MOSCOW (Interstat) — Denis Kostin stopped 32 shots and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod overcame an early deficit to beat Dynamo Moscow 3-1 on Thursday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at VTB Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia. Torpedo improved to 7 wins and 3 losses. Dynamo fell to 5 wins and 7 losses. The attendance was 5,992.

Dynamo struck first at 4:22 of the first period when Nick Merkley scored, with assists from Mario Patalakha and Jordan Weal. Torpedo went on the penalty kill at 5:33 when Matvei Polyakov was sent off for throwing the puck outside the playing area. Torpedo answered at 13:04 as Anton Sizov scored, assisted by Igor Geraskin and Pavel Kraskovsky. Daniil Zhuravlyov put Torpedo ahead at 17:17, with Sergei Goncharuk and Mikhail Vorobyov earning assists. Torpedo carried a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

The first period ended with more special teams action. Dynamo’s Mario Patalakha received a hooking minor at 18:57. At 19:24, Dynamo’s Igor Martynov was called for roughing and Torpedo’s Vorobyov was whistled for slashing. Torpedo added the only goal of the second period at 26:09 when Goncharuk scored, with Vorobyov and Polyakov assisting. Torpedo’s Ronald Brickey was penalized for cross checking at 32:20. In the third period, Zhuravlyov received a minor for throwing the puck outside the playing area at 40:26. Kostin made the lead stand, turning aside every Dynamo attempt after Merkley’s early goal.

Kostin finished with one win, 32 saves on 33 shots. Goncharuk had a goal and an assist with three shots on goal. Vorobyov contributed two assists and two penalty minutes. Zhuravlyov scored once, recorded one shot on goal and served two penalty minutes. Merkley scored Dynamo’s lone goal and put three shots on net. Sizov scored once, had one shot on goal and delivered three hits. Polyakov added one assist, one shot on goal, two penalty minutes and two hits. Kraskovsky recorded one assist and three hits. Geraskin had one assist, two shots on goal and two hits. Michael Vecchione generated four shots on goal for Torpedo.

Torpedo’s victory came after a difficult recent stretch. The team had lost to Salavat Yulaev Ufa, beaten HC Sochi, defeated Avangard Omsk, fallen to CSKA Moscow, edged Ak Bars Kazan and split road games against Lada Togliatti, CSKA Moscow, Dinamo Minsk and Spartak Moscow earlier in the season. Dynamo had recent results that included an overtime loss to Traktor Chelyabinsk, a loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa, an overtime win over Dinamo Minsk, a loss to Barys Astana, a road loss to Amur Khabarovsk and a road win over Admiral Vladivostok.

The win moved Torpedo to 7 wins and 3 losses, while Dynamo slipped to 5 wins and 7 losses. Torpedo was assessed four minor penalties, while Dynamo took two. Sizov’s tying goal at 13:04 changed momentum, and Zhuravlyov’s goal less than four minutes later gave the visitors a lead they never surrendered. Goncharuk’s second-period goal provided breathing room. Kostin, who had recently made 17 saves in a win over Avangard Omsk, 24 saves in a loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa and 26 saves in a loss to CSKA Moscow, was at his best as Dynamo pressed for a comeback. Dynamo’s best chances came from Merkley, who had three shots, but Kostin denied the home side the rest of the way.

Torpedo returns to action against HC Sochi before a trip to Dinamo Minsk. The club also has home games ahead against Severstal Cherepovets and Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Dynamo is set to visit CSKA Moscow, host Shanghai Dragons, then meet CSKA Moscow and SKA Saint Petersburg at home later in its upcoming slate.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Dynamo 3, Torpedo 2, and Interstat’s ELO system had given Dynamo a 55.6 percent probability to win.