CHEREPOVETS, Russia (Interstat) — Nathan Todd scored twice, including the game-winning goal late in the third period, to lift Spartak Moscow to a 2-1 victory over Severstal Cherepovets in a tightly contested Kontinental Hockey League match on Tuesday night at Ice Palace.

The win, sealed by a stellar 33-save performance from goaltender Artyom Zagidulin, avenged a 4-3 home loss to Severstal on Nov. 14 and improved Spartak’s record across all competitions to 22 wins and 20 losses. Severstal, which had been favored by statistical projections, fell to 27-16.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 4-2 win for Severstal, with its ELO system giving the home team a 54.3 percent probability of victory. Instead, Spartak’s discipline and timely scoring proved decisive in a game defined by defensive structure and missed opportunities.

A penalty-filled first period set a disjointed tone, with Severstal taking three of the game’s first four minors, including a too-many-players infraction just over four minutes into the game. Neither power play could break through, however, as both netminders stood firm. Severstal’s Alexander Samoilov was perfect in the opening frame, stopping all 16 shots he faced.

The deadlock was finally broken at the 16:52 mark of the second period. Spartak’s Mikhail Maltsev, who would factor in on both goals, found Todd for his 12th goal of the season, beating Severstal starter Vsevolod Skotnikov to give the visitors a 1-0 lead heading into the final intermission.

Todd struck again at 7:07 of the third period to double the advantage. On a play set up by Christian Jaros and Maltsev, Todd netted his 13th of the campaign, providing what seemed like a crucial insurance goal.

Severstal’s discipline issues resurfaced later in the period, taking two more penalties to stifle any building momentum. The home team finally solved Zagidulin with just 14 seconds remaining in regulation and Skotnikov pulled for an extra attacker. Slovak forward Adam Liska netted his ninth of the season, with assists to Ivan Podshivalov and Ruslan Abrosimov, to break the shutout bid.

It was too little, too late. Spartak controlled the ensuing faceoff and ran out the clock to secure the road victory.

Zagidulin’s 33 saves earned him the win, while Skotnikov made 19 saves on 21 shots in the loss. Samoilov, who started the game for Severstal, was relieved after the first period having stopped all 16 shots he faced in a scoreless outing.

The game was a special teams struggle, with the teams combining to go 0 for 8 on the power play. Severstal was cited for five penalties, including two for too many players on the ice, while Spartak was assessed three minors.

Spartak, coming off a 7-6 win at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Jan. 4, continues its road stretch at CSKA Moscow on Sunday. Severstal, which had defeated Lada Togliatti 4-2 on Jan. 3, looks to rebound at home against Dinamo Minsk on Thursday. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Cherepovets on Feb. 2.