YEKATERINBURG (Interstat) — Alexander Trushkov made 34 saves for his first win of the season, and Amur Khabarovsk scored three unanswered goals to defeat Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 3-0 on Sunday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at KRK Uralets in Uralets Arena. The shutout came in front of an announced attendance of 10,431. Amur improved to 5-6, while Avtomobilist fell to 5-7. Kirill Pilipenko, Alexei Kruchinin and Raul Akmaldinov scored for the visitors, and Vyacheslav Voynov recorded two assists. The victory came after Amur had lost its most recent meeting with Avtomobilist.

Trushkov, a 5-foot-11, 179-pound goaltender, was the top star for Amur. He stopped all 34 shots he faced and held Avtomobilist off the scoreboard despite a steady push from the home side. Artyom Kashtanov, a 6-foot-4, 157-pound forward, led Avtomobilist with five shots on goal. Trushkov also had to stay sharp after being called for tripping at 30:21 of the second period, but Amur’s penalty kill erased the disadvantage. His previous recent outing was a 27-save performance in a loss to Severstal Cherepovets. Trushkov’s 34 saves were the most important part of Amur’s victory, as the visitors weathered several stretches of pressure.

Amur killed an early holding penalty to Fyodor Khrapov at 9:57 of the first period. The game remained tight into the second, when Ivan Klimovich was sent off for tripping at 23:35. Avtomobilist’s Anton Slepyshev went off for hooking at 30:41, and Amur’s Alexei Solovyov was called for interference on a goaltender at 31:45. Late in the period, Avtomobilist’s Jordan Gross and Alexander Kadeikin took penalties at 39:25, giving Amur a two-man advantage. Pilipenko converted at 39:54, with Vitaly Abramov and Voynov assisting. Pilipenko, a 5-foot-9, 183-pound forward, finished with a goal and two shots. The goal came after Amur had generated pressure on the extended power play.

Kruchinin doubled the lead at 43:13 of the third period. Oleg Li and Voynov picked up assists after Avtomobilist’s Nikita Tryamkin was penalized for throwing the puck outside the playing area at 42:13. Kruchinin, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound forward, ended with a goal and three shots. Akmaldinov made it 3-0 with a shorthanded goal at 56:57, moments after Solovyov was sent off for tripping at 55:31. Akmaldinov added one shot and one hit. Voynov, a 5-foot-11, 201-pound defenseman, contributed two assists and three shots from the blue line. Amur’s special teams played a major role, scoring on the power play and adding a shorthanded goal.

Avtomobilist had other chances but could not solve Trushkov. Kashtanov led the home side with five shots. Amur’s Ivan Klimovich recorded one shot and two penalty minutes. Konstantin Lukin put two shots on net for Amur, and Yegor Voronkov also had two shots. Artyom Shvaryov registered one shot. Avtomobilist’s Yaroslav Busygin was called for tripping at 50:18. The loss left Avtomobilist at 5-7, while Amur moved to 5-6. Amur had also lost to Avtomobilist in their most recent head-to-head meeting before Sunday. The visitors finished with a strong defensive effort in front of Trushkov, limiting second-chance opportunities and clearing rebounds. Avtomobilist pulled its goaltender late but could not break the shutout. Amur’s win snapped a recent run of inconsistent results and gave the team a road victory against a familiar opponent.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Avtomobilist 2, Amur 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave Avtomobilist a 73.1 percent probability to win. The projection favored the home team before the opening faceoff, but Amur’s goaltending and special teams changed the outcome. Amur will next visit Traktor Chelyabinsk, while Avtomobilist will host Avangard Omsk. Both teams are scheduled to return to regular-season play in the Kontinental Hockey League.