On December 17, 2023, the hockey team Avangard from Omsk triumphed over Sibir from Novosibirsk with a final score of 5-3 during the FONBET Championship of the KHL. This match, held at the Sibir Arena, saw the Hawks establishing early dominance.
The scoring began just minutes after the puck dropped when Avangard's captain, Damir Sharipzyanov, netted the first goal at 3:25, assisted by Ryan Spooner. The Hawks doubled their lead shortly after, with Emil Galimov finding the net at 13:37, pushing the score to 2-0.
Despite their initial struggles, Sibir managed to pull one back right before the first intermission. Georgiy Belousov scored during a power play opportunity, putting the score at 2-1 as the teams headed to the locker rooms.
With renewed vigor, Sibir came out strong for the second period. Vladislav Kara leveled the game at 2-2 just 28 seconds after the period started, with assists from Trevor Murphy and Vladimir Butuzov. The momentum shifted when Trevor Murphy then scored again at 36:29, giving Sibir the first lead of the match at 3-2.
The intensity continued to rise, but as the clock ticked down, Avangard found their rhythm again. They equalized at 37:21 courtesy of Ryan Merkley, marking the game at 3-3 heading to the final period.
The third period remained fiercely contested with both teams exchanging opportunities. Midway through the period, Avangard’s Emil Galimov had to sit for two minutes due to a slashing penalty. Yet, the Hawks held their ground, successfully killing the penalty and maintaining their focus.
Just when it seemed like the game might head to overtime, Avangard’s Nikolai Prokhorikin seized the opportunity. At 58:11, he scored what was believed at first to be the decisive goal, only to face the cold hands of technology—a lengthy video review followed. Fortunately for Prokhorikin and his team, the goal was confirmed, giving Avangard the lead at 4-3.
With just under two minutes remaining, Sibir opted to pull their goaltender, searching for the equalizer with one extra skater on the ice. Their gamble did not pay off, and Semen Chistyakov sealed the victory for Avangard by scoring simply and easily against the empty net less than ten seconds before the final buzzer.
This victory marked the third consecutive win for Avangard, which now sits at 8th place with 34 points in the Eastern Conference standings of the KHL, whereas Sibir, with 29 points, lagged behind at 10th.
The match statistics painted the story of resilience and strategy. Avangard's scoring came from five different players: Sharipzyanov, Galimov, Merkley, Prokhorikin, and Chistyakov. Sibir, equally fighting hard, saw goals from Belousov, Kara, and Murphy, with the latter achieving his milestone 300th KHL assist, making him one of the few players to hit this mark.
Looking forward, Avangard will lace up again as they head to Nizhnekamsk for their next match against Neftekhimik on December 19, eager to extend their winning streak and gain ground on the leaders within the competitive KHL.
