Two goals at the start of the third period changed the feel of a game that had been sluggish for 40 minutes. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl turned a narrow contest against Novosibirsk into a 3-1 home win, responding with skill and pressure on clean ice after a costly second-period penalty became a talking point.
How the Game Played Out
Lokomotiv took a 1-0 lead in the first period, but the opening stretch did not settle the game. Both teams had chances to build momentum: Sibir tested Lokomotiv’s defense around the crease, while the home side looked to make its attack count. The goal totals tell the story of a tight start, and Sibir stayed close enough to make the second period important.
Novosibirsk scored the only goal of the second period to level the game at 1-1. After the match, Sibir coach Yaroslav Lyuzenkov pointed to an unnecessary penalty in that period as the moment that changed the contest. His assessment was that the penalty disrupted his team’s hold on the game. For Lokomotiv, the opportunity to reset and apply pressure after the intermission proved decisive.
The home side struck twice quickly at the beginning of the third, moving from a tie to a 3-1 advantage. Lokomotiv coach Dmitry Vyacheslavovich credited his players’ skill and pressure on the fresh ice for the fast start, calling the period a strong response. The period-by-period scoring confirms the swing: Lokomotiv had three goals in the third, while Sibir was held off the board.
Lokomotiv’s special teams also featured in the postgame discussion. The coach said the power play worked and essentially decided the outcome, while Lyuzenkov described the penalty as a turning point. The closing sequence brought further discipline concerns: Sibir player number 18 was assessed five minutes for tripping, and Lokomotiv player number 13 received two minutes for hooking. The final whistle confirmed Lokomotiv’s 3-1 victory.
The game was the second meeting between the teams in a short span, with Lokomotiv having won in Novosibirsk three days earlier. Sibir had spoken beforehand about the challenge of facing the reigning champions twice in four days, and the rematch again went the Yaroslavl team’s way.
What the Result Means
The win gives Lokomotiv a second straight result against Novosibirsk in this brief series and ends the alternating run of wins and losses that had followed its 0-5 home defeat to Barys, according to the broadcast. A sharp third period offered a clear response to the even first two periods: when the game was level, Lokomotiv found another gear and converted its pressure into the goals it needed.
For Sibir, the loss adds to a difficult September. The broadcast noted that Novosibirsk had managed only two wins in ten matches during the month. Lyuzenkov said his team’s power play had worked, but the early third-period goals proved costly after the sides had spent the first 40 minutes in a sluggish contest. The next challenge for Sibir will be to carry its stronger stretches into a full game and avoid another momentum swing.
Watch the Highlights
The KHL recap brings together the key moments from the rematch in Yaroslavl, including Lokomotiv’s decisive start to the third period and the final 3-1 result. Watch the highlights in the video above.
Final Score: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3, Novosibirsk 1.
Final Score: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 3, Novosibirsk 1.
Source: Highlightly match data and KHL YouTube recap transcript