UFA, Russia (Interstat) — Semyon Vyazovoi made 24 saves and the Salavat Yulaev power play capitalized twice to secure a 3-1 victory over Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in a Kontinental Hockey League matchup Saturday night at Ufa Arena.

The win, fueled by goals from Yegor Suchkov, Sheldon Rempal and Grigory Panin, pushed Salavat Yulaev back to the .500 mark for the season at 26 wins and 26 losses across all competitions. Torpedo, which got a lone goal from Kirill Svishchyov, fell to 29-22.

The home side set the tone early, weathering an initial penalty and then striking on their first man advantage. Just over five minutes into the game, with Torpedo’s Igor Geraskin serving a high-sticking minor, Jack Rodewald and Danil Alalykin set up Yegor Suchkov for his ninth goal of the season. The 5-foot-7 forward’s tally gave Salavat Yulaev a lead they would not relinquish.

Vyazovoi, the 6-foot-3 goaltender, was the backbone of the effort, turning aside all 10 Torpedo shots in the first period and 10 more in the second to preserve the one-goal lead. His performance was particularly crucial during a second-period penalty kill after veteran forward Evgeny Kuznetsov was called for hooking late in the first.

Salavat Yulaev extended its lead at 1:32 of the second period. Just 12 seconds after a Torpedo penalty expired, Rempal netted his 10th of the season, with assists going to Rodewald, who finished with two helpers, and Evgeny Kulik.

Torpedo finally solved Vyazov late in the middle frame. At the 18:42 mark, Kirill Svishchyov buried his third goal of the campaign, assisted by Robert Nardella and Yegor Sokolov, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and briefly shifting momentum.

Any chance of a Torpedo comeback was hampered by discipline issues. The visiting team took five penalties on the night, including a costly too-many-players-on-the-ice infraction by Sokolov in the final minute of the second period. While they killed that penalty, the recurring trips to the box disrupted their offensive flow.

Salavat Yulaev sealed the victory with a dramatic empty-net goal in the game’s final minute. With Torpedo’s netminder pulled for an extra attacker, defenseman Grigory Panin launched a clearing attempt from his own zone that found its mark for his fourth goal of the year, assisted by Kuznetsov with just 26 seconds remaining in regulation.

The result diverged from the pregame projection by Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 4-3 Salavat Yulaev win and gave the Ufa-based club a 59 percent probability of victory. The defensive performance, led by Vyazovoi and a physical effort from players like Panin, who recorded four hits, proved more decisive than anticipated.

For Salavat Yulaev, the win provides a positive start to a critical homestand as they seek consistency in the playoff race. Torpedo, meanwhile, sees a two-game skid extended after a promising run of form earlier in the month. Both teams return to action Monday, with Salavat Yulaev hosting Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Torpedo beginning a road trip at Admiral Vladivostok.