The Cherepovets-based team Traktor secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Lada from Tolyatti during the latest match of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) at their home arena on February 23, 2025. With this win, Traktor has solidified their leading position within the Eastern Conference, showcasing their intent to pursue playoff success.
The match started on the right note for Traktor, with Grigory Dronov scoring the opening goal just six minutes in. Dronov received the puck from Egor Popov and sent it flying past the Lada goalie with a powerful shot from the center—easily putting the hosts on the scoreboard first.
By the 19th minute, Semen Der-Arguchintsev doubled Traktor's advantage, maneuvering the puck through three Lada defenders before finding the back of the net. Traktor continued to dominate through the second period, keeping Lada on the defensive and controlling the game's pace.
It wasn’t until the 32nd minute when Mikhail Goryunov-Rolgizer scored the team’s third goal, cementing Traktor's commanding lead. Following another collaborative attack from the Traktor squad, Vitaly Kravtsov set up Goryunov-Rolgizer for another well-timed strike, pushing the score to 3-0.
Despite the mounting pressure, Lada didn't give up. Their perseverance bore fruit during the third period at the 51-minute mark, when Alexander Gosudarev found the net, giving the visiting team some hope for recovery. The goal put the score at 3-1, sparking excitement among Lada's fans.
Unfortunately for Lada, their brief moment of resurgence was quickly squashed. Traktor responded immediately with Steven Kampfer scoring just four minutes later to restore the three-goal cushion. Kampfer's decisive shot highlighted the home team's focus and grit, leading to the final score of 4-1.
Lada's head coach, Pavel Zubov, expressed frustration following the match. "We played well, tightly. But we could not impose our game in the first two periods, conceded three goals. Finally, we managed to get back and create another moment: score on the two-on-one - and everything could have been different. But we didn’t score, brought the goal upon ourselves, and all hopes collapsed," he stated, indicating the missed chances his team had to shift the game's momentum.
With this victory, Traktor has now won three consecutive matches, demonstrating their readiness as they approach the final stretch of the regular season. They currently boast 82 points, consolidifying their leadership position within the Eastern Conference of the KHL, leaving Lada trailing behind at 46 points, secured at the 10th spot.
Looking forward, Traktor aims to maintain this momentum as they anticipate their next matchup against Neftechimik from Nizhnekamsk on February 23, which will also be hosted at their home arena. With nine more matches left to play, the team is undoubtedly focused on solidifying their playoff spot and pursuing championship aspirations.