Hat Trick From Labanc Not Enough As Dragons Fall In Wild Night At Nizhnekamsk

NIZHNEKAMSK – The Shanghai Dragons made wholesale lineup adjustments after the blowout in Chelyabinsk – and they arrived in Nizhnekamsk determined to answer. Troy Josephs shifted lines, goaltender Andrey Tikhomirov earned the start for his 200th KHL appearance, and a personal subplot floated above the matchup: Shanghai’s Nikita Popugaev took the ice opposite his namesake in the Neftekhimik lineup. It became clear early that this one would not be short on goals.

A power play that backfired

Shanghai pushed the pace from puck drop, dictating the tempo and generating immediate scoring looks. Josephs nearly tapped home a backdoor feed just outside the crease, and minutes later Kuznetsov rang the crossbar. Neftekhimik’s early response came through transition pressure, forcing Tikhomirov into several quick stops.

The game’s first power play went to the Dragons — but instead of gaining momentum, it turned against them. Neftekhimik’s Seleznev jumped a neutral-zone miscue, raced down the right side, and snapped a shot over Tikhomirov’s shoulder for a shorthanded strike. 1–0 Neftekhimik.

Two quick strikes turn the tide

The goal lit a fire under Shanghai. Wave after wave of offensive pressure pinned the hosts deep, forcing Neftekhimik into penalties and onto the back foot. With Chmykhov’s minor killed off but Fedotov’s infraction still active, the Dragons finally struck: Ryan Spooner blasted home a clean one-timer from the left circle to tie it 1–1.

Moments later, Kevin Labanc — who would end the night with a career-statement performance — fired a seemingly harmless puck toward Dolganov. It deflected off a defender’s skate and into the net. The ricochet flipped the game on its head: 2–1 Dragons.

End-to-end chaos

The second period opened with pure madness. Just 30 seconds after the faceoff, Belozerov punched in a rebound from the crease to even the score. Neftekhimik then cashed in on a power play of their own — Serikov’s long-range drive whistled through traffic and beat Tikhomirov clean. 3–2 to the home side.

But Shanghai had an answer. Spencer Foo forced a turnover high, fed Austin Wagner in stride, and the winger snapped home the equalizer. The Dragons followed with heavy pressure, nearly regaining the lead on chances from Spooner and Bryntsev. When the second intermission arrived, the bench didn’t know whether to breathe or reload.

3–3. And the third period was only getting started.

Labanc goes full superstar

Twenty seconds. That’s how long it took for Neftekhimik to land two stunning punches to open the third. Two shots, two goals, and suddenly the Dragons trailed 5–3. Seconds later, a chaotic puck scramble in front of the net left Shanghai killing a 5-on-3 — Belozerov buried another rebound to stretch the gap to 6–3. For most teams, that’s lights out. Kevin Labanc said otherwise.

Midway through the third, the winger hammered a power-play shot through Dolganov for his second of the night. Then, after an extended siege, he curled off the right wall and wired one top-corner from the hashmarks — a clean snipe to complete the hat trick and pull Shanghai within one. The Dragons had half a period left. The arena suddenly wasn’t so loud.

Shanghai kept coming. Foo nearly jammed in the equalizer on a wraparound. Sutter generated a shorthanded 2-on-1 rush but couldn’t finish. The pressure was real, the belief was back — until the final blow. With the net empty, Seleznev lobbed a long clearance that slid all the way into the open cage.

7–5 Neftekhimik. A thriller that slipped through fingers.

Next up: The Dragons finish the road swing in Kazan on November 30 against Ak Bars.

KHL Regular Season – FONBET
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk – Shanghai Dragons – 7–5 (1–2, 2–1, 4–2)

November 28 | Neftekhim Arena, Nizhnekamsk | Attendance: 3,538
Goaltenders: Dolganov – Tikhomirov

Scoring Summary:

1–0 Seleznyov (Tochilkin) 09:45 SHG
1–1 Spooner (Merkley, Quinney) 18:15 PPG
1–2 Labanc (Kalynuk, Clendening) 19:13
2–2 Belozyorov (Artamonov, Serikov) 20:30
3–2 Serikov (Mityakin, Yurtaykin) 24:59 PPG
3–3 Wagner (S. Foo) 30:56
4–3 Barulin (Yurtaykin, Duszak) 40:55
5–3 Profaca (Tochilkin, Seleznyov) 41:15
6–3 Belozyorov (Serikov, Yurtaykin) 44:21 5-on-3 PPG
6–4 Labanc (Spooner) 46:52 PPG
6–5 Labanc (Merkley, Quinney) 49:57
7–5 Seleznyov (Tochilkin, Dolganov) 59:15 ENG

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Nizhnekamsk