CHEREPOVETS, Russia (Interstat) — Adam Liska scored twice, including the decisive power-play goal early in the third period, and Severstal Cherepovets beat Lada Togliatti 4-3 on Monday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Ice Palace. Severstal improved to 14 wins and 11 losses. Lada fell to 5 wins and 20 losses. Attendance was 3,360.

Severstal opened quickly when Ivan Podshivalov scored 10 seconds into the first period, with assists from Danil Veryayev and David Dumbadze. Podshivalov’s goal was his fifth of the season. Lada answered late in the opening period when Nikita Setdikov scored at 15:29, assisted by Vladimir Butuzov and Ivan Savchik. Setdikov’s goal was his fifth of the season. The teams went to the first intermission tied at 1. Severstal’s Denis Yan received a tripping penalty at 14:23. The first-period penalty to Yan was the only penalty of the opening period. Severstal entered the game after a 4-1 win at Sochi and a 3-1 loss at Shanghai. Lada entered after a 1-0 shootout win over Lokomotiv and a 5-0 loss at Salavat Yulaev. The teams’ previous meeting this season went to Severstal 1-0.

In the second period, Ruslan Abrosimov put Severstal back in front at 4:07, with Makar Fomin and Liska assisting. Abrosimov’s goal was his seventh of the season. Lada tied it again at 10:40 when Savchik scored from Arsen Taimazov. Liska restored Severstal’s lead at 12:17, with Vladimir Grudinin and Nikita A. Popugayev assisting. Liska’s first goal gave Severstal a 3-2 lead. Liska, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward from Bratislava, Slovakia, had two shots on goal in his previous game at Sochi. Lada answered once more at 18:19 when Ivan Vch. Zinchenko scored, with Vladislav Leontyev and Mikhail Belyayev assisting. Lada’s Alexander An. Lukin received a tripping penalty at 9:18 of the period, and Vyacheslav Osnovin was called for interference at 12:04. The teams entered the third tied at 3.

The key sequence came early in the third period. Lada’s Taimazov received a boarding penalty at 7:18. Severstal needed only 30 seconds to convert, as Liska scored at 7:48 from Yan and Grudinin. The goal was Liska’s second of the game and stood as the winner. Liska’s winner came with Taimazov in the penalty box. Grudinin assisted on both of Liska’s goals. Taimazov’s penalty was one of five minor penalties assessed to Lada. Severstal was assessed one minor penalty. Lada could not score after Zinchenko’s slashing minor at 18:26 and Savchik’s tripping minor at the 60-minute mark. The third-period goal was the only goal of the final period. Severstal held on for the one-goal win.

Liska finished with two goals, one assist, three shots on goal and two hits. Alexander Samoilov, a 6-foot-1, 179-pound goaltender, made 20 saves on 23 shots for Severstal. Abrosimov, a 5-foot-9, 181-pound forward, had one goal, four shots and one hit. Podshivalov had one goal and one shot. Grudinin recorded two assists and one hit.

For Lada, Savchik, a 5-foot-9, 179-pound forward, had one goal, one assist, four shots and two penalty minutes. Zinchenko had one goal, four shots, two penalty minutes and six hits. Setdikov, a 6-foot, 170-pound forward, scored once and had three shots. Belyayev, a 6-foot-3, 176-pound forward, added one assist, one shot and four hits. Leontyev had one assist, one shot and two hits.

Severstal next hosts Traktor. Lada next visits Sochi. Severstal’s Adam Liska was the game’s top star after his two-goal, one-assist effort. The previous meeting this season was also decided by one goal. Severstal’s win came in regulation.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Severstal 4, Lada 1, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Severstal a 77.1 percent probability to win. The total score of 7 went under the over/under line of 4.5.