Torpedo HC defeated HC Almaty 3-2 in regulation in the Vysshaya League, carrying a two-goal lead into the third period and withstanding a late push. A sound opening two periods provided the margin that decided the game.
Torpedo opened the scoring at 14:00 and stretched the lead at 26:00, holding a 1-0 edge after the first and a 2-0 cushion at the second intermission. In the third, Torpedo struck again at 43:00 before Almaty’s goals at 44:00 and 53:00 brought the visitors to within a goal. Almaty’s 2-1 third-period edge was not enough to force extra time.
The decisive number was the two-goal lead through 40 minutes, built on timely strikes in the first and second periods. Almaty outscored Torpedo in the third, but the home side had already banked the cushion needed to settle the game in regulation.