Dragons Struggle To Finish In Kazan — Fall 4–1 To Ak Bars

KAZAN — The Shanghai Dragons entered Tatarstan looking to bounce back from a wild night in Nizhnekamsk. Instead, they ran into a disciplined Ak Bars lineup and one of the KHL’s toughest home environments. Missing key forwards Sucese, Rendulic, and Kuznetsov — along with defenseman Somerby — the Dragons reshuffled their lineup, dressing Chezganov on the second line and adding Valentsov, Akolzin, and Burmistrov. Patrik Rybar returned as the starter in net.

A rough opening frame

Shanghai got an early power play just 90 seconds into the game, but the tempo of the setup played directly into Ak Bars’ hands. Kazan sat back, absorbed pressure, and immediately flipped momentum once back at full strength.
On the other end, the Dragons’ first PK unit held up—until the 12-minute mark, when Nikita Dynak pulled up on entry, shook off two defenders, and slipped a feed to Katelyevsky for the opener.

A chaotic sequence followed: Shanghai took back-to-back penalties and spent a full two minutes killing a 5-on-3. Rybar fought through a barrage of pucks, including two scrambles at the edge of the crease.

The period also featured an old-school scrap, as Dynak and Clendening dropped the gloves after a heavy collision along the boards. Despite the late chaos, the Dragons closed the frame alive — thanks to Rybar and a couple of dangerous short-handed looks.

One chance is enough

Shanghai opened the second period with another power play, but once again Kazan dictated pace and denied middle-ice looks. The Dragons generated sequences, but no shots truly forced Timur Bilyalov to commit. Then came the punishment: early in the frame, Brovkin stepped into a medium-range shot through traffic that beat Rybar clean to make it 2–0.

Shanghai responded with their best stretch of the night — cycling in the offensive zone, winning puck battles, and earning another man advantage — but Bilyalov was brick-wall perfect. The Dragons’ best moment belonged to Kevin Labanc, who broke free off a turnover but was stoned by Bilyalov’s blocker at the last second.

Missed chances seal the outcome

Kazan opened the third with a power play, but Shanghai turned it on its head — twice threatening with short-handed rushes. Spencer Foo was denied on a breakaway; moments later, a 3-on-2 ended with Clendening’s one-timer swallowed by Bilyalov’s glove. From there, Ak Bars went into game-management mode: slow shifts, tight defensive layers, counterattacks only when the opportunity was perfect.

That opportunity arrived late—Ilya Safonov buried a close-range chance to make it 3–0 and essentially close the book. Troy Josephs finally solved Bilyalov with 56 seconds left, slipping home a point shot that clipped through traffic, but Dynak answered with an empty-netter seconds later to lock the score at 4–1.

The Dragons now return home to Saint Petersburg, where a marquee matchup against Salavat Yulaev opens the December homestand on December 3.

FONBET KHL Regular Season
Ak Bars Kazan – Shanghai Dragons – 4–1 (1–0, 1–0, 2–1)

November 30 | Tatneft Arena, Kazan | Attendance: 7,807
Goaltenders: Bilyalov — Rybar

Scoring Summary:

1–0 — Katelyevsky (Dynyak, Falkovsky) 11:41
2–0 — Brovkin (Lyamkin, Dynyak) 28:02
3–0 — Safonov (Galimov, Chmelevsky) 52:26
3–1 — Josephs (Clendening, Chezganov) 59:04
4–1 — Dynyak 59:54 ENG

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Kazan