MOSCOW (Interstat) — Prokhor Poltapov scored twice, including the game-winner late in the third period, to lift CSKA Moscow to a 2-1 victory over city rival Spartak Moscow in a Kontinental Hockey League game on Sunday at CSKA Ice Palace.

The result leveled both teams’ season records across all competitions, with CSKA moving to 22-23 and Spartak falling to 22-21. The win also gave CSKA a slight edge in the season series, having now won two of the three meetings between the historic rivals this season.

After a penalty-filled opening frame that saw three minors called, CSKA broke through first. Prokhor Poltapov netted his 13th goal of the season at the 14:51 mark of the first period, giving the home team a 1-0 lead that would hold through a disjointed second period featuring four more penalties and limited offensive chances for either side.

Spartak finally solved CSKA goaltender Alexander Samonov early in the third period. At 1:28 of the final frame, Mikhail Maltsev scored his 12th goal of the season, assisted by Christian Jaros and Daniil Ivanov, to tie the game at 1-1.

The momentum shifted back to CSKA following a tripping penalty to Spartak’s Ivanov midway through the period. With the game still tied in the closing minutes, Poltapov struck again, netting his second of the night and 14th of the season at 12:35 to secure the 2-1 victory for the Army Men.

Samonov was a cornerstone of the win for CSKA, stopping 19 of the 20 shots he faced to earn the victory. His counterpart, Alexander Georgiyev of Spartak, was busier and equally sharp for much of the night, making 31 saves on 33 shots but was ultimately tagged with the loss.

The game was a tightly contested, defensive struggle that defied the pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a higher-scoring affair with a final score of CSKA 4, Spartak 3, while its ELO system gave CSKA a 52.4 percent probability to win.

CSKA’s discipline waned at times, taking five minor penalties, but its penalty kill unit held Spartak’s power play off the board. Spartak was assessed four minors, with Nikita Korostelyov taking two tripping calls.

For Spartak, the loss snapped a two-game winning streak that included victories over Severstal and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod earlier in the week. CSKA has now won two straight following a victory over Red Star Kunlun on Friday.

Spartak looks to rebound quickly, facing another difficult test against city rival Dynamo Moscow on Wednesday. CSKA begins a two-game road trip on Thursday, traveling to face Avangard Omsk. The two Moscow clubs are scheduled to meet again on Feb. 12 at Spartak’s home arena.