Club Friendly· Season 2026
SKA-1946 beat MHC Spartak 3-1 in the N.E. Maslov Memorial Tournament on 4 August 2026. Nikolaev, Zatsepin and Silyutin scored as SKA-1946 extended their H2H record.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
A tight first period produced no goals but plenty of action. SKA-1946 outshot MHC Spartak 10-3 in the frame and had a 12-5 edge in faceoffs, but Spartak goaltender Yuri Ivanov held firm — and the Moscow side matched the hosts with 19 hits in the period. Two minor penalties to Spartak (Evgeny Beniy for holding at 00:46, Dmitry Enenko for high-sticking at 19:01) gave SKA-1946 power-play time they could not convert.
The breakthrough came at 22:56 — 2:56 into the second period. Grigory Nikolaev (#96) finished a play set up by Andrey Korablev (#36) and Nikita Shamkiy (#22) at even strength to make it 1-0. The goal stood as the only one of the period, despite Spartak outshooting the hosts 13-5 in the frame. A flurry of penalties followed: Stepan Tarasenko (Spartak, roughing) and Saveliy Gorokhov (SKA-1946, cross-checking) traded minors at 27:22, Konstantin Fursov (SKA-1946, high-sticking) went off at 30:43, and Silantiy Kozhushko (Spartak, tripping) and Grigory Nikolaev (SKA-1946, high-sticking) traded minors at 34:40-34:46.
The third period opened with SKA-1946 extending their lead. Sergey Zatsepin (#10) made it 2-0 at 40:33 (5:33 into the period), assisted by Andrey Korablev — his second assist of the night — and German Suzdorf. Nikita Silyutin (#61) added a third at 45:44, this time from Nikita Shamkiy's second assist of the evening, making it 3-0.
MHC Spartak refused to fold. At 47:41 they called a timeout, and it paid off: Egor Kachalov (#9) pulled one back at 49:41, assisted by Danil Anisimov and Evgeny Beniy, making it 3-1. Spartak pulled their goalie for an extra attacker with under two minutes to play, but Konstantin Fursov's tripping penalty at 59:35 killed their momentum. The game ended 3-1.
The turning point
SKA-1946's two-goal burst in the first six minutes of the third period — Zatsepin at 40:33 and Silyutin at 45:44 — effectively killed the contest. MHC Spartak had held the hosts to 1-0 through 40 minutes and had opportunities to equalise, but that rapid-fire double from SKA-1946 forced them to chase the game from two down. Kachalov's reply at 49:41 gave them brief hope, but they never truly threatened to draw level.
Key performers
Grigory Nikolaev (SKA-1946) — Scored the opening goal at 22:56 that broke the deadlock after a goalless first period. His goal was the game's most important moment. Also took a high-sticking penalty but was otherwise a constant offensive threat.
Andrey Korablev (SKA-1946) — Two primary assists (Nikolaev at 22:56, Zatsepin at 40:33), making him the standout playmaker on the night. The forward was involved in two of SKA-1946's three goals.
Alexander Rogatko (SKA-1946) — The Latvian-born goaltender stopped 20 of 21 shots (.952 SV%) in a composed performance. Rogatko, who posted a 93.1% save percentage in last season's regular MHL campaign, was the foundation SKA-1946 built their win on.
Player of the Match: Andrey Korablev (SKA-1946) — Two assists, consistently dangerous in the offensive zone, and the creative hub of SKA-1946's attack.
By the numbers — interpreted
The final shot count (45-56 total, 24-21 on goal in SKA-1946's favour) suggests a more open game than the 3-1 scoreline implies. SKA-1946's dominance in faceoffs (34-21, 62%) was a key factor: they controlled possession and prevented Spartak from building sustained offensive pressure. The hosts' 21 blocked shots also tell a story of disciplined defensive structure. Spartak generated 56 shot attempts but only 21 on target — a conversion problem that has dogged them in pre-season. The 3-1 scoreline is a fair reflection: SKA-1946 were the better side, but the margin could have been narrower with sharper finishing from Spartak.
What it means
This was the third matchday of the N. E. Maslov Memorial Tournament. SKA-1946 now have two wins from three games (4-0 vs Krasnaya Armiya on Aug 1, 3-2 SO vs Avto on Aug 2, 3-1 vs MHC Spartak on Aug 4) and sit in a strong position in the round-robin. MHC Spartak have two wins from three (4-3 vs Avto on Aug 1, 5-2 vs Akademiya SKA on Aug 2, 3-1 loss vs SKA-1946 on Aug 4) — both sides are building rhythm ahead of the 2026/27 MHL regular season. SKA-1946's next tournament fixture is against Akademiya SKA; MHC Spartak face Krasnaya Armiya on 5 August.
Verdict
A professional, controlled performance from SKA-1946, who rode a strong faceoff performance and a third-period burst to a deserved win. MHC Spartak matched them physically (46-44 hits) but lacked the finishing touch to turn pressure into goals. Standard pre-season fare with the expected SKA-1946 edge on home ice.
Match Events
Key match events between SKA-1946 and MHC Spartak — 4 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
N. Shamkiy
G. Suzdorf
Y. Beny
Rivalry since 2017
SKA-1946 vs MHC Spartak Head to Head Results· 50
SKA-1946 and MHC Spartak have met 50 times — SKA-1946 won 30, MHC Spartak won 20, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2017. SKA-1946 leads the head-to-head with 30 victories from 50 meetings. A combined 268 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.36 per match (160 for the home side, 108 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 39 matches (78%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 43 games (86%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–6 in 2018.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 5 Aug 2026