NIZHNEKAMSK, Russia (Interstat) — Artyom Serikov scored 5:23 into overtime to lift Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk to a 2-1 victory over Traktor Chelyabinsk in a Kontinental Hockey League game Tuesday afternoon at SCC Arena.

The defenseman’s fifth goal of the season, assisted by Ivan Nikolishin and Timur Khairullin, ended a tightly contested defensive struggle that saw the home team outshoot the visitors 35-22. The win improved Neftekhimik’s record across all competitions to 32 wins and 33 losses, while Traktor fell to 29-34.

The game’s opening goal came from Traktor’s Vitaly Kravtsov, who netted his 13th of the season at 18:24 of the first period. The tally gave the visitors a lead they would protect deep into the third period thanks to a stellar performance from goaltender Dmitry Nikolayev. Nikolayev stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced in a losing effort.

Neftekhimik finally broke through with the equalizer late in regulation. With just 25 seconds remaining in the third period, forward Andrei Belozyorov scored his 26th goal of the campaign, assisted by Maxim Fedotov, to force the extra frame and set the stage for Serikov’s heroics.

The contest was marked by disciplined, physical play for long stretches, though Traktor was penalized heavily. The visiting team from Chelyabinsk was assessed six minor penalties, while Neftekhimik took only two. Traktor successfully killed off all four of Neftekhimik’s power-play opportunities, a key factor in keeping the game close.

Neftekhimik goaltender Yaroslav Ozolin earned the win with 21 saves on 22 shots. His counterpart, Nikolayev, was the busier of the two netminders, particularly during a second period where his team was shorthanded for much of the frame. Defenseman Ilya Pastukhov led a physical Neftekhimik blue line with nine hits.

For Traktor, Kravtsov led the offense with a game-high five shots on goal to go with his tally. Defenseman Logan Day contributed four shots and logged two penalty minutes.

The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 3-2 Traktor victory and whose ELO system gave the visitors a 62.7% probability of winning.

The game continued a pattern of close matches between the two clubs this season. In their most recent meeting on Nov. 5, 2025, Neftekhimik edged Traktor 4-3. The season series now stands at two wins for Traktor and two for Neftekhimik.

Traktor, which has lost three of its last four games, will look to rebound when it returns home to host Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Friday. Neftekhimik, which has won two of its last three, begins a three-game road trip at Torpedo on Monday.