OMSK (Interstat) — Michael McLeod scored three goals and Avangard Omsk defeated visiting Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 4-2 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Friday at Omsk Arena. Ivan Prosvetov made 29 saves on 31 shots for Avangard, which improved to 7-7. Avtomobilist fell to 6-9. Daniel Sprong scored twice for Avtomobilist. The attendance was 12,011. Avangard never trailed and led for the final 50 minutes of regulation. The game was the latest in the season series between the teams.

McLeod opened the scoring in the first period. After Joseph Cecconi took a high-sticking penalty at 5:21, Alexander Sharov was called for hooking at 9:28. McLeod scored at 9:37 with assists from Joshua Leivo and Andrew Poturalski. McLeod’s first goal came nine seconds after Sharov’s hooking penalty, and his second goal came 2:02 later. McLeod struck again at 11:39, with Yegor Afanasyev and Konstantin Okulov assisting, to give Avangard a two-goal lead. Prosvetov was steady in the opening period, and Avangard carried the lead into the first intermission. Avangard’s early pressure produced two goals on McLeod’s first two shots of the game.

Avtomobilist responded in the second period. Afanasyev was sent off for holding at 23:26, and Avtomobilist eventually broke through when Sprong scored at 29:33. Alexander Barabanov and Jordan Gross had the assists. Sprong’s first goal cut Avangard’s lead to 2-1. The period grew chippy late, with Maxim Denezhkin called for hooking at 38:05 and Okulov called for hooking at 38:42. Avtomobilist increased pressure, but Prosvetov kept the deficit at one entering the third period. Alexander Kadeikin finished with seven shots for Avtomobilist, while Artyom Kashtanov added three shots.

Avangard regained control early in the third. Vasily Ponomaryov scored at 40:50, with Okulov and Nail Yakupov assisting. Ponomaryov’s goal came 50 seconds into the third period. McLeod completed his hat trick at 57:45, giving Avangard a three-goal cushion. McLeod’s hat-trick goal was unassisted. Kirill Adamchuk was called for high sticking at 59:30, and Sprong scored again at 59:41, with Gross and Barabanov assisting, to cut the final margin. Sprong’s second goal came 11 seconds after Adamchuk’s penalty. Prosvetov finished with 29 saves, while Okulov recorded two assists, three shots and two penalty minutes. Ponomaryov had a goal and two shots. Afanasyev added an assist, two shots, two penalty minutes and two hits.

Avangard’s defense also contributed. Adamchuk had one shot, two penalty minutes and four hits. Semyon Chistyakov recorded four shots and one hit. McLeod led the attack with three goals on three shots. Sprong paced Avtomobilist with two goals on four shots. The teams combined for six minor penalties. Avangard’s win gave it the edge in the season series, after the teams had split two earlier meetings. Avangard’s previous games included a win at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and a loss at Barys Astana. Avtomobilist entered after a loss at Barys Astana. McLeod had managed one shot on goal in each of his previous two games before breaking out against Avtomobilist. Okulov’s two assists gave him a multipoint game.

The result kept Avangard at .500 with a 7-7 record. Avtomobilist fell to 6-9. Avangard next hosts Traktor Chelyabinsk, while Avtomobilist next visits Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The home crowd of 12,011 saw Avangard score twice in the first period and twice more in the third. Avtomobilist scored once in the second and once in the third. Avangard led 2-0 after the first period and 4-2 after the third.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Avangard 3, Avtomobilist 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave Avangard a 63.3 percent probability to win. The total score of 6 went under the over-under line of 4.5.