OMSK (Interstat) — Yaroslav Ozolin made 25 saves and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk scored twice in the third period to beat Avangard Omsk 3-2 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Thursday at Omsk Arena. The announced attendance was 12,011. Neftekhimik improved to 11 wins and 8 losses, while Avangard fell to 8 wins and 8 losses. Neftekhimik, the visiting team, trailed after two periods but used a late rally to secure the win.

Avangard opened the scoring at 3:51 of the first period when Vasily Ponomaryov scored his fourth goal of the season, with assists from Nail Yakupov and Maxime Lajoie. That goal came while Avangard was shorthanded after Yegor Y. Afanasyev was called for cross-checking at 2:48. Neftekhimik answered at 6:44 when Andrei Al. Belozyorov scored his eighth goal, assisted by Ivan Nikolishin and Damir Zhafyarov. Lajoie received a high-sticking penalty at 14:18. Avangard regained the lead at 24:13 of the second period on Joshua Leivo’s sixth goal, with Mikhail Gulyayev and Andrew Poturalski assisting. Neftekhimik’s Ilya Pastukhov was called for holding at 34:19 of the second. Ozolin was busy throughout the first two periods, and Avangard carried its one-goal edge into the final frame.

Avangard held a 2-1 lead through two periods. The decisive stretch came in the third period. Maxim S. Fedotov tied the game at 49:16 with his fourth goal, assisted by Pastukhov and Sergei Artemyev. Rafael Bikmullin then put Neftekhimik ahead at 52:51 with his fifth goal, with Pastukhov collecting his second assist of the game. Avangard received a late power-play chance when Artyom Ilyenko was called for slashing at 53:20, but Ozolin and the Neftekhimik defense held the lead. Ozolin’s 25 saves on 27 shots were central to the comeback, and Neftekhimik protected the one-goal margin through the final minutes. The goaltender, listed at 6-foot-0 and 172 pounds, had made 23 saves on 27 shots in his previous appearance at Salavat Yulaev Ufa, and he delivered a stronger result in this one.

Ozolin led Neftekhimik’s key performers with his 25-save victory. Fedotov scored once on three shots. Ponomaryov, a 5-foot-11, 181-pound forward, scored once on two shots for Avangard. Pastukhov, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound defenseman, recorded two assists, one shot, two penalty minutes and one hit. Leivo scored once on three shots. Artemyev, listed at 395 pounds, had one assist and one hit. Belozyorov, a 5-foot-11, 207-pound forward, scored once on three shots. Bikmullin, a 5-foot-9, 159-pound forward, scored once on two shots and added one hit. Lajoie had one assist, one shot, two penalty minutes and one hit. The result gave Neftekhimik a road win after a recent loss at Salavat Yulaev Ufa, while Avangard could not convert its late power play into an equalizer. Ozolin was named the top star for Neftekhimik. The visitors held on for the win.

Neftekhimik had won two of its previous three games before Thursday, including a 1-0 road win at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and its recent stretch also included a road loss at CSKA Moscow and an overtime win over Traktor Chelyabinsk. Avangard entered on a two-game winning streak, with a shootout win over Traktor Chelyabinsk and a home win over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. The previous meeting between the teams this season went to Avangard in a 1-0 win at Neftekhimik. This time, Neftekhimik’s third-period push and Ozolin’s goaltending reversed that result. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Nizhnekamsk later this season.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Avangard 3, Neftekhimik 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Avangard with a 73.6 percent probability to win. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 4.5.