OMSK (Interstat) — Nikita Mikhailis scored twice and Alexander S. Smolin made 21 saves as Metallurg Magnitogorsk beat Avangard Omsk 5-1 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Monday at Omsk Arena. Metallurg M improved to 8-2. Avangard fell to 4-5. The announced attendance was 12,011. Metallurg scored the game’s first two goals and never trailed, answering Avangard’s only goal with three more tallies. Mikhailis opened the scoring 50 seconds into the first period, with Valery Orekhov and Ruslan Iskhakov assisting. Nathan Todd made it 2-0 at 11:10 of the first, with assists from Orekhov and Daniil Vovchenko.

Avangard got on the board late in the first when Kirill Adamchuk scored at 19:11, with Michael McLeod and Mikhail Gulyayev drawing assists. Adamchuk finished with one goal, four shots on goal and one hit. Mikhailis restored Metallurg’s two-goal lead at 29:41 of the second, scoring his second of the night off assists from Igor Nechayev and Artyom Minulin. Mikhailis ended with two goals and five shots on goal. Iskhakov recorded one goal, one assist, two shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Orekhov had two assists, two shots and two penalty minutes. Todd added one goal and four shots. Nikita A. Korotkov scored at 57:55 of the third and had one goal, three shots and one hit. Yegor Zelenov recorded one assist and two shots. Dmitry Silantyev had one shot and two hits, and Vladislav Provolnev put four shots on net.

Iskhakov scored at 56:46 of the third, converting a setup from Zelenov, before Korotkov closed the scoring 69 seconds later. Smolin turned aside 21 of the 22 shots he faced. Metallurg scored the final three goals. The game included eight penalties, five against Avangard and three against Metallurg. Avangard’s Anton Kazachyok was called for holding at 1:13 of the first period. Metallurg’s Orekhov received a hooking minor at 2:06, and Metallurg’s Sergei Tolchinsky was sent off for cross checking at 2:59. Avangard’s Kirill Kozhevnikov received a five-minute slashing major at 9:39. Adamchuk was penalized for delaying the game at 11:10, and Iskhakov was called for tripping at 19:20. In the third period, Avangard’s Joseph Cecconi was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct at 41:48, and McLeod received a hooking minor at 52:10.

The result continued a strong start for Metallurg, which has won eight of its first 10 games. Avangard has lost five of its first nine. Metallurg’s victory came after Avangard won the previous head-to-head meeting in overtime earlier this season. Metallurg will next travel to face Shanghai Dragons, while Avangard will host Lada Togliatti. Mikhailis was named Metallurg’s top star. His recent form had included a goal and two shots against Barys Astana, an assist and two shots against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, and two assists against Spartak Moscow. Smolin’s 21 saves helped preserve the lead after Adamchuk’s goal. Metallurg then pulled away in the third with goals from Iskhakov and Korotkov.

Metallurg entered after a 2-1 win over Ak Bars Kazan and a 4-3 road victory at Salavat Yulaev Ufa. The club also had wins over Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, Barys Astana and Amur Khabarovsk, with overtime and shootout results mixed in. Avangard arrived after an overtime win at Spartak Moscow, but had dropped road games at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Avangard also had overtime wins over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Metallurg earlier in the season. Avangard finished with one goal against Smolin. Metallurg got goals from Mikhailis, Todd, Iskhakov and Korotkov, with Orekhov adding two assists.

After Adamchuk’s goal late in the first, Metallurg killed off an Iskhakov tripping penalty that carried into the intermission. The visitors then regained control in the second when Mikhailis scored. In the third, penalties to Cecconi and McLeod preceded Metallurg’s two late goals. Metallurg capitalized with Iskhakov’s goal and Korotkov’s quick follow-up. The final minutes were played with Metallurg protecting a comfortable lead. The win moved Metallurg to 8-2. Avangard fell to 4-5 and remained at home for its next game.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Avangard 3, Metallurg M 2, and its ELO system had projected Avangard with a 52 percent probability to win. The actual final score was Metallurg M 5, Avangard 1.