Club Friendly· Season 2026
CSK VVS beat Almetyevsk 5–4 on penalties in the Almet Oilers Cup. Sergey Zhukov scored twice in the third period and Rinel Fakhrutdinov netted the decisive shootout goal.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Almetyevsk started sharply. Kirill Krutov opened the scoring at 10:34 of the first period, converting a feed from Maxim Marushev to give Neftyanik a 1–0 lead at the first intermission.
The second period began with Pavel Kulikov doubling the lead at 23:34 (assists: Dinar Khamidullin, Ildan Galeev). CSK VVS, however, stormed back. Danil Spiridonov pulled one back on the powerplay at 31:28 (Egor Paskin, Rinel Fakhrutdinov) and levelled the scores at 34:16 (Fakhrutdinov again). Marushev restored Almetyevsk's advantage at 39:41 with help from Krutov, making it 3–2 after two periods.
| Period | Score | Key Goals |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 1–0 | Krutov (Marushev) 10:34 |
| P2 | 2–2 | Kulikov (Khamidullin, Galeev) 23:34; Spiridonov (PP) 31:28, Spiridonov 34:16; Marushev (Krutov) 39:41 |
| P3 | 1–2 | Zhukov 46:09, Zhukov (Zharkov) 57:32; Khamidullin (Krutov) 58:59 |
| OT | 0–0 | — |
| SO | 2–3 | Deciding goal: Fakhrutdinov (CSK VVS) |
The Turning Point
Leading 3–2 entering the third, Almetyevsk looked in control. But CSK VVS forward Sergey Zhukov changed the game with two strikes — a 46:09 equaliser and a go-ahead goal at 57:32 set up by Ilya Zharkov. With 87 seconds left and the net empty, Almetyevsk called a timeout and pulled goalkeeper Gleb Nosov. The gamble paid off: Dinar Khamidullin swept home from Kirill Krutov at 58:59 to force overtime.
Overtime solved nothing. In the shootout, the sides traded conversions through Pavel Kulikov (Almetyevsk), Radel Zamaltdinov (Almetyevsk), Arkady Aksenov (CSK VVS) and Sergey Zhukov (CSK VVS). With the score locked 2–2 after six rounds, Kulikov missed, and Rinel Fakhrutdinov — who already had two assists in regulation — stepped up to beat Gleb Nosov and seal the 5–4 victory.
Key Performers
- Sergey Zhukov (CSK VVS): Scored twice in the third period to flip the game from 3–2 down to 4–3 up, then converted his shootout attempt. The clear player of the match.
- Rinel Fakhrutdinov (CSK VVS): Registered two primary assists in the second period and netted the decisive shootout goal in round 7.
- Kirill Krutov (Almetyevsk): A goal and two assists, involved in every Almetyevsk attack.
- Dinar Khamidullin (Almetyevsk): Scored the dramatic 58:59 equaliser with the extra attacker and added an assist on Kulikov's goal.
Player of the match: Sergey Zhukov (CSK VVS)
By the Numbers
CSK VVS faced a 48-minute deficit on the shot clock (59–42 total, 31–23 on goal) and were dominated in the faceoff circle (34–19 against), yet found ways to score when it mattered. Almetyevsk's discipline lapses — three minor penalties in the second period, including an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Adel Bulatov — allowed CSK VVS the powerplay opening Spiridonov converted. The 14–10 split in penalty minutes tells that story.
What It Means
The match was part of the Almet Oilers Cup, a pre-season tournament hosted by Almetyevsk. CSK VVS followed this victory with a 3–1 loss to Toros Neftekamsk on 15 August. Almetyevsk went on to lose 2–1 to Toros on 14 August and beat Bars Kazan 3–2 on 15 August, their pre-season form a mixed bag ahead of the 2026–27 VHL campaign.
Verdict
A wildly entertaining pre-season friendly that hinged on two bursts — Spiridonov's second-period double for CSK VVS and Zhukov's third-period brace. Almetyevsk's resilience to force overtime was commendable, but the shootout execution (missing four of seven attempts) was the difference. CSK VVS' composure under pressure bodes well for the season ahead.
Match details: Almet Oilers Cup, Almetyevsk | 13 August 2026 Referee: Not published at time of writing Attendance: Not published
Rivalry since 2015
Almetyevsk vs CSK VVS Head to Head Results· 17
Almetyevsk and CSK VVS have met 17 times — Almetyevsk won 12, CSK VVS won 5, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2015. Almetyevsk leads the head-to-head with 12 victories from 17 meetings. A combined 87 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.12 per match (53 for the home side, 34 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 13 matches (76%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 13 games (76%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 3–8 in 2018.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 16 Aug 2026
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