VLADIVOSTOK (Interstat) — Nikita Boyarkin stopped all 26 shots he faced, and Admiral Vladivostok defeated Severstal Cherepovets 2-0 on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Fetisov Arena. Attendance was 5,109. Admiral improved to 2-4-0. Severstal fell to 1-5-0. Boyarkin, listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, earned the win with 26 saves on 26 shots. The shutout anchored the home victory and was the top individual performance of the game.

Admiral opened the scoring in the second period after a penalty-filled stretch. Mikhail Grass was called for hooking at 11:02 of the first period. In the second, Admiral’s Yegor Chezganov and Severstal’s Vladimir Grudinin received coincidental high-sticking penalties at 24:49. Severstal’s Alexei M. Kozhevnikov was sent off for tripping at 34:11. Ivan Yanchenko then put Admiral ahead at 37:10, with Oskar Bulavchuk and Dmitry Mukhtarov assisting. Yanchenko finished with one goal, three shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Bulavchuk recorded one assist and one hit. Mukhtarov, listed at 6-foot-3 and 183 pounds, added one assist, one shot and one hit. The goal gave Admiral a 1-0 lead.

The goal stood as the only scoring until late in the third. Yanchenko was penalized for holding at 44:33. Admiral’s Dmitry Zavgorodny received a hooking penalty at 58:00. With Severstal pressing for an equalizer, Grass scored at 59:03 to make it 2-0. Grass, listed at 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, finished with one goal, two shots and two penalty minutes. The late goal secured the home win and capped a strong defensive effort by Admiral. Severstal’s comeback attempt fell short.

Boyarkin’s clean sheet was the centerpiece. He had made 38 saves on 40 shots in a 2-1 loss at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Sept. 13. Against Severstal, he was rarely beaten and did not allow a goal on 26 shots. Ivan Muranov contributed four shots and four hits for Admiral. Libor Sulak and Konstantin Luchevnikov each recorded two shots. Sulak is listed at 6-foot and 163 pounds. Alexander Skorenov led Severstal with four shots. Skorenov is listed at 6-foot and 192 pounds. Ivan Podshivalov had one shot and one hit. Admiral’s Grass and Yanchenko each served two minutes, while Severstal’s Grudinin and Kozhevnikov also spent time in the box. Severstal could not solve Boyarkin despite Skorenov’s four-shot effort.

Severstal remained mired in a difficult start. The loss followed a 2-0 home defeat to Dynamo Moscow on Sept. 14, an 8-0 loss at Spartak Moscow on Sept. 12, a 2-1 overtime loss at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Sept. 10, a 1-0 home win over Lada Togliatti on Sept. 7 and a 3-2 home loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Sept. 5. Admiral’s record moved to 2-4-0 after a 3-2 home loss to Dynamo Moscow on Sept. 17, a 2-1 loss at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Sept. 13, a 4-2 win at CSKA Moscow on Sept. 11, a 2-1 shootout loss at Dynamo Moscow on Sept. 9 and a 2-0 loss at Ak Bars Kazan on Sept. 7. Admiral has won two of its first six games, while Severstal has lost five of six.

Severstal next visits Amur Khabarovsk on Monday. Admiral hosts CSKA Moscow on Monday. The teams meet again Oct. 1 at Severstal Cherepovets. Admiral will then travel to SKA Saint Petersburg on Oct. 3 and Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Oct. 5 and Oct. 7. Severstal will host Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg on Sept. 24 and HC Sochi on Sept. 26 before hosting Admiral on Oct. 1.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Admiral 2, Severstal 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Severstal with a 66.6 percent probability to win. The projections were made before the game and did not reflect the final result.