Club Friendly· Season 2026
Loko-76 scored three goals in 90 seconds of the second period to beat Almaz 5-2 in a pre-season friendly, avenging an earlier 3-2 loss from July.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The opening frame was a tight, tactical affair with no goals scored, as both sides felt each other out. Loko-76 under head coach Ivan Lesser had shown defensive solidity throughout pre-season — including a 0-1 shootout loss to Molot in their previous outing — and that organisation carried into the middle period.
The dam broke at 30:03 when Georgi Davydov opened the scoring for Loko-76. Just 43 seconds later, A. Kiseyev doubled the lead from an A. Tauber assist, with M. Bulgakov also credited. Before Almaz could regroup, Alexei Vinogradov made it 3-0 at 31:33, finishing a play set up by S. Chernyayev and Bulgakov.
The third period saw the game loosen up. Almaz pulled one back at 50:05 through Vadim Khomitskiy (assist: I. Prishchepa), but Loko-76 answered immediately — I. Kovalenko restored the three-goal cushion at 50:18, converting after Kiseyev's second assist of the afternoon.
V. Utkin extended the lead to 5-1 at 52:21 (assist: Davydov) before Almaz's L. Gaponov scored a late consolation at 57:05 to make the final 5-2.
The Turning Point
The 90-second, three-goal blitz between 30:03 and 31:33 decided the match. After a disciplined, scoreless first period, Almaz conceded three times in rapid succession — first on a routine play from Davydov, then on a scramble around the net from Kiseyev, and finally on a sharp-angle finish from Vinogradov. Almaz head coach Evgeny Marin had no time to call a timeout or adjust; the damage was done before the second period was four minutes old.
Key Performers
- Georgi Davydov (Loko-76) — Scored the opening goal (1-0 at 30:03) and assisted Utkin's 5-1 strike. Broken the deadlock and triggered the decisive sequence.
- A. Kiseyev (Loko-76) — One goal (2-0 at 30:46) and one assist (Kovalenko's 4-1). Central to Loko-76's offensive outburst.
- M. Bulgakov (Loko-76) — Two primary assists during the 90-second blitz, setting up both Kiseyev and Vinogradov.
- L. Gaponov (Almaz) — Scored Almaz's late consolation at 57:05, one of the few bright spots for the visitors.
Player of the Match: Georgi Davydov (Loko-76) — 1 goal, 1 assist, sparked the decisive second-period surge.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The 5-2 scoreline suggests a comfortable win, but the goalless first period tells a more nuanced story: a 3-0 middle frame was as much about Almaz losing composure as Loko-76 finding its rhythm. Almaz's two third-period goals (Khomitskiy at 50:05, Gaponov at 57:05) show offensive capability — their issue was the 90-second window where the game slipped away.
Loko-76's pre-season form has followed a pattern of tight margins (three of five prior friendlies decided by one goal, including a 0-1 SO loss to Molot) before this emphatic win. The departure of goaltender Semyon Konopsky (93% save percentage last MHL season, now with Calgary Rangers) had raised questions about Loko-76's defensive ceiling, but the offence compensated here.
Almaz had won four of six pre-season outings before this match, including the 3-2 victory over Loko-76 on 31 July. This result snaps a positive run for Evgeny Marin's side, who also lost top defenseman Leonid Istomin (57 games last season) to Belye Medvedi in the off-season.
What It Means
Pre-season friendly with no standings implications, but the result provides momentum for Loko-76 — now four wins in six pre-season fixtures. Almaz will look to regroup after a four-game winning run in friendlies was broken. The MHL 2026-27 regular season is expected to begin in early September.
Verdict
Tighter than the scoreline for 30 minutes, then blown open by 90 seconds of sustained pressure from Loko-76. Almaz showed enough after the second intermission to suggest regular-season competitiveness, but the second-period defensive lapse is a clear concern.
Match Events
I. Kovalenko
Power-play
V. Savin
F. Belousov
T. Gulenok
Loko-76 and Almaz have met 8 times — Loko-76 won 3, Almaz won 5, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2022. Almaz leads the head-to-head with 5 victories from 8 meetings. A combined 50 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 6.25 per match (24 for the home side, 26 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 7 matches (88%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 7 games (88%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–5 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 31 Aug 2026