YEKATERINBURG (Interstat) — Vladimir Galkin stopped all 22 shots he faced, and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg scored four unanswered goals to beat visiting Avangard Omsk 4-0 on Tuesday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at KRK Uralets in Uralets Arena. Galkin earned the win in net as Avtomobilist improved its record to 6 wins and 7 losses. Avangard fell to 5 wins and 6 losses. Attendance was 10,302.

Avtomobilist controlled the game after a scoreless first period. The home side broke through in the second period when Kale Clague scored his second goal of the season at 23:31 elapsed. Adam Ruzicka and Anton Slepyshev assisted on the play. The goal gave Avtomobilist a lead it never surrendered. Avangard managed pressure at times but could not solve Galkin, who was the game’s top star. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound goaltender was sharp throughout and kept the visitors off the board.

The third period turned into a decisive stretch for Avtomobilist. Alexander Sharov scored his third goal of the season at 43:35 elapsed, with Danil Gushchin and Alexander Barabanov picking up assists. Less than two minutes later, Alexander Kadeikin scored his fourth goal of the season at 45:24, with Barabanov and Ruzicka assisting. Jesse Blacker added his third goal of the season at 56:21 to finish the scoring. Avtomobilist’s depth produced goals from Clague, Sharov, Kadeikin and Blacker. The 6-foot-4, 227-pound Kadeikin also finished with four shots on goal.

Ruzicka finished with two assists and two shots on goal. Barabanov, a 5-foot-10, 196-pound forward, also had two assists and four shots on goal. Sharov had a goal, two shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Clague had a goal and one shot on goal. Blacker, a 6-foot, 190-pound defenseman, had a goal and two shots on goal. Gushchin contributed an assist and four shots on goal. Slepyshev had an assist, one shot on goal and three hits. Ilya Karpukhin recorded four shots on goal for Avtomobilist.

Penalties played a role in the flow of the game. Avtomobilist’s Roman S. Gorbunov was called for tripping at 4:54 of the first period. In the second period, Avtomobilist’s Alexander A. Sharov was sent off for hooking at 26:30, and Avangard’s Damir Sharipzyanov received an interference penalty at 32:59. In the third period, Avangard’s Kirill Dolzhenkov was penalized for roughing at 44:21, and Avangard’s Gleb Burlaka received a high-sticking penalty at 53:12. Avtomobilist did not convert every opportunity, but the home team kept Avangard from building momentum.

Galkin’s performance stood out even more given his recent workload. In his previous start, he had stopped 22 of 24 shots in a loss to Amur Khabarovsk. Against Avangard, he was perfect, turning aside 22 shots and helping Avtomobilist bounce back from a 3-0 home loss to Amur Khabarovsk in its previous game. The win gave Avtomobilist a strong response after being shut out in its previous game. Galkin’s shutout was the defining performance of the night.

Avtomobilist had shown flashes of offense earlier in the season, including a 5-2 win at Sibir Novosibirsk and a 4-2 win at Spartak Moscow. The club had also beaten Lada Togliatti 3-1 at home and Amur Khabarovsk 3-0 at home before that loss. Against Avangard, the finish was more complete. Avangard had entered the night with recent wins over Lada Togliatti and an overtime victory over Spartak Moscow, but it could not find a response after Clague’s goal.

The visiting side could not carry that offense into Yekaterinburg. Avangard’s best chances were turned away by Galkin, and the team was unable to generate a consistent attack. The loss dropped Avangard to 5 wins and 6 losses. Avtomobilist next plays at Barys Astana. Avangard next plays at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Avtomobilist 3, Avangard 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Avangard with a 60.5 percent probability to win. The actual result differed from both projections, as Avtomobilist won by four goals and Galkin posted a shutout.