CHEREPOVETS, Russia (Interstat) — Severstal Cherepovets scored three third-period goals and defeated visiting Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 5-2 in a Kontinental Hockey League game on Thursday at Ice Palace. The announced attendance was 5,079. Severstal improved to 10-6 this season, while Lokomotiv dropped to 11-4. The home team overcame an early deficit and pulled away late after a tight opening two periods.

Lokomotiv opened the scoring early in the first period. Matvei Kotkov scored his third goal of the season at 1:33, with Georgy Ivanov assisting for his sixth helper, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Severstal answered at 11:12 when Ilya Kvochko scored his third goal, assisted by Ilya Ivantsov’s fourth assist. The goal tied the game 1-1, and neither team found the net again before the first intermission. Lokomotiv generated pressure early, but Severstal settled in and limited chances as the period wore on.

The teams traded goals in the second period. Giovanni Fiore scored his third goal at 20:59, with Alexander Radulov earning his eighth assist and Kirill D. Yemelyanov his second. Ruslan Abrosimov responded for Severstal at 23:26, scoring his fourth goal, with Vladimir Grudinin earning his fourth assist and David Dumbadze his third. That goal made it 2-2 and shifted momentum toward the home team. Severstal began to control play in the latter half of the period, forcing Lokomotiv into defensive coverage and creating several scoring chances around the net.

The third period belonged to Severstal. Lokomotiv took penalties to Artyom V. Kuzin for high sticking at 45:16 and Nikita V. Cherepanov for holding at 49:23. Thomas Gregoire scored his third goal at 50:49, with Ilya Ivantsov earning his fifth assist and Ilya Kvochko his third, to give Severstal a 3-2 lead. Abrosimov added his fifth goal at 56:20, assisted by Nikita A. Popugayev’s seventh and Ioannis Kaldis’s fifth. Ivan Podshivalov capped the scoring with his second goal at 59:56, making it 5-2. Severstal’s late surge turned a tied game into a decisive home victory.

Abrosimov was Severstal’s top star with two goals and two shots on goal. The 5-foot-9, 181-pound forward had scored in three of his previous four games before Thursday. Goaltender Alexander Samoilov, listed at 6-foot-1 and 179 pounds, made 21 saves on 23 shots in the win. For Lokomotiv, Fiore, a 6-foot, 205-pound forward, scored and had five shots on goal and four hits. Kvochko, a 5-foot-8, 159-pound forward, finished with a goal, an assist and two shots on goal. Podshivalov scored on one shot. Gregoire, a defenseman, scored on one of his two shots. Ivantsov, a 5-foot-9, 154-pound forward, had two assists and two shots on goal. Grudinin contributed an assist and a hit. Kaldis, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound defenseman, had an assist, a shot and two hits. Dumbadze, a 5-foot-9, 181-pound forward, recorded an assist. Kotkov also scored, and Ivanov, Radulov and Yemelyanov each recorded assists.

Severstal entered the game on a five-game winning streak, having beaten SKA Saint Petersburg, Ak Bars Kazan, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, SKA again and Shanghai Dragons. Lokomotiv had won its previous two games, beating Dinamo Minsk 6-1 and Ak Bars Kazan 2-0. In the most recent meeting between the teams this season, Lokomotiv beat Severstal 2-1 in overtime. The loss ended Lokomotiv’s two-game winning streak. The teams are scheduled to meet again later this season at Lokomotiv. Severstal next hosts Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, while Lokomotiv travels to HC Sochi. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Lokomotiv 4, Severstal 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Lokomotiv with a 71.5 percent probability to win. The total score of 7 went under the over/under line of 4.5.