Niznekamsk vs Chelny

The first period was scoreless but not uneventful. Chelny, the VHL club from Naberezhnye Chelny, started sharper, winning battles along the boards and creating more chances around Neftekhimik's net. Home goaltender Matvei Botov kept the game level with several key saves. Neftekhimik had their own look when Nikita Khoruzhev fired a shot wide in the seventh minute, but neither side could break through.

The dam burst in the second period. Chelny struck first at 20:23 (0:23 of P2) when Maxim Ustimkin — a Neftekhimik academy product — fired home on the power play to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Neftekhimik replied barely two minutes later. Grigory Tochilkin finished a tic-tac-toe passing move from Khoruzhev and Rafael Bikmullin on the power play at 22:29 to make it 1-1.

Rafael Bikmullin put the home side ahead at 30:42, again on the power play, with Timur Khairullin and Khoruzhev providing the assists. Bikmullin then turned provider at 32:07, setting up Nikita Khoruzhev at even strength for a 3-1 lead. Nikita Krivolapov capped the second-period blitz at 35:02 with another power-play goal, assisted by Artyom Gizatov and Vladislav Andreychenko — making it four goals in a 14-minute span.

The third period was goalless. Neftekhimik changed goaltenders at the start of the frame, with Semyon Lyubalin replacing Botov, and both teams traded chances without finding the net. Official attendance was over 1,500 at Neftekhim Arena.

Chelny's power-play goal from Ustimkin briefly gave the visitors a deserved lead, but Neftekhimik's response was immediate and devastating. Tochilkin's equaliser 2:06 later on a power play of their own shifted momentum entirely. From there, Neftekhimik scored three more in a 12-minute stretch — two more on the man advantage — and the game was effectively over before the second intermission.

• Nikita Khoruzhev (Niznekamsk) — 1 goal + 2 assists. Involved in three of Neftekhimik's four goals, Khoruzhev was the engine of the second-period explosion.
• Rafael Bikmullin (Niznekamsk) — 1 goal + 2 assists. The forward scored the go-ahead goal and set up two others, including Khoruzhev's strike.
• Matvei Botov (Niznekamsk) — Solid through two periods, keeping Chelny at bay in the scoreless first and making key saves before being replaced for the third period.
• Maxim Ustimkin (Chelny) — The former Neftekhimik junior scored the game's opening goal on the power play, the highlight of Chelny's evening.

Player of the Match: Nikita Khoruzhev — 1 goal, 2 assists, and the primary catalyst of Neftekhimik's comeback.

KHL's official stats portal recorded 60 total shots (37 on goal) for Neftekhimik against 58 (29 on goal) for Chelny — a remarkably even shot count that contrasts sharply with the 4-1 scoreline. The difference came on special teams: Neftekhimik scored on 3 of their power-play opportunities (penalties were 8-8), while Chelny managed just one PP goal. Neftekhimik won the faceoff battle 31-27 and blocked 17 shots to Chelny's 13, but Chelny registered more hits (30-19), reflecting their physical approach that kept the game competitive at five-on-five.

This was a pre-season friendly for both clubs ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Neftekhimik play in the KHL's Eastern Conference (Kharlamov Division) and continue their exhibition schedule as they build toward the regular season. Chelny, a VHL side, used the game as a valuable test against KHL-level opposition. Neftekhimik's next scheduled friendly was against HC Sochi on 8 September 2026.

A game of two distinct phases — Chelny held their own at even strength and led on the shot clock, but Neftekhimik's power-play efficiency and depth told the story in a 14-minute second-period spell. For a pre-season contest, the intensity was genuine, and the scoreline flattered the home side only marginally.