Rendulic Takes Over — Dragons Rally Late But Fall In Shootout To Torpedo

The Shanghai Dragons closed out their final game before the international break with a dramatic home matchup against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Akolzin returned to the lineup, while Kuznetsov replaced Popugayev. Andrei Kareev got the start in net.

High Pace From the Start

The Dragons tried to dictate the opening tempo, but Torpedo immediately pushed back with blistering speed, drawing a delayed penalty and converting during the 6-on-5 sequence. After an extended cycle in the offensive zone, Tkachev stepped into a clean look and buried it for a 1–0 lead.

That goal sparked Shanghai, who countered with a wave of high-danger chances. Kulbakov answered with several highlight-reel stops, flashing the glove on a pair of point-blank shots. Torpedo answered with a few breakaways of their own, but Kareev stood tall to keep the deficit at one.

Emotions Overflow

The second period opened with a burst of physicality as Merkley and Nardella dropped the gloves right in front of the Dragons’ bench. Merkley landed the cleaner shots but earned an extra two minutes, sending Shanghai to the penalty kill. The Dragons handled the situation well and flipped the momentum once the sides returned to even strength.

Renduliс Strikes Again

Shanghai earned a full two-minute 5-on-3 and poured everything on Kulbakov. The Torpedo goalie delivered a heroic sequence of stops – denying Merkley, shutting down Labanc, and even turning away a shorthanded chance.

But as soon as Torpedo returned to four skaters, the Dragons finally broke through: Borna Renduliс pounced on a loose puck in the slot, beating Kulbakov to tie the game 1-1. Both teams kept trading rushes, with Yaremchuk nearly restoring Torpedo’s lead and Somerby dazzling with end-to-end puck control.

Another Hill to Climb

Torpedo opened the third period aggressively. They didn’t score on their early power play, but seconds after it expired Khokhlov found a soft spot in coverage and ripped a shot from the left circle – 2-1. Moments later the visitors earned yet another power play and peppered the Dragons’ zone with chances. Shanghai survived the pressure, but with just over 10 minutes left, Vinogradov finished an odd-man rush to extend Torpedo’s lead to 3–1. The Dragons challenged the play for goalie interference, but the call stood – costing Shanghai another penalty. They killed it off, but time was becoming a factor.

Renduliс Takes Over the Game

With 2:05 left, the Dragons pulled Kareev for an extra skater — and immediately cashed in. Renduliс slammed home a loose puck on the doorstep, cutting the deficit to 3–2. A minute later, with Kareev again on the bench, the Dragons struck again. Clendening set up Rendulic for a shot from his office as big winger buried it for the hat trick, tying the game 3–3 and blowing the roof off SKA Arena.

Wild Overtime, Tough Shootout

The 3-on-3 overtime was electric. Kareev delivered multiple clutch saves, while Shanghai generated the game’s best look: a 2-on-1 featuring Spooner and Rendulic. Rendulic tried to lift the puck over Kulbakov’s pad for what would have been the first four-goal game in team history – but Kulbakov robbed him with a sensational blocker stop. In the shootout, the first four attempts were all turned aside. Shanghai’s third shooter couldn’t break through, and Torpedo’s Ilya Chefanov sealed it with a precise wrist shot. Torpedo wins 4–3 (SO), but the night belonged to Borna Rendulic, whose hat trick dragged the Dragons back from the brink.

Shanghai now heads into the league break and will return to action on December 16, hosting SKA at Ice Palace.

FONBET KHL Regular Season
Shanghai Dragons – Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod 3–4 SO (1-0, 1-1, 2-2, 0-0, 0-1)

December 5 | Saint Petersburg, SKA Arena | Attendance: 7,287
Goaltenders: Kareyev — Kulbakov

Scoring Summary:

0-1 — Tkachyov (Zhuravlyov, Konyushkov) 03:07
1-1 — Rendulic (Somerby, Labanc) 31:58
1-2 — Khokhlov (Belevich, Fyodorov) 42:28
1-3 — Vinogradov 51:07 SHG
2-3 — Rendulic (Quinney, Merkley) 57:55 6-on-5
3-3 — Rendulic (Clendening, Labanc) 59:00 6-on-5
3-4 — Chefanov SOW

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Saint Petersburg