Almaty vs Nomad Astana

Nomad needed just 2:31 to open the scoring. Nikolai Shulga (No. 66) converted from close range off feeds from Daniil Tsybin and Adil Beisembaev, capitalising on a scramble in front of Almaty starter Artem Shpilev.

Before Almaty could regroup, Oleg Boiko doubled the lead at 3:56. Nikita Sitnikov drove the net and found Boiko in the slot for a clinical finish that made it 0–2.

Almaty's only brief spell of pressure came midway through the first period after Artem Burdelev's high-sticking minor, but the home side could not convert. Nomad killed that penalty and two more of their own — Asanaly Ruslanuly (delay of game, 13:33) and Ruslan Tusupbekov (cross-checking, 17:20) — to carry a two-goal lead into the first intermission.

The second period followed the same script. Almaty changed goaltender, replacing Shpilev with Nikita Osipov at the start of the period, but the pattern held.

Abylaihan Suleimenov made it 3–0 at 25:35, one-timing a feed from Tsybin past Osipov with Konstantin Dvurechensky also credited with an assist.

Tsybin then teed up Shulga for his second of the match at 28:29, with Tusupbekov adding the secondary assist to round the score to 0–4.

Nomad made a goaltending change of their own after the fourth goal, swapping Artem Shestakov for Artemy Permyakov with the result already secure. No further goals arrived in a muted third period.

The match was effectively over by the fourth minute. Conceding twice inside 3:56 against a team as structured as Nomad forced Almaty into chase mode from the opening shift. Almaty managed only 10 shots in the first period against 21 from Nomad — a shot differential that reflected complete territorial dominance. Almaty never recovered the tactical initiative.

Nikolai Shulga — Two goals on the day (2:31, 28:29), both from close-range finishes. The forward was the primary beneficiary of Nomad's relentless forecheck and network passing in the offensive zone.

Daniil Tsybin — Three primary assists (all even-strength). Tsybin's vision on the half-wall unlocked Almaty's defence repeatedly, and his chemistry with Shulga accounted for two of the four goals.

Oleg Boiko — One goal and steady two-way work as Nomad's captain. His early strike at 3:56 doubled the lead and deflated Almaty's resistance.

Artem Shestakov / Artemy Permyakov — Nomad's goaltending tandem combined for a 28-save shutout. Shestakov (first two periods) and Permyakov (final period-plus) faced limited high-danger chances, but made the saves when required.

The headline stats — Nomad's 21 first-period shots to Almaty's 10 — tell the real story. Nomad played the game on the front foot from puck drop and never ceded control. The faceoff dot underlined the same disparity: Nomad won 20 of 33 draws across the first two periods (61%), starving Almaty of possession starts. Almaty's power play went 0-for-3 despite having two opportunities in the first period; Nomad's went 0-for-2 but they did not need the extra man, scoring all four goals at even strength.

The goalkeeper rotation for Almaty — Shpilev starting, Osipov replacing him for the second — suggests a coaching decision to try to change momentum, but the shot count in the second period levelled at 9–9, and the damage was already done.

Nomad Astana jumped to four points from three group-stage matches (1–1–1 in regulation terms, with one shootout point previously) and moved into contention for a semi-final spot from Group A. The defending champions, who stumbled to a 4–3 shootout loss to Aktobe and a regulation defeat to Arlan earlier in the tournament, now have momentum heading into their final group match against Torpedo on 19 August.

Almaty, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom of Group A with zero points from two matches (0–2–0). Their defeat to Torpedo (2–3 on 16 August) and this shutout loss leave them needing a result against Arlan on 19 August — and other results to go their way — to have any chance of advancing to the semi-finals.

Both teams play their final group-stage fixture on Wednesday 19 August: Almaty face Arlan at 15:00 local time, while Nomad take on Torpedo at 19:00.

A clinical, professional performance from Nomad Astana that reinforced their status as cup contenders. Almaty offered little resistance after the opening five minutes and will need a near-perfect display against Arlan to keep their tournament alive. Shulga and Tsybin look like the partnership to watch as the knockout rounds approach.