CHELYABINSK, Russia (Interstat) – Grigory Dronov’s third-period goal broke a tie and lifted Traktor Chelyabinsk to a 3-2 victory over Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in a tightly contested Kontinental Hockey League matchup on Friday night at Traktor Sport Palace.

The defenseman’s first goal of the season, a slap shot from the point, came at 4:03 of the final period with assists from Andrei Svetlakov and Joshua Leivo. The goal capped a back-and-forth affair that saw the home side twice erase one-goal deficits before securing the win.

Goaltender Chris Driedger anchored the victory for Traktor, making 21 saves on 23 shots to record his first win of the campaign. His counterpart, Filipp Dolganov of Neftekhimik, was stellar in a losing effort, turning aside 26 of the 29 shots he faced.

The win improved Traktor’s record to 4-2-0, while Neftekhimik fell to an even 3-3-0. The result mirrored the teams’ previous meeting just ten days prior, a 4-3 Traktor victory in Nizhnekamsk, and aligned perfectly with the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 3-2 Traktor win. The analytics firm’s ELO system had given the home team a 76.80 percent probability of victory.

Neftekhimik struck first, capitalizing on an early power play. With Traktor’s Andrei Nikonov in the box for slashing, Evgeny Mityakin netted his third goal of the season at the 4:25 mark of the opening period. Danil Yurtaikin and Jean-Sebastien Dea were credited with the assists, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Traktor responded quickly to level the score. Just over three minutes later, at 7:31, Alexander Kadeikin collected his second goal of the year, beating Dolganov to make it 1-1.

The home team took its first lead of the night deep into the second period. At the 24:02 mark, Joshua Leivo continued his strong start to the season by scoring his second goal, with a helper from Svetlakov, to put Traktor ahead 2-1.

The lead was short-lived. Neftekhimik answered back before the second intermission. At 32:37, Matvei Nadvorny notched his second goal of the season, a unassisted effort that slipped past Driedger to knot the game at 2-2 and set the stage for the third-period drama.

Dronov provided the decisive blow early in the final frame, and Traktor’s defense, backed by Driedger, locked down the rest of the way. Neftekhimik’s efforts to find an equalizer were hampered by two late penalties, with Bulat Shafigullin called for tripping at 15:38 and Alexander Dergachyov for holding at 16:49, effectively killing any chance of a comeback.

Key performances for the winning side included Leivo, who finished with a goal and an assist, and Svetlakov, who contributed two crucial assists. Kadeikin added three shots to his goal. For Neftekhimik, Mityakin and Nadvorny provided the offense, with Nadvorny adding three hits.

The game was a relatively disciplined affair, with the teams combining for seven minor penalties. Traktor was whistled four times, including two infractions by Nikonov, while Neftekhimik took three penalties.

Both teams return to action on Sunday. Neftekhimik continues its road trip with a visit to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Traktor remains at home to host Spartak Moscow.