Home Ice Advantage

On December 23, Admiral and Lokomotiv met for the second time this season — this time in Yaroslavl.

There were plenty of changes in the Sailors’ lineup. A new forward line appeared on the ice: Darin — Osnovin — Muranov replaced the Timashov — Bryukvin — Petukhov trio. Shugaev started in goal, while Huska missed the game due to injury. Starkov and Tertyshny swapped positions.

For the first five minutes, the teams played what could be described as “hockey without goals.” Gutik opened the shot counter, but the very next attack by the Sailors’ most productive line resulted in a goal — unfortunately, into Admiral’s own net. A mistake in Lokomotiv’s zone led to a quick counterattack, which was converted by Radulov.

The Sailors had a chance to respond on the power play that came midway through the period. Teammates set up Tertyshny, who was stationed in the low slot, but the puck got stuck in Melnychuk’s equipment.

Overall, the period was fairly even, with no clear advantage for either side in the main statistical categories, and rather modest in terms of scoring chances — the two teams combined for just 11 shots on goal.

The second period began with a quick goal by the Sailors. Geraskin jump-started the attack and delivered a no-look pass across the ice, right onto Soshnikov’s stick. Wearing No. 90, he had only to fire the puck into an open net — 1:1.

In general, the period turned out to be more entertaining than the first. Both teams played with greater intensity, significantly increasing the number of shots on target. Each side once broke away on a two-on-one rush, but finishing let them down. In addition, both teams had one opportunity to capitalize on the man advantage.

Shugaev kept his team in the game, dealing with a series of rebound attempts and a point-blank shot by Kayumov from the crease. Melnychuk, however, failed to bail out his side — Soshnikov scored with a one-touch shot, sending Gernat onto the ice ahead of schedule. Still, the Sailors’ joy was short-lived: just 20 seconds later, Alekseev celebrated a goal, punishing the visitors for a mistake in their own zone. The teams headed into the intermission tied at 2–2.

In the third period, the Sailors lost their grip on the game. Early on, play remained even, but a penalty midway through the twenty-minute frame seemed to break something. And although Admiral did not attack very often, the visitors defended reliably in their own zone. But, as the saying goes, home walls help. The Railwaymen were aided by the boards: in the 53rd minute, Cherepanov fired wide of the net, the puck struck the end boards, bounced back, and ended up in the net. A fluky goal decided the outcome in Yaroslavl — 3:2, a win for Lokomotiv.

Lokomotiv — Admiral 3:2 (1:0, 2:1, 1:0)

December 23, 2025
Yaroslavl, Arena-2000 Lokomotiv

Goals:
1:0 Radulov (Nikulin, Ivanov, 7:52)
1:1 Soshnikov (Geraskin, Shestakov, 20:31)
1:2 Soshnikov (Shulak, Zavgorodniy, 37:40, PP)
2:2 Alekseev (Polunin, 38:00)
3:2 Cherepanov (53:00)

Game statistics:
Shots: 66–34
Shots on goal: 28–20
Goals: 3–2
Faceoffs: 25–23
Blocked shots: 10–19
Hits: 16–15
Takeaways: 2–7
Turnovers: 12–16
Interceptions: 1–2
Time on attack: 18:14–09:53
Penalty minutes: 4–4

Admiral lineup:
Shugaev — Tsyba, Shulak–Grman, Geraskin–Shestakov–Soshnikov;
Ruchkin–Deryabin, Zavgorodniy–Olson–Starkov;
Solyanikov–Koledov, Gutik–Shen–Tertyshny;
Kudashov, Darin–Osnovin–Muranov

Goaltenders: Melnychuk — Shugaev