NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (Interstat) — In a thrilling Kontinental Hockey League contest defined by a frantic opening period and a dramatic final-minute comeback, the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod defeated Lada Togliatti 5-3 on Sunday at Trade Union Sport Palace.

The home side erased a third-period deficit with two goals in the final 1 minute, 53 seconds to secure the victory, handing Lada its fourth consecutive loss.

Alexander Yaremchuk was the catalyst for Torpedo, scoring the game-winning goal with just 25 seconds remaining in regulation and adding two assists for a three-point night. His linemate, Kirill Voronin, tied the game with 1:53 left, setting the stage for Yaremchuk’s heroics.

The game began at a breakneck pace. Torpedo’s Vladislav Firstov opened the scoring just 5:30 into the first period, netting his seventh goal of the season. Lada, undeterred, responded quickly. Andrei Obidin put the visitors on the board less than two minutes later, finishing a play set up by Danil Bashkirov and Andrei Altybarmakyan.

The back-and-forth action continued as Torpedo defenseman Mikhail Naumenkov restored the one-goal lead a mere 35 seconds after Obidin’s tally, with Yaremchuk recording the primary assist. Obidin struck again for Lada at the 10:27 mark, netting his second of the period and third of the season from Bashkirov, who picked up his second assist.

The second period was a more disciplined, defensive struggle, with the only goal coming from Torpedo’s Mikhail Abramov on the power play at 24:58, tying the game after Lada had taken two consecutive minor penalties.

After Torpedo killed off a late second-period penalty, Lada reclaimed the lead early in the third period. Altybarmakyan scored his fourth goal of the season at 9:56, with veteran defenseman Viktor Antipin notching his first assist of the campaign to make it 3-2.

Lada clung to the narrow lead as the clock wound down, but Torpedo’s late push proved decisive. With the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker, Voronin buried a pass from Yaremchuk to tie the game. Yaremchuk then completed the comeback, scoring his second of the year into an empty net with 25 seconds left, assisted by Alexei Kruchinin.

The win improves Torpedo’s record across all competitions to 9-9, pushing them back to .500 for the season. The loss extends a difficult start for Lada, which now sits at 4-12.

The game’s result defied a tight-checking projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 3-1 Torpedo victory and gave the home team a 67 percent probability of winning based on its ELO rating system.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again twice in the coming week, continuing a busy stretch of their KHL schedules. The victory provides a crucial two points for Torpedo as it looks to build momentum in the Western Conference standings, while Lada continues to search for answers during a prolonged early-season slump.