MOSCOW (Interstat) — Goaltender Dmitry Gamzin stopped all 15 shots he faced and CSKA Moscow broke a scoreless deadlock with two third-period goals to defeat Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 2-0 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Wednesday at CSKA Ice Palace.

The shutout victory, CSKA’s second in its last three games, improved the Army Men’s record to 31 wins and 27 losses this season. Neftekhimik, which had won two straight games entering the contest, fell to an even 30-30.

For nearly 50 minutes, the game was a defensive stalemate dominated by penalty kills and missed opportunities. The teams combined for just 15 shots on goal through the first two periods, with Gamzin making six saves and Neftekhimik netminder Andrei Tikhomirov stopping nine.

CSKA finally solved Tikhomirov at the 8:56 mark of the final period. Forward Nikolai Kovalenko won a puck battle along the boards and fed Denis Zernov, who quickly dished to a streaking Dmitry Buchelnikov. The 5-foot-8 forward fired a sharp-angle shot for his 12th goal of the season, breaking the deadlock.

The goal seemed to energize the home side. Just over three minutes later, at 12:28 of the third, CSKA capitalized on a power play created by a Neftekhimik hooking penalty. Defenseman Mac Hollowell moved the puck to Prokhor Poltapov, who found Maxim Sorkin in the slot. Sorkin made no mistake, beating Tikhomirov for his seventh goal of the campaign to double the lead.

Neftekhimik, which had mustered only nine shots through the first 50 minutes, managed six in the final ten but could not beat Gamzin. The CSKA goaltender, who stands 6-foot-2, was particularly sharp during a late Neftekhimik power play to preserve his clean sheet and earn his first win of the season.

The game was a penalty-filled affair, with the teams combining for seven infractions. CSKA’s Ivan Drozdov received a five-minute major for slashing just as the third period began, but the Army Men’s penalty kill, led by defensemen Nikita Nesterov, Ivan Patrikhayev, Vladislav Yeryomenko and Nikita Okhotyuk, successfully navigated the extended disadvantage to maintain the scoreless tie.

CSKA’s victory avenged a 3-2 road loss to Neftekhimik back on Nov. 14. The result also defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 4-3 CSKA win. The ELO system gave CSKA a 66.10 percent probability to win.

CSKA now prepares for a quick turnaround, hosting Red Star Kunlun on Friday. Neftekhimik continues a challenging road stretch, next facing Amur Khabarovsk on Sunday.