Neftyanik Almetyevsk handled Izhstal Izhevsk 2-0 in regulation, a game settled by a clean sheet at one end and a single goal in each of the last two periods. Neither special teams nor late drama was required once the hosts got in front.
The opening period ended 0-0, with neither side solving the other's structure. Neftyanik broke through in the second to lead 1-0 after 40 minutes, then added one more in the third to close it out at 2-0.
The number that matters is zero: Izhstal never got on the board across three periods, and Neftyanik's goaltending and defensive coverage held the margin from the moment it was 1-0.