UFA (Interstat) — Sheldon Rempal scored twice and Semyon Vyazovoi made 24 saves as Salavat Yulaev Ufa held off Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 4-3 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Monday at Ufa Arena in Ufa, Russia. The home victory moved Salavat Yulaev to 8-7 this season, and Neftekhimik also stands at 8-7 after the loss. Attendance was 7,486.

Neftekhimik struck first at 9:50 of the opening period when Grigory Seleznyov scored, with German Tochilkin and Sevastyan Sokolov assisting. Salavat Yulaev answered at 15:12 when Rempal scored from Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeny Kulik. The teams went to the first intermission tied, and Rempal put Salavat Yulaev ahead at 23:16 of the second period with his second goal of the game.

Penalties shaped the early pace. Salavat Yulaev’s Ildan Gazimov was called for tripping at 2:55 of the first period, and teammate Vladislav Yefremov received a tripping penalty at 3:25. Nikita Zorkin added a high-sticking call at 12:42, while Neftekhimik’s Artur Tyanulin was sent off for slashing at 14:03 and Ilya Pastukhov received an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty at 17:47. In the second period, Salavat Yulaev’s Danil Alalykin and Neftekhimik’s Matvei Nadvorny drew coincidental penalties at 23:51, and Rempal was called for tripping later in the period.

Neftekhimik pulled even at 43:07 of the third period when Andrei Al. Belozyorov scored, with Sokolov and Nikita Khlystov assisting. Salavat Yulaev regained the lead at 45:22 when Yefremov scored from Maxim N. Kuznetsov and Denis Orlovich-Grudkov. The home team added insurance at 52:17 when Maxim Zagrebin scored, assisted by Yefremov, shortly after Alalykin was penalized for throwing the stick at 51:17.

Neftekhimik kept pressing and cut the deficit at 59:18 when Maxim S. Fedotov scored from Ivan Nikolishin, but Salavat Yulaev closed out the final seconds for the win. Vyazovoi, listed at 6-foot-3 and 181 pounds, finished with 24 saves on 27 shots in the victory. Rempal led Salavat Yulaev with two goals, four shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Yefremov, listed at 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds, added one goal, one assist, two shots and two penalty minutes.

Other key contributors included Neftekhimik’s German Tochilkin, who recorded one assist, two shots and two hits. Salavat Yulaev’s Maxim Zagrebin, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound forward, had one goal, two shots and one hit. Neftekhimik’s Grigory Seleznyov had one goal and three shots. Neftekhimik’s Maxim S. Fedotov added one goal and four shots, Sevastyan Sokolov finished with two assists, Andrei Al. Belozyorov had one goal, three shots and three hits, and Ivan Nikolishin recorded one assist and one hit. Belozyorov is listed at 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds.

Salavat Yulaev had also beaten Neftekhimik in the teams’ previous meeting this season, a 2-0 home win. Salavat Yulaev will next host Sibir Novosibirsk, then travel to Amur Khabarovsk and Admiral Vladivostok. Neftekhimik returns home to face Traktor Chelyabinsk before road games at CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Avangard Omsk. The game featured a combined nine penalties, including six calls against Salavat Yulaev and three against Neftekhimik.

Salavat Yulaev entered the game after a 7-1 loss at Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a 5-4 overtime win at Sibir Novosibirsk, a 3-1 loss at CSKA Moscow and a 4-2 home loss to Sibir Novosibirsk. Neftekhimik had lost 1-0 to Avangard Omsk, beaten Sibir Novosibirsk 3-2, dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to Barys Astana and lost 1-0 at Amur Khabarovsk. Rempal had a goal and an assist in a recent overtime win at Sibir Novosibirsk.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Salavat Yulaev 3, Neftekhimik 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Salavat Yulaev with a 63.5 percent probability to win.