UFA (Interstat) — Semyon Vyazovoi stopped 19 of 20 shots, and Salavat Yulaev Ufa scored once in each period to defeat Spartak Moscow 3-1 on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Ufa Arena. The home crowd of 7,269 saw Salavat Yulaev improve to 4-2-0, while Spartak dropped to 5-2-0. Nikita Shcherbakov, Matthew Maggio and Danil Alalykin scored for Salavat Yulaev. Mikhail Maltsev scored for Spartak. The game featured five minor penalties, four against Spartak and one against Salavat Yulaev. Salavat Yulaev never trailed after Shcherbakov opened the scoring in the first period.

Spartak entered having won two straight, including a 3-1 victory at Traktor Chelyabinsk on Friday and a 3-2 win at Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Wednesday. Earlier in the season, Spartak defeated Severstal Cherepovets 8-0 at home, toppled SKA Saint Petersburg 3-1 and beat CSKA Moscow 3-2 on the road. Salavat Yulaev came in after a 2-0 home win over Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Friday. Salavat Yulaev had also beaten Avangard Omsk 4-0 on Sept. 7 and Severstal Cherepovets 3-2 on Sept. 5, while dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to Ak Bars Kazan on Sept. 16.

Shcherbakov gave Salavat Yulaev the lead at 7:46 of the first period. The play followed two early Spartak penalties, as Dmitry I. Solovyov was called for tripping at 1:37 and Joseph Keane was sent off for hooking at 3:50. Salavat Yulaev could not convert on those power plays, but Shcherbakov broke through during even-strength play. Spartak responded late in the period when Maltsev scored at 16:58, with assists from Danil Pivchulin and Pavel Poryadin. The goal tied the game and quieted the home crowd briefly. However, Spartak’s Ilya Kotlyarov was penalized for tripping at 17:53, giving Salavat Yulaev another power-play chance before the first intermission. Salavat Yulaev held a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes.

The second period turned on Maggio’s goal at 39:49, just before the intermission. Maxim Zagrebin and Shcherbakov assisted on the play. The goal came 11 seconds before the second intermission. Vyazovoi finished with 19 saves. His recent performances included a 19-save shutout against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Sept. 18 and a 41-save shutout at Avangard Omsk on Sept. 7. Salavat Yulaev carried a 2-1 lead into the final frame.

Salavat Yulaev added insurance in the third period. Alalykin scored at 47:37, with assists from Yegor Suchkov and Yaroslav Tsulygin. That made it 3-1. Spartak’s Christian Jaros was called for holding at 41:54, but Salavat Yulaev did not need the power play to extend its lead. Spartak pressed late but could not beat Vyazovoi again. Maltsev finished with one goal, two shots on goal and one hit. Poryadin and Pivchulin each recorded an assist. Spartak’s season record moved to 5-2-0.

Several Salavat Yulaev players recorded points. Maggio had one goal and three shots on goal. Shcherbakov had one goal, one assist and one shot on goal. Alalykin had one goal and three shots on goal. Zagrebin had one assist, one shot on goal and one hit. Suchkov had one assist and three shots on goal. Alexander Zharovsky recorded three shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Tsulygin had one assist and one hit. Vadim Shipachyov recorded one shot on goal. Vyazovoi earned the win with 19 saves on 20 shots. The victory moved Salavat Yulaev to 4-2-0.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Salavat Yulaev 3, Spartak 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Salavat Yulaev with a 50.7 percent probability to win. Salavat Yulaev next hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Spartak next hosts Avangard Omsk on Thursday, Sept. 24.