Avto vs MHC Spartak

Spartak struck first. Stepan Tarasenko opened the scoring at 14:51 of the first period, converting with help from Gleb Pevchulin and Nikita Baranov to send the Moscow side into the break 1-0 up.

Avto flipped the game entirely in the opening seven minutes of the second period. Alexander Pimin equalised 41 seconds in, assisted by Anton Lykov. Filipp Morozov put Avto ahead at 1:18 with helpers from Ivan Gubin and Saveliy Ivonin. Pimin struck again at 6:43, this time set up by Andrei Salnikov and Andrei Mamai, and Avto led 3-1.

Spartak pulled one back before the second intermission — Ivan Belugin scored at 17:14, with Fyodor Shatayev and Ivan Oblashchikov collecting assists — to make it 3-2 heading into the third.

Silantiy Kozhushko, Spartak's captain, drew his side level at 8:53 of the third period, assisted by Nikolai Dronov and Gleb Perelygin. The momentum had clearly shifted. Avto had managed only one shot on goal in the first 12 minutes of the final frame as Spartak piled on pressure.

Tarasenko completed the comeback with 31 seconds left in regulation, slotting home the winner from Alexander Plesovskikh's feed at 19:29. Avto pulled goalkeeper Sergei Sokolkin for an extra attacker but could not force overtime.

Stepan Tarasenko (MHC Spartak) — Two goals, including the 14:51 opener and the 19:29 game-winner. His ability to finish in tight spaces decided the match. Player of the match.

Alexander Pimin (Avto) — Scored twice in the second-period surge (at 0:41 and 6:43) and was the main reason Avto led at all. His movement off the puck carved open Spartak's defence.

Silantiy Kozhushko (MHC Spartak) — The captain's equaliser at 8:53 of the third period was the goal that flipped the momentum decisively. He also served as Spartak's leader on the ice throughout.

Yuri Ivanov (MHC Spartak) — The Spartak goalkeeper held firm during Avto's second-period onslaught, conceding three but making key saves to keep the deficit manageable before his team's rally.

The period-by-period scoring tells the story: Spartak controlled the first (1-0) and third (2-0), while Avto dominated the middle frame (3-1). The H2H data shows these teams tend to produce goals — 5.1 per game on average across nine meetings, with both teams scoring in 78% of them. This match followed the pattern exactly: four goals in the second period alone, and both sides found the net. Avto's 3-1 lead evaporated inside 40 minutes of game time, reflecting the fine margins in junior hockey where a two-goal cushion is rarely safe.

This was the opening fixture of the round-robin Maslov Memorial Tournament, which also features SKA-1946, Irbis Kazan, Krasnaya Armiya, and Academy SKA. For MHC Spartak, the comeback win builds early momentum in pre-season preparation for the 2026/27 MHL campaign. Avto will look to rebound quickly, having let a strong second-period performance slip through their fingers.

Avto's next fixture in the tournament was scheduled for 2 August 2026 against SKA-1946, while MHC Spartak faced Krasnaya Armiya.

A genuine pre-season thriller that showcased the attacking quality in both squads. Avto will rue the 18-minute spell in which they lost a two-goal lead, but Spartak's composure — particularly Tarasenko's late winner — suggests they are further along in their preparation. The 4-3 scoreline, while high, was a fair reflection of a game that swung both ways.