra attacker with under a minute to play, but Torpedo's defense — backed by goaltender Sergey Kudryavtsev's 14 saves — held firm.
The Turning Point
Grents' goal at 49:21, just 3:46 after Korotin had halved the deficit, was the crucial response. Had Kokshetau equalised before building momentum, the game might have slipped away from Torpedo. Instead, Grents' strike forced Kokshetau to chase again, and despite Kissel's quick reply, they could never draw level.
Key Performers
- Dmitry Grents (Torpedo) — Scored the game-winner at 49:21 and was a constant offensive threat. Player of the match.
- Sergey Kudryavtsev (Torpedo) — Made 14 saves on 16 shots, including several key stops in the third-period onslaught when Kokshetau threw everything at the net (9 shots in the final frame).
- Daniyar Kairov (Torpedo) — Opened his tournament account with the 2-0 goal at 25:08 and drew a penalty in the third period for roughing.
- Vyacheslav Korotin (Kokshetau) — Scored the power-play goal that sparked his team's third-period fightback.
By the Numbers
Torpedo outshot Kokshetau 25-16 overall (18-7 through two periods), reflecting their dominance before the third-period scramble. The shot disparity narrowed to 7-9 in the final frame as Kokshetau pressed. Kokshetau blocked 13 shots to Torpedo's 0, indicating a defensive, shot-suppression approach that nearly paid off. Faceoffs were tight (24-28 Torpedo), but Torpedo's discipline was a concern — they took 10 penalty minutes to Kokshetau's 6. The lone power-play goal of the game belonged to Kokshetau (1-for-4), while Torpedo went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
What It Means
Torpedo sit second in Group A with 2 points from their opening match, level with Saryarka (also 2 points after a 4-2 win over Irtysh). Kokshetau are fourth with 0 points after the first matchday. Torpedo's next Group A fixture is against Almaty on 16 August, while Kokshetau face Nomad on the same day.
Verdict
A deserved win built on two periods of control, but the third-period wobble — conceding twice in 5:35 — will give Torpedo's coaching staff work to do before their next outing. Kokshetau showed enough in the final frame to suggest they can trouble Group A opponents if they find that urgency from the first puck drop.
Match Events
Torpedo and Kokshetau have met 7 times — Torpedo won 5, Kokshetau won 2, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2025. Torpedo leads the head-to-head with 5 victories from 7 meetings. A combined 40 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.71 per match (28 for the home side, 12 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 6 matches (86%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 7 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 0–9 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 15 Aug 2026