So Close in Sochi: Dragons Fall After Leading Early

SOCHI — The Shanghai Dragons came within minutes of another road victory, but couldn’t hold off a third-period surge from HC Sochi, falling 4–2 at the Bolshoy Ice Dome.

Head coach Gerard Gallant kept nearly the same lineup that defeated Dynamo Moscow, with Greg McKegg joining the fourth line and Andrei Tikhomirov once again starting in goal.

Fast Start — and a Quick Response

The opening minutes were anything but quiet. Just over a minute into the game, Daniil Seroukh snuck a low shot past Tikhomirov for 1–0.

The Dragons, unfazed, responded with intensity. Pinning the hosts deep in their zone, they drew level within minutes – Nick Merkley snapped a perfect wrister far side to tie the game at 1–1 before the five-minute mark.

Dragons Take Control

Shanghai carried the momentum and started dictating the pace. Ryan Spooner and Spencer Foo each had quality looks, while Sochi’s Ilya Shchetilin stood tall in net. The hosts’ discipline began to slip, and the Dragons’ power play made them pay: at 12:19, Borna Rendulic blasted a one-timer from the circle into the far corner – 2–1 Dragons.

It could’ve easily been 3–1 or even 4–1 before intermission, but a combination of missed chances and timely Sochi saves kept the margin narrow.

Missed Chances in the Second

The middle frame opened with a parade of Sochi penalties — including a four-minute minor to Malishev and a five-minute major to Beadoin after video review. Shanghai’s power play threw everything at the net – 14 shots in total during those stretches – yet somehow the puck stayed out.

Then came the turning point. Moments after a Dragons penalty to Bischoff, Sochi capitalized on a line change miscue: Bikmullin and Ellis executed a perfect 2-on-1, tying the game 2–2.

That goal flipped the script. Sochi began to dictate play, and the Dragons were suddenly the ones chasing the puck.

Third-Period Collapse

Early in the third, Sochi’s momentum carried over. Seroukh drove the net hard, Will Bitten cleaned up the rebound, and the home team took its first lead since the opening minutes — 3–2.

The Dragons pushed back with several dangerous looks. Reilly rang the crossbar, and Rendulic nearly tied it on a breakaway, but luck wasn’t on Shanghai’s side.

With two and a half minutes remaining, the Dragons pulled Tikhomirov for the extra attacker and hemmed Sochi in for nearly a full shift — yet couldn’t force the equalizer. In the dying seconds, Ellis sealed it with an empty-netter. Final score: 4–2, Sochi.

Next Up: The Dragons continue their November road stretch on November 17, visiting HC Sibir in Novosibirsk.

KHL Regular Season — FONBET
HC Sochi – Shanghai Dragons — 4—2 (1–2, 1–0, 2–0)

November 15 | Sochi, Bolshoy Ice Dome | Attendance: 4,726
Goalies: Shchetilin — Tikhomirov

Scoring Summary:

1–0 — Seroukh (Nikolaev, Sushko) 01:15
1–1 — Merkley (Bischoff, Rendulic) 04:51
1–2 — Rendulic (Clendening, Merkley) 12:19 PPG
2–2 — Bikmullin (Ellis, Lee) 27:18
3–2 — Bitten (Seroukh, Bodin) 41:32
4–2 — Ellis 58:29 ENG

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Sochi