MOSCOW (Interstat) — CSKA Moscow scored three unanswered goals in the first period and withstood a late rally to defeat Lada Togliatti 4-2 in a Kontinental Hockey League game on Thursday at CSKA Ice Palace.

The home team seized control early, capitalizing on a quick power play after a Lada penalty just 47 seconds into the contest. Prokhor Poltapov opened the scoring for CSKA at the 3:06 mark of the first period, assisted by Daniel Sprong.

CSKA continued its offensive pressure, adding two more goals before the first intermission. Takhir Mingachyov scored at 15:25, with assists from Pavel Karnaukhov and Dmitry Samorukov. Ivan Patrikhayev then netted his first goal of the season with just 35 seconds remaining in the period, with Karnaukhov earning his second assist of the afternoon on the play alongside Nikolai Kovalenko.

The game settled into a stalemate through a scoreless second period, setting the stage for a dramatic third-period push from the visitors.

Lada broke through CSKA goaltender Dmitry Gamzin at 11:12 of the final frame when defenseman Maxim Belousov scored his first goal of the season, cutting the deficit to two. The momentum shifted further when Lada capitalized on a late power play. With CSKA penalized for too many men on the ice, Tyler Graovac scored his first goal for Lada at 14:11, assisted by Tomas Jurco and Mac Hollowell, to tie the game.

The comeback was short-lived. CSKA defenseman Jeremy Roy scored the game-winning goal with just 1:47 remaining in regulation, his third of the season, to secure the victory for the home team. The goal dashed Lada’s hopes and sealed the final score.

Gamzin made 17 saves to earn the win for CSKA. Lada goaltender Alexander Trushkov stopped 21 shots in the loss.

The result improved CSKA’s season record to 13 wins and 17 losses, while Lada fell to 10 wins and 20 losses. The outcome was largely in line with pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had projected a 3-2 CSKA victory and whose ELO system gave the home team a 72.1 percent probability to win.

Lada’s recent form had been inconsistent, having split its last two games with a 5-3 win over HC Sochi on Tuesday following a 2-0 loss to Severstal Cherepovets on Sunday. CSKA entered the contest looking to rebound from a 4-1 loss to SKA Saint Petersburg on Monday.

Key performers for CSKA included Karnaukhov, who finished with two assists, and Mingachyov, who added a goal to his stat line. For Lada, the late goals from Belousov and Graovac provided the only offense against a stifling CSKA defense for much of the game.

Lada will look to regroup quickly as it continues a road trip against Spartak Moscow on Saturday. CSKA’s next contest is at home against Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Monday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Togliatti on Dec. 16.