NIZHNEIMERETINSKAYA BUKHTA, Russia (Interstat) — CSKA Moscow rode a shutout from Alexander Samonov and a two-goal game from Maxim Sorkin to a 4-0 Kontinental Hockey League victory over HC Sochi on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Samonov, a 6-foot, 161-pound goaltender, stopped all 15 shots he faced as CSKA improved to 2-3-0. Sochi remained winless at 0-4-0 before an announced attendance of 3,843.

CSKA opened the scoring late in the first period. Sorkin scored at 13:45, with Yegor Zamula and Nikita Nesterov picking up assists. The visitors controlled play after Sochi’s Kirill Voronin was called for hooking at 2:37. Matching roughing penalties at 10:36 to Sochi’s Artyom Guryev and CSKA’s Maxim Mamin did little to change the momentum. CSKA carried a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Penalties continued in the middle period. CSKA’s Nazar Privalov was sent off for tripping at 26:09. Sochi’s Timur Khafizov received a tripping minor at 34:25. CSKA’s Prokhor Poltapov was called for tripping at 36:04. Samonov remained steady when called upon, and Sochi could not find an equalizer.

CSKA pulled away with a decisive stretch of goals. After Sochi’s Jesse Graham received a five-minute slashing penalty at 40:28, Sorkin struck again at 42:46, with Zamula and Marat Khairullin assisting. Poltapov then scored at 48:31, with Pavel Karnaukhov and Robert Hamilton earning assists. Denis Zernov capped the scoring at 55:21, with Zamula collecting his third assist of the night. The goals came in a span of 12:35.

Sorkin, listed at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, finished with two goals, five shots and two hits. Zamula, a 6-foot-2, 172-pound defenseman, had three assists and four shots. Zernov, 5-foot-8 and 176 pounds, added a goal and three shots. Nesterov, 5-foot-11 and 198 pounds, recorded an assist and four shots. Khairullin, 5-foot-11 and 181 pounds, had an assist and seven shots. Poltapov, 5-foot-11 and 174 pounds, scored once and had one shot with two penalty minutes. Karnaukhov, 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, contributed an assist, one shot and two hits. Mamin, 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, recorded four shots, two penalty minutes and two hits. Hamilton had one assist and one hit.

Sochi’s penalty troubles persisted into the final minutes. Guryev was called for interference at 51:14 and holding at 58:54, adding to a frustrating afternoon for the home side. Sochi has now been shut out in two of its first four games and has scored twice this season. CSKA, meanwhile, rebounded from recent losses to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Admiral Vladivostok. CSKA had beaten Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3-0 on Sept. 9 before falling to Spartak Moscow 3-2 on Sept. 7.

CSKA will visit Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Friday, Sept. 18. Sochi will host Ak Bars Kazan the same day. CSKA then continues a road stretch with games at Admiral Vladivostok on Sept. 21, Amur Khabarovsk on Sept. 23 and Lada Togliatti on Sept. 25. CSKA will host SKA Saint Petersburg on Sept. 29, visit Dinamo Minsk on Oct. 1 and host Dynamo Moscow on Oct. 3. Sochi is scheduled to host Sibir Novosibirsk on Sept. 20 before traveling to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Sept. 24 and Severstal Cherepovets on Sept. 26. Sochi will visit Shanghai Dragons on Sept. 28, host Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Sept. 30 and host Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Oct. 3.

Sochi entered the game after a 1-0 home loss to SKA Saint Petersburg on Sept. 12, a 4-1 loss at Avangard Omsk on Sept. 10 and a 5-1 loss at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Sept. 8. CSKA had lost 3-2 to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Sept. 13 and 4-2 to Admiral Vladivostok on Sept. 11 before beating Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3-0 on Sept. 9.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of CSKA 2, Sochi 1, and its ELO system gave CSKA a 76.2 percent probability to win. CSKA surpassed that projection by scoring four unanswered goals and holding Sochi off the scoreboard.