Novosibirsk vs Niznekamsk

Novosibirsk opened the scoring at 11:23 of the first period when defenceman Mikhail Orlov finished from close range off a feed from Pavel Tyutnev. Less than a minute later, Ilya Fedotov doubled the lead at 12:09, converting after Nikita Baklashev and Ilya Lyuzenkov worked the puck to him in the slot.

The hosts made it 3-0 on the power play at 16:03 — Sergey Popov one-timed Egor Korshkov's cross-ice pass past Niznekamsk starter Matvey Botov, with Alexander Mirzabalaev also credited with an assist.

The second period followed a similar script. Anton Kosolapov struck on another power play at 13:06, redirecting Taylor Beck's feed from the half-wall, with Mikhail Abramov drawing the secondary assist.

Niznekamsk briefly stopped the bleeding at 14:11 when Matvey Nadvorny scored shorthanded — Timothy Lovell and Ivan Nikolishin combining to send him in alone — but any hope of a comeback was short-lived.

Novosibirsk replied instantly. Ilya Fedotov bagged his second of the night at 14:44, finishing a swift transition started by Nikita Smirnov and Alexander Pershakov. Nikita Smirnov then made it 6-1 at 17:11, burying a feed from Mirzabalaev and Tyutnev.

Niznekamsk showed more fight in the third period. Nikita Popugaev pulled one back at 3:17, and an unassisted strike at 16:00 trimmed the deficit to 6-3, but the hosts never looked threatened.

Nadvorny's shorthanded goal at 14:11 of the second period could have swung momentum Niznekamsk's way — cutting 4-0 to 4-1 with more than 25 minutes still to play. Instead, Novosibirsk responded with two goals in 3:33, restoring the five-goal cushion before the period was out. Lyuzenkov's side had conceded just once in the run of play across the opening 40 minutes.

Ilya Fedotov (Novosibirsk) — Two goals (12:09, 14:44) from defensive positions, showing excellent timing stepping into the rush. The most efficient finisher on the ice.

Alexander Mirzabalaev (Novosibirsk) — Three primary assists (Popov, Smirnov goals) and constant involvement in transition. The creative hub of Sibir's attack.

Anton Krasotkin (Novosibirsk) — Made several key saves in the third period when Niznekamsk pushed for a further reduction, particularly a sharp pad stop on a one-timer at 8:00. Conceded three but was rarely tested cleanly before the scoreline was lopsided.

Player of the Match: Ilya Fedotov — two goals in a commanding two-way performance.

Novosibirsk's 6-3 scoreline tells a story of first-half dominance rather than a tight contest. The hosts scored four goals in a 13-minute span straddling the first and second periods, building a lead that Niznekamsk could not threaten seriously until the game was already decided in the third.

That Niznekamsk scored twice in the final period — including a shorthanded marker — suggests structural looseness from Sibir with the game won, but the underlying damage was done early. The pre-season nature of the fixture means fitness levels and line combinations were still being tested, particularly for Niznekamsk, who had crushed Severstal 7-1 in their previous outing and may have rotated deeper.

Both sides are using the Blinov Cup as final pre-season preparation before the 2026-27 KHL regular season. Novosibirsk bounced back from a 2-5 loss to Lokomotiv on 27 August, while Niznekamsk saw their momentum checked after a 7-1 thrashing of Severstal.

The win improves Novosibirsk's head-to-head record against Niznekamsk to 13 wins from 21 meetings (8 losses, 0 draws) since their rivalry began in 2021.

Novosibirsk's next fixture: vs Avangard Omsk — FONBET Blinov Cup — date TBC. Niznekamsk's next fixture: vs Lokomotiv — FONBET Blinov Cup — date TBC.

A convincing pre-season workout for Novosibirsk, who carved Niznekamsk open repeatedly in the opening two periods. The third-period looseness is a minor footnote; Lyuzenkov's system delivered six goals with genuine variety — power-play strikes, transition finishes and cycle work. Niznekamsk will want to tighten their defensive structure before the regular season begins, but their third-period response at least showed character.