BALASHIKHA, Russia (Interstat) — In a tightly contested clash between Kontinental Hockey League playoff contenders, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg avenged an overtime loss from two weeks prior by defeating Avangard Omsk 3-2 in overtime on Thursday night at Balashikha Arena.

The victory, sealed by Alexander Sharov’s goal at 18:08 of the third period, improved Avtomobilist’s record to 30 wins and 22 losses. The overtime loss dropped Avangard, one of the league’s top teams, to 35-16.

The game defied pregame projections from Interstat, which gave the home team a 66.2 percent probability to win and simulated a 6-4 Avangard victory. Instead, the contest was a defensive struggle defined by key performances from Avtomobilist’s supporting cast.

Defenseman Jesse Blacker was instrumental, assisting on both of Roman Gorbunov’s goals and the Sharov winner for a two-assist night. The play of goaltender Vladimir Galkin, however, was the foundation of the road victory. Galkin turned aside 33 of 35 shots to earn the win, outdueling his counterpart in a game where scoring chances were at a premium.

The scoring opened in the first period when Gorbunov converted a pass from Blacker at the 11:04 mark. Avangard responded with authority in the second period, netting two goals to seize momentum and the lead. Nikolai Prokhorkin scored his 13th of the season at 1:25 of the middle frame, and Andrew Poturalski netted his 20th at 18:11.

Facing a deficit against a formidable opponent, Avtomobilist found an equalizer late in the second period. Again it was Gorbunov, scoring his second of the game and 14th of the season with just 1:27 remaining before the intermission. Brooks Macek and Galkin, credited with a rare goaltender assist, provided the helpers.

The third period saw no scoring, setting the stage for overtime. In the extra session, Sharov delivered the decisive blow, taking a feed from Macek and Blacker to beat the Avangard goaltender for his 14th goal of the campaign.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Avangard, who had defeated Dynamo Moscow and Traktor Chelyabinsk in their previous contests. Avtomobilist, meanwhile, continued its recent solid form, having now won four of its last five games, including a 4-1 road victory over Admiral Vladivostok last Saturday.

The season series between the clubs is now tied at one win apiece, with both decisions coming in overtime. Avangard won the previous meeting 2-1 in Yekaterinburg on Jan. 22. The teams are scheduled to complete their regular-season series in a rematch in Yekaterinburg on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Avtomobilist continues its road trip with a visit to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Tuesday, Feb. 10. Avangard looks to rebound as it begins a lengthy eastern road swing, starting in Vladivostok against Admiral on Wednesday, Feb. 11.