UFA (Interstat) — Nathan Todd scored twice and Metallurg Magnitogorsk held off Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4-3 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Wednesday night at Ufa Arena in Ufa, Russia. The announced attendance was 7,522. Metallurg improved to 6-2-0. Salavat Yulaev dropped to 4-3-0. The visitors never trailed, though Salavat Yulaev tied the game in the second period before Metallurg regained control.

Todd opened the scoring at 10:08 of the first period, with Sergei Tolchinsky and Daniil Vovchenko assisting. The goal came after Salavat Yulaev’s Danil Alalykin received a two-minute penalty for too many players on the ice at 5:15. Metallurg goaltender Alexander S. Smolin kept Salavat Yulaev off the board in the opening period and finished with 32 saves on 35 shots. Todd ended with two goals and three shots on goal. Tolchinsky, a Moscow native listed at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, had one goal and one assist with three shots on goal.

Metallurg pushed its lead to 2-0 in the second period when Igor Nechayev scored at 27:31, assisted by Yegor Korobkin. Penalties then opened the door for Salavat Yulaev. Vovchenko was called for tripping at 28:39, and Metallurg’s Ruslan Iskhakov went off for tripping at 29:18. Sheldon Rempal scored twice in quick succession, first at 29:56 with assists from Alexander Alexeyev and Jack Rodewald, then at 30:38 from Vadim Shipachyov and Alexeyev. The goals tied the score 2-2. Nechayev took a roughing penalty at 33:33, but Tolchinsky scored at 34:36 with an assist from Iskhakov to give Metallurg a 3-2 lead.

Salavat Yulaev’s penalty trouble continued in the third period. Yegor Suchkov was called for slashing at 42:54, Maxim Zagrebin went off for slashing at 43:21, and Nikita Zorkin was penalized for handling the puck with his hands at 48:50. Todd made Salavat Yulaev pay at 49:09, scoring his second goal with assists from Valery Orekhov and Mikhail Fyodorov for a 4-2 advantage. Korobkin was sent off for tripping at 51:10, giving Salavat Yulaev a late power play. Matthew Maggio scored at 59:48 with assists from Vladislav Yefremov and Alexander Zharovsky to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Metallurg held on. Maggio, listed at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, finished with one goal and five shots on goal. Rempal had two goals and three shots on goal. Zharovsky added one assist and two shots on goal. Nechayev had one goal, one shot on goal and two penalty minutes. Vovchenko finished with one assist, two shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Korobkin had one assist, three shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Makar Khabarov also appeared for Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Metallurg entered the game after a 6-2 home win over Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Sunday, Sept. 20, a 3-0 home win over Barys Astana on Friday, Sept. 18, and a 3-2 home loss to Spartak Moscow on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The team also had a 3-2 overtime loss at Avangard Omsk on Sunday, Sept. 13, and a 3-2 shootout win at Ak Bars Kazan on Friday, Sept. 11. Salavat Yulaev had beaten Spartak Moscow 3-1 on Sunday, Sept. 20, and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 2-0 on Friday, Sept. 18. Salavat Yulaev also had a 4-3 overtime loss to Ak Bars Kazan on Wednesday, Sept. 16, a 6-8 loss at Barys Astana on Wednesday, Sept. 9, a 4-0 win at Avangard Omsk on Monday, Sept. 7, and a 3-2 win at Severstal Cherepovets on Saturday, Sept. 5. Metallurg next hosts Ak Bars Kazan on Saturday, Sept. 26. Salavat Yulaev visits Dynamo Moscow on Saturday, Sept. 26. Metallurg then travels to Avangard Omsk on Monday, Sept. 28, while Salavat Yulaev visits Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod the same day.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Salavat Yulaev 3, Metallurg Magnitogorsk 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Metallurg Magnitogorsk with a 58.3 percent probability to win.