NOVOSIBIRSK (Interstat) — Alexander Mirzabalayev scored twice and Anton Krasotkin made 35 saves as Sibir beat Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5-2 on Thursday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Ice Sports Palace Sibir in Sibir Arena. Attendance was 11,547. Sibir moved to 8 wins and 14 losses. Metallurg M is now 16 wins and 6 losses. The home victory came in the teams’ second meeting this season after Metallurg M won the first 5-1. Metallurg M entered the game after a recent overtime win at Neftekhimik, while Sibir had lost at Traktor in its previous game.

Sibir set the tone early in the first period after Metallurg M took a pair of penalties. Nathan Todd was sent off at 1:08 for throwing the puck outside the playing area, and Vladimir E. Tkachyov followed at 4:14 for high sticking. Pavel Tyutnev opened the scoring at 11:35 of the first period, with Ivan Mishchenko and Daniil Chaika assisting. Sibir protected the lead through the rest of the opening period despite a holding-the-stick penalty against Metallurg M’s Andrei E. Kozlov at 18:22. Krasotkin was steady as Sibir limited Metallurg M’s chances early, and the home side carried a one-goal lead into the first intermission.

Metallurg M answered in the second period when Nikita A. Korotkov scored at 22:53, with assists from Danila Palivko and Yegor Korobkin. Sibir responded quickly. Sergei S. Popov put Sibir back ahead at 25:34, and Mirzabalayev made it 3-1 at 30:20 with assists from Arkhip Nekolenko and Yegor Korshkov. Mirzabalayev struck again at 39:57, scoring unassisted late in the period to give Sibir a 4-1 lead. A tripping penalty to Metallurg M’s Makar Khabarov at 34:19 and a tripping call against Sibir’s Korshkov at 38:25 punctuated a busy second period. The late goal by Mirzabalayev gave Sibir a three-goal lead entering the second intermission.

Metallurg M pushed back in the third period when Sergei Tolchinsky scored at 52:02, with Alexander Siryatsky and Nathan Todd assisting. That cut the deficit to 4-2, but Sibir closed the door. Anton Kosolapov scored at 59:59 with an assist from Alexander Kisakov to complete the scoring. Kosolapov finished with a goal, seven shots on goal and three hits. Tolchinsky had a goal and five shots for Metallurg M, while Todd added an assist, four shots and two penalty minutes. Krasotkin and the Sibir defense held Metallurg M off the board the rest of the way after Tolchinsky’s strike.

Mirzabalayev was the top star for Sibir with two goals, four shots on goal and two hits. Krasotkin stopped 35 of 37 shots in the win. Tyutnev had a goal and two shots, Nekolenko added an assist and four shots, and Chaika had an assist and two shots. Mishchenko recorded an assist. Kosolapov had a goal, seven shots and three hits. For Metallurg M, Korotkov had a goal, four shots and one hit, Tolchinsky had a goal and five shots, and Todd added an assist, four shots and two penalty minutes. The game featured five minor penalties, four against Metallurg M and one against Sibir. The first period ended with Sibir ahead 1-0. The second period ended with Sibir ahead 4-1. The third period ended with Sibir ahead 5-2. Sibir’s five goals came from Tyutnev, Popov, Mirzabalayev twice and Kosolapov. Metallurg M’s goals came from Korotkov and Tolchinsky.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Metallurg M 3, Sibir 2, and its ELO system had projected Metallurg M with a 75.2 percent probability to win. The total score of 7 went under the over/under line of 4.5.