CHEREPOVETS, Russia (Interstat) — In a stunning Kontinental Hockey League upset, SKA Saint Petersburg erupted for a six-goal offensive showcase to defeat the league-leading Severstal Cherepovets 6-4 on Wednesday afternoon at the Ice Palace.

The victory marked a significant turnaround for SKA, which entered the game with a sub-.500 record, while dealing a rare home-ice loss to a Severstal squad that has been dominant for much of the season. The result defied pregame projections, which heavily favored the home team.

SKA’s attack was led by a dynamic performance from Brendan Leipsic, who recorded two goals and an assist. His linemate, Roссo Grimaldi, was the primary facilitator, dishing out three assists in the contest. Valentin Zykov also provided crucial secondary scoring, netting two goals, including the empty-net tally that sealed the victory with just 14 seconds remaining in regulation.

The game began in shocking fashion as Severstal’s Vladimir Grudinin opened the scoring just 43 seconds into the first period, giving the home crowd an early reason to cheer. However, SKA quickly responded. Matvei Polyakov answered for the visitors at the 4:09 mark, and Zykov tied the game on a power play later in the period, sending the teams to the first intermission deadlocked.

The second period was a back-and-forth affair that saw Severstal reclaim the lead. Alexander Skorenov scored to make it 2-1, but SKA’s power play unit, which proved potent all afternoon, struck back immediately. Just 58 seconds after Severstal took the lead, Leipsic netted his first of the game to tie the score again.

SKA then took its first lead of the afternoon when Joseph Blandisi scored, assisted by the prolific connection of Grimaldi and Leipsic. The lead was short-lived, as Severstal’s Ilya Ivantsov responded just 57 seconds later to knot the game at 3-3. Before the period ended, Severstal’s Ioannis Kaldis found the net, sending the home team into the second intermission with a 4-3 advantage and all the momentum.

The third period was a defensive stalemate for much of the frame, with SKA desperately pressing for an equalizer. The breakthrough finally came with just 1:45 left on the clock. Leipsic scored his second goal of the game, converting another setup from Grimaldi to tie the score at 4-4 and stun the home crowd.

A tripping penalty to Severstal’s Kirill Tankov with 1:27 remaining gave SKA a critical power play opportunity. With the Severstal net empty for an extra attacker, Zykov capitalized, scoring his second of the game into the vacant net to secure the 6-4 victory for SKA.

The win improves SKA Saint Petersburg’s season record to 10 wins and 11 losses, providing a major boost as they look to climb the Western Conference standings. The loss is a setback for Severstal Cherepovets, which now sits at 21 wins and 10 losses, though they remain among the league’s elite.

SKA continues its road trip with a game at Ak Bars Kazan on Friday. Severstal looks to rebound at home on Friday when they host Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.