Yekaterinburg vs Shanghai

The first period was a cautious, penalty-riddled affair. Yekaterinburg's Jesse Blacker took an early minor for delay of game (01:34), and Shanghai's Nicolas Petan was whistled for tripping at 05:31, but neither power play converted. Vladmir Kuznetsov (13:01) and Alexander Kadeikin (13:26) traded minors late in the period. The teams combined for four minor penalties in the opening 20 minutes, and the score stayed 0–0.

The deadlock broke 4:51 into the second period. Anton Slepyshev collected a feed from Jesse Blacker and Yaroslav Busygin and beat Miftakhov for the opener at 24:51. Defenseman Jordan Gross doubled the lead at 31:06 (11:06 of P2), firing past the Shanghai netminder from distance to make it 2–0.

Then the power play took over. With Turner Ottenbreit in the box for roughing, Adam Růžička struck at 32:52 (12:52) on the man advantage. Just 22 seconds later, Slepyshev buried his second of the night — again on the power play — from Roman Gorbunov and Daniil Gushchin to make it 4–0 at 33:14.

Daniel Sprong completed the second-period demolition at 33:55 (13:55), finishing off a sequence set up by Blacker and Kirill Vorobyov. Five goals in 9 minutes and 4 seconds — and the game was over as a contest.

Růžička added his second of the game 1:53 into the third period (41:53), assisted by Gushchin and Alexander Barabanov, to round out the scoring at 6–0.

Yekaterinburg goaltender Evgeny Alikin earned a clean sheet through all 60 minutes. Shanghai could not muster a sustained offensive response as the Dragons finished with shots in the low 20s.

The first period ended scoreless, suggesting a tight contest. What followed was anything but. Slepyshev's opening goal 4:51 into the second period — created by Blacker's stretch pass that split the Shanghai defence — cracked the game open. Once Gross doubled the lead, Yekaterinburg's bench found its rhythm and Shanghai never recovered. The sequence of three goals in 82 seconds — Růžička (PP at 32:52), Slepyshev (PP at 33:14) and Sprong (33:55) — turned the contest into a rout before the second period was even half over.

Anton Slepyshev (Yekaterinburg) — Two goals (24:51, 33:14), including one on the power play. The 31-year-old veteran led the charge and set the tone early in the second period.

Adam Růžička (Yekaterinburg) — Two goals (32:52 PP, 41:53), both well-taken. The Slovak forward, acquired from Spartak Moscow in an off-season trade, showed his finishing ability in his first major contribution for his new club.

Jesse Blacker (Yekaterinburg) — Two primary assists (on Slepyshev's opener and Sprong's goal), the first springing the counter-attack that broke the deadlock.

Daniil Gushchin (Yekaterinburg) — Two assists (on Slepyshev's second goal PP and Růžička's second goal), influential in transition through the middle frame.

Player of the Match: Anton Slepyshev — His opening goal broke the deadlock, and his second on the power play put the game beyond reach.

The box score shows a dominant performance that the first-period stat line would not have predicted. Yekaterinburg's five-goal second period came on sustained pressure across multiple waves. Shanghai managed single-digit shots through the middle frame and could not sustain time in the offensive zone. The disparity in special teams is the cleanest summary: Yekaterinburg converted 2 of 4 power-play opportunities, while Shanghai's power play went 0-for-3 and generated little danger. Shots on goal favoured Yekaterinburg throughout, and Evgeny Alikin's clean sheet reflected a defence that gave Shanghai few high-danger looks all afternoon.

Yekaterinburg opened their Moscow Mayor Cup Group B campaign with two points and a commanding goal-difference boost. The 19th edition of the tournament, expanded to eight teams for the first time in 2026, serves as a key pre-season benchmark for KHL clubs ahead of the 2026/27 regular season. Shanghai, coached by former NHL bench boss Gérard Gallant, will need to regroup quickly — the Dragons face another Group B opponent on Saturday 29 August. Yekaterinburg's next tournament fixture is also on 29 August, continuing their pre-season schedule at Megasport Arena.

The two sides have met 22 times since 2016, with Yekaterinburg now holding 16 wins to Shanghai's 6. This was Yekaterinburg's third consecutive victory in the rivalry.

A scoreless first period gave way to a one-sided demolition. Yekaterinburg's firepower — five different goal-scorers, two on the power play — overwhelmed a Shanghai side that could not handle the pace after the first intermission. For the Dragons, this was a pre-season reality check. For Yekaterinburg, a statement of intent at the Moscow Mayor Cup.