Back In St. Petersburg — And Back In The Win Column. Dragons Edge Salavat Yulaev In A Thriller

The Shanghai Dragons finally returned to Saint Petersburg after a grueling month-long road swing. Their first opponent at SKA Arena was Salavat Yulaev, and the lineup saw key reinforcements: defenseman Doyle Somerby and sniper Borna Rendulic returned to action. Andrei Kareev got the start in net.

Punch-for-punch from the start

Two offensive-minded teams came out exactly as expected – skating downhill and hunting chances from the opening whistle. Ufa tried to break the Dragons’ structure with stretch passes behind defenders, and early on Kareev was forced into multiple saves.

But the opening goal went the Dragons’ way. At 1:54, Somerby threw a high shot off the crossbar, and the rebound fell perfectly to Borna Rendulic, who buried it into a wide-open cage. The Croatian forward hadn’t scored in a while, and he made no mistake – 1–0 Dragons.

Salavat answered with speed. Their rushes began to bite, and at 8:38, Faizov exploded down the wing on a 3-on-2 and tucked the equalizer past Kareev – 1–1.

What followed was chaos. The Dragons earned a full minute of 5-on-3, but their puck movement lacked bite — only one shot reached the net, courtesy of Kevin Labanc. Ufa countered with a power play of their own but failed to strike.

Sucese shifts the momentum

The second period opened with more penalties, more asymmetry, and more open ice. During a stretch of 4-on-4, the Dragons pressed aggressively, trapping Salavat in their own end. A forced turnover turned into a lightning play from below the goal line — a feed to the crease and a perfect touch from Nate Sucese at 26:07 – 2–1 Dragons.

With the lead regained, Shanghai tightened the screws. Wave after wave of forecheck pushed Salavat deep into their zone. The Dragons had looks to extend – Sutter barreling to the net, Spencer Foo on a clean breakaway – but the finish never came. Still, the Dragons controlled possession and tempo heading into the third.

Ufa punches back

The final frame began with Salavat stumbling into a penalty — and instead of absorbing pressure, Shanghai nearly got burned. Kareev had to stare down a pair of dangerous sequences, including a one-on-one from Rodewald, and survived.

Moments later, the Dragons struck the iron: Akolzin’s deflection clanged off the bar. With momentum hanging by a thread, Shanghai then took a penalty — and Ufa pounced. Brosseau jammed home the rebound on the doorstep at 47:39 – 2–2.

Labanc’s answer comes fast

Some teams sag after surrendering late. The Dragons did the opposite. Forty-six seconds later, Shanghai turned a broken rush into a 2-on-1, and Kevin Labanc unleashed a wicked shot to the short-side high corner — 48:25, 3–2 Dragons. Pure sniper energy. From there, the Dragons went into playoff-mode defending: blocking lanes, sacrificing their bodies, and grinding the boards. Even when Ufa earned a late advantage – the Dragons down a man with 1:49 left – the defense refused to blink. Then came the craziest twist of the night: Kareev’s equipment couldn’t be repaired in time, forcing the Dragons to send out a cold Andrei Tikhomirov straight into a defensive-zone draw with six attackers against him.

He survived. The Dragons survived. Ufa rang the post once, but the puck never crossed the line. Shanghai’s first home win since mid-October.

Next up: The Dragons continue their homestand on December 5, hosting Torpedo at SKA Arena. Tickets are on sale now.

FONBET KHL Regular Season
Shanghai Dragons – Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3-2 (1–1, 1–0, 1–1)

December 3 | Saint Petersburg, SKA Arena | Attendance: 6,709
Goaltenders: Kareev — Vyazovoy

Scoring Summary:

1–0 — Rendulic (Somerby)  01:54
1–1 — Faizov (Yefremov)  08:38
2–1 — Sucese (Clendening, Merkley)  26:07
2–2 — Brosseau (Rempal, Rodewald)  47:39 PPG
3–2 — Labanc (Quinney)  48:25

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Saint Petersburg