MOSCOW (Interstat) — Nick Merkley scored twice, Pavel Shen delivered the overtime winner and Dynamo Moscow defeated SKA Saint Petersburg 4-3 in a Kontinental Hockey League game Sunday at VTB Ice Palace. Shen scored 33 seconds into overtime. Dynamo Moscow improved its season record to 6 wins and 10 losses. SKA Saint Petersburg fell to 8 wins and 5 losses. The game drew an announced attendance of 7,605. Dynamo Moscow had lost four consecutive games before Sunday. SKA Saint Petersburg had dropped its previous two. The game was completed in overtime.

Dynamo Moscow controlled the opening period and built a 2-0 lead. Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi opened the scoring 1:56 into the first period, with Igor Ozhiganov and Shen assisting. Shvets-Rogovoi’s opening goal was his first of the season. Merkley made it 2-0 at 8:29, converting a feed from Jordan Weal. SKA Saint Petersburg was whistled for three first-period penalties, including Vladislav Y. Romanov for hooking 48 seconds in, Danil Aimurzin for too many players on the ice at 9:24 and Nikita Nedopyokin for high sticking at 14:38. Dynamo Moscow also took penalties to Sergei Zborovsky for tripping, Magomed Sharakanov for hooking and Shvets-Rogovoi for hooking. The teams combined for six penalties in the opening period. The early lead gave Dynamo Moscow control before SKA began its comeback.

SKA Saint Petersburg answered in the second period. Vladislav Syomin scored at 29:29, with Daniil Miromanov and Nedopyokin getting assists, to cut the Dynamo lead to 2-1. Syomin’s first goal of the season came at 29:29. The period also included penalties to Shvets-Rogovoi for high sticking at 22:35 and SKA’s Vasily Glotov for interference at 24:01. Dynamo Moscow held its one-goal edge into the third. Podyapolsky made key saves to keep Dynamo ahead.

Merkley restored a two-goal cushion at 47:19 of the third period, scoring his second of the game with assists from Maxim Letunov and Dylan Sikura. Merkley’s second goal was his sixth of the season. SKA Saint Petersburg responded quickly. Matvei Korotky scored at 48:51, with Alexei Maklyukov and Sergei Sapego assisting. Korotky’s fourth of the season came at 48:51, and Atanasov’s fifth tied it. Vasily Atanasov then tied the game at 3-3 at 50:24, finishing a setup from Yegor Savikov. SKA had a third-period penalty to Ignat Lutfullin for hooking at 45:26. The late surge forced overtime.

In overtime, Shen ended it at 60:33. Shen’s overtime goal was his fourth of the season. Luka Profaca and Bulat Shafigullin assisted on the winner. Podyapolsky stopped 26 of 29 shots to earn the win for Dynamo Moscow. SKA Saint Petersburg’s late rally came after it had trailed 3-1 in the third. The overtime goal capped a back-and-forth finish and gave Dynamo Moscow the victory.

Merkley finished with two goals, nine shots on goal and one hit, leading Dynamo Moscow. Shen had one goal, one assist and three shots. Weal added one assist and four shots. Podyapolsky recorded the win with 26 saves on 29 shots. For SKA Saint Petersburg, Syomin had one goal, three shots and two hits. Korotky had one goal, three shots and two hits. Atanasov scored once and had one shot. Miromanov had one assist and one shot. Savikov had one assist and five shots. Nedopyokin had one assist and two penalty minutes. SKA Saint Petersburg won the teams’ previous meeting 5-3. Sunday’s result evened the season series at one win apiece. Dynamo Moscow’s next game is at CSKA Moscow, while SKA Saint Petersburg next plays at Severstal Cherepovets.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of SKA Saint Petersburg 3, Dynamo Moscow 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected SKA Saint Petersburg with a 52.4 percent probability to win.