MYTISHCHI, Russia (Interstat) — Riley Sutter scored two goals and Amir Miftakhov made 25 saves as the Shanghai Dragons beat HC Sochi 4-1 on Monday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Municipal‘nyj Stadion Stroitel‘. The Dragons led from the opening minute, scored in each period and improved to 5-2-0. Sochi dropped to 1-8-0. Shanghai scored the first three goals of the game. Sochi’s goal came in the third period. The announced attendance was 3,145.

Sutter needed only 34 seconds to put Shanghai ahead in the first period. Brett Murray and Turner Ottenbreit assisted on the opening goal. Nikita I. Alexandrov doubled the lead at 11:14 of the first period, with Daniil Malorosiyanov and Pavel Koledov earning assists. Sochi took three penalties before the first intermission. Korostelyov Maxim was called for tripping at 7:11, Voronin Kirill was whistled for tripping at 14:39, and Vengryzhanovsky Denis received a minor for throwing the puck outside the playing area at 15:03.

Shanghai extended its lead in the second period. Malorosiyanov scored at 38:49, with Yegor S. Solovyov and Takhir Mingachyov picking up assists. Sochi continued to spend time in the penalty box. Kara Vladislav was penalized for hooking at 26:05, and Guskov Matvei was sent off for high sticking at 28:40. Shanghai’s Calen Addison was called for holding at 35:06. Miftakhov finished the game with 25 saves on 26 shots. The Dragons held Sochi scoreless through the first two periods.

HC Sochi finally scored at 49:17 of the third period. Viktor Baldayev found the net, with assists from Vladislav Kara and Dmitry Ovchinnikov. The goal cut the deficit to two. Shanghai answered late when Sutter scored again at 59:16. Nate Sucese and Miftakhov assisted on the final goal, which restored the Dragons’ three-goal lead.

Sutter finished with two goals, two shots on goal and six hits. Malorosiyanov had one goal, one assist, one shot and two hits. Alexandrov, listed at 6-foot-0 and 176 pounds, scored once and recorded two shots. Mingachyov, a 6-1, 205-pound forward, added one assist, one shot and four hits. Koledov, a 6-0, 209-pound defenseman, had one assist, one shot and one hit. Murray, a 6-4, 227-pound forward, contributed one assist and one shot. Solovyov had one assist, one shot and one hit. Ottenbreit recorded one assist, one shot and two hits. Baldayev, a 6-2, 207-pound defenseman, led Sochi with one goal, two shots and two hits.

Shanghai entered the game after a 2-1 win over Dinamo Minsk and a 3-2 win over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg earlier in the season. Sochi had lost its previous two games, falling at Severstal Cherepovets 3-1 and at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3-0. Sochi has one win in nine games. Shanghai has five wins in seven games. Sochi’s lone win came against Ak Bars Kazan, a 3-2 home victory.

Sutter had one assist, one shot and one hit in the win over Dinamo Minsk. Against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, he recorded two assists, two penalty minutes and two hits. His outing against Sochi included the opening goal and the final goal of the game. Miftakhov also contributed an assist on Sutter’s second goal.

Shanghai will next host Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Sochi will return home to face Salavat Yulaev Ufa. The Dragons then travel to Severstal Cherepovets, Lada Togliatti and Dynamo Moscow before hosting Dinamo Minsk, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Ak Bars Kazan. Sochi is scheduled to host Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Spartak Moscow twice and then travel to Ak Bars Kazan.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Shanghai 2, Sochi 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Shanghai with a 65.8 percent probability to win.