Club Friendly· Season 2026
Admiral Vladivostok came from 2-0 down inside two minutes to beat HC Sochi 5-3 in the Minsk Cup, with Mikhail Grass scoring twice.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Sochi stormed out of the blocks with two goals inside the first 120 seconds. Timur Khafizov opened the scoring at 0:45, and Nikolay Polyakov doubled the lead just 65 seconds later at 1:50. Vladivostok pulled one back through Mikhail Grass at 9:04, but Matvey Guskov restored Sochi's two-goal cushion at 10:46 to make it 3-1 after the first period.
Admiral took control in the middle frame. Oskar Bulavchuk cut the deficit to 3-2 at 29:10, and Egor Chezganov levelled the scores at 36:10 — the equaliser that shifted the game's momentum decisively.
Vladivostok completed the turnaround early in the third period. Anthony Camara put the Sailors ahead for the first time at 44:38, and Grass added his second of the afternoon just 56 seconds later at 45:34 to make it 5-3. Sochi had no response.
The Turning Point
Chezganov's 3-3 equaliser at 36:10 came deep in the second period and changed the psychological arc of the contest. Sochi had held the lead for 35 minutes; once the score was level, Admiral carried the momentum into the second intermission and scored twice in the opening 100 seconds of the third period to put the game beyond reach.
Key Performers
Mikhail Grass (Admiral Vladivostok) — Two goals (9:04, 45:34), including the insurance marker that sealed the win. His first pulled Admiral back within one early; his second was the dagger.
Anthony Camara (Admiral Vladivostok) — Scored the go-ahead goal at 44:38 that put Admiral ahead for the first time, sparking the decisive two-goal flurry.
Egor Chezganov (Admiral Vladivostok) — His equaliser at 36:10 was the moment the game turned. Without it, Admiral's third-period surge never happens.
Player of the Match: Mikhail Grass
By the Numbers — Interpreted
Vladivostok outscored Sochi 4-0 across the second and third periods after falling behind 3-1 in the first. The 5-3 final scoreline flatters Sochi's early dominance: the Sailors scored three unanswered goals over a 36-minute stretch from the middle of the second period to early in the third. Sochi's three goals all came in the opening 11 minutes; they managed none in the final 49.
What It Means
Admiral finished top of Group B in the Minsk Cup with two wins from two (3-1 vs Sibir, 5-3 vs Sochi) and advanced to the tournament final. Sochi — beaten 4-0 by Sibir the day before — ended the group stage winless and will play in the third-place match. Both sides continue their KHL pre-season preparations ahead of the 2026-27 regular season.
Verdict
Admiral showed composure and depth to recover from a nightmare start. Sochi's early intensity was impressive but unsustainable; once the Sailors closed the gap, the Leopards had no answer. A telling pre-season indicator for both clubs.
Match Events
Key match events between Vladivostok and Sochi — 8 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
J. Graham
N. Guslistov
M. Musorov
J. Graham
D. Moiseyev
A. Volkov
K. Zhukov
D. Timashov
Rivalry since 2014
Vladivostok vs Sochi Head to Head Results· 24
Vladivostok and Sochi have met 24 times — Vladivostok won 15, Sochi won 9, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2014. Vladivostok leads the head-to-head with 15 victories from 24 meetings. A combined 130 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.42 per match (69 for the home side, 61 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 17 matches (71%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 20 games (83%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 6–5 in 2016.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 17 Aug 2026