MOSCOW (Interstat) — Nikita Nesterov scored the decisive goal in a shootout Sunday night to lift CSKA Moscow to a 3-2 victory over SKA Saint Petersburg in a Kontinental Hockey League matchup at CSKA Ice Palace.

The home side prevailed in the tiebreaker after the teams finished regulation and overtime knotted at two goals apiece. The win improved CSKA’s record across all competitions to 26 wins and 25 losses, while SKA moved to 20 wins, 22 losses and one tie.

The game was a tight, back-and-forth affair that contrasted sharply with the teams’ previous meeting on Nov. 24, a 4-1 road victory for SKA. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 4-1 win for CSKA with a 54.7% probability, but the actual contest proved far more competitive.

SKA defenseman Andrei Pedan opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period, firing a shot past the CSKA goaltender with assists from Matvei Polyakov and Nikita Nedopyokin. The lead was short-lived, as CSKA forward Denis Guryanov answered at 16:26, converting a setup from Nikita Okhotyuk and Denis Zernov for his 14th goal of the season to tie the game 1-1.

CSKA took its first lead of the night at 15:38 of the second period. Defenseman Nikita Nesterov netted his third goal of the season, assisted by Prokhor Poltapov and Vitaly Abramov, to make it 2-1. Poltapov’s helper came after he had served a minor penalty for boarding in the first period, the game’s only infraction.

Facing a deficit late in the third period, SKA found an equalizer with just 1:03 remaining on the clock. Forward Roссo Grimaldi, who led all skaters with five shots on goal, buried his 12th goal of the season to force overtime, with Joseph Blandisi and Yegor Savikov credited with assists.

A scoreless five-minute overtime period sent the game to a shootout, where CSKA’s shooters proved superior. After SKA was stymied, Nesterov sealed the extra point for the Army Men.

SKA goaltender Artemy Pleshkov was credited with the overtime loss despite a strong 20-save performance on 22 shots. His record moved to one win on the season.

The victory gives CSKA a 2-1 edge in the season series heading into the final matchup between the historic rivals, scheduled for Feb. 21 in Saint Petersburg.

CSKA will look to build on the win when it hosts HC Sochi on Tuesday. SKA continues its road trip with a game against Dinamo Minsk on Tuesday.