On March 13, 2025, Sibir Novosibirsk achieved a much-needed victory against Amur Khabarovsk, triumphing 4-2 at home and breaking a four-game losing streak. The game, part of the Fonbet KHL Championship, saw Sibir take decisive control during the second period, scoring four goals.
The first period was silent as both teams struggled to find the net. It wasn't until the second period at the 22:49 mark when Nikita Korotkov opened the scoring for Sibir, assisted by Sergey Shirokov. Just over two minutes later, Andrei Andreoff doubled the lead at 24:40, with assists from Taylor Beck and Akhiyarov.
Despite Sibir’s offensive prowess, Amur countered with Vyacheslav Gretsky scoring at 34:33, presenting their first hope of the match. Not to be deterred, Sibir struck back swiftly, with Shirokov scoring on the power play at 35:54, for the 3-1 lead. The momentum continued as Beck scored another power play goal at 39:15, making it 4-1 before the end of the second.
During the final period, Amur’s Oleg Li managed to narrow the gap at 54:06, but it was too late to change the outcome of the game. This victory allowed Sibir to climb up to 8th place in the Eastern Conference, where they now have 64 points, positioning them firmly within playoff contention.
Meanwhile, Amur suffered its fourth consecutive defeat, sitting at 11th place with 38 points. The head coach of Sibir, Vadim Epanchintsev, expressed his satisfaction: "Finally, we scored more than one goal. Let's hope this win will be the turnaround we needed." He acknowledged the team had struggled recently, particularly after returning from a challenging road trip with just one point from three games.
During the match, Sibir’s strong power play made all the difference, scoring two goals during Amur’s five-minute penalty for high-sticking, committed by Sergei Ryzhikov. This period proved to be both pivotal and comforting for Sibir's fans, who witnessed their team responding aggressively to adversity on the ice.
Attendance at the game was reported at 11,018, underscoring the community support behind Sibir as they hope to continue their upward trend. Following this match, Sibir is set to face Torpedo, another team vying for playoff success, on March 15, 2025.
Despite the defeat, Amur still showed flashes of determination, particularly with Gretsky scoring his first goal since ending a long drought from October 2024. The team, coached by Viktor Kostyuchenko, is facing difficulties but remains hopeful for future matches.
Fans and analysts alike are eager to see how Sibir can build on this victory and whether Amur can rectify their course as they head toward the end of the KHL regular season. With Sibir now holding onto the playoff spot by five points over Neftekhimik, the race to secure postseason play is heating up.