Strong Effort, No Reward: Dragons Fall to Avangard Despite Push

Good hockey doesn’t always guarantee points — and that was the harsh lesson for the Shanghai Dragons on Monday night. Despite long stretches of control and a second-period surge, the Dragons came up short against Avangard Omsk, falling 5-3 at SKA Arena.

Shanghai made a few tweaks up front, notably reuniting the Foo brothers with Sutter, and welcomed Bischoff and Bryntsev back into the lineup. Andrei Kareev got the start and faced a steady stream of high-tempo pressure.

Pace set early

Avangard wasted no time imposing its speed-and-skill identity, generating early looks and forcing Shanghai to defend on the move. A Dragons power play briefly slowed the visitors, but it was Avangard that struck first when Nail Yakupov finished from the slot at 5:50.

Shanghai thought it had an immediate answer from the crease area, but a coach’s challenge wiped the goal off for goalie interference. The Dragons kept pushing, and at 12:30 Bischoff’s point shot found Luke Johnson Josephs’ stick for a clean deflection, tying the game 1–1. The response was quick, though — Michael McLeod converted a broken play to restore Avangard’s lead before the intermission.

Momentum swings

The middle frame was Shanghai at its best. After killing off pressure and standing tall defensively, the Dragons flipped the ice. At 26:57 Nick Merkley beat Ilya Serebryakov to level the score — his 22nd of the season, setting a new club benchmark. Less than eight minutes later, with a delayed penalty looming, Josephs hammered home his second of the night to give Shanghai a 3–2 edge.

Two goals change everything

The third period opened with Avangard throwing waves of pressure, including extended six-on-five time on a delayed call. Shanghai bent but didn’t break — until the midpoint of the period. In a blink, Vyacheslav Voynov and McLeod scored 12 seconds apart, flipping the game back in Avangard’s favor.

The Dragons had their chances to answer. Parker Foo battled at the top of the crease, and Kevin Labanc got in alone on the goaltender, but couldn’t find the equalizer. With Kareev pulled late, Avangard sealed it with an empty-netter, extending its winning streak and leaving Shanghai with frustration — and the sense that more was deserved.

The Dragons are right back at it Wednesday, hosting CSKA Moscow at SKA Arena.

FONBET KHL Regular Season
Shanghai Dragons – Avangard Omsk 3–5 (1–2, 2–0, 0–3)

February 3 | Saint Petersburg, SKA Arena | Attendance: 7,050
Goaltenders: Kareyev – Serebryakov

Scoring Summary:

0–1 — Yakupov (Poturalski) 05:50
1–1 — Bischoff (Josephs) 12:30
1–2 — McLeod (Poturalski, Serebryakov) 15:18
2–2 — Merkley (Josephs, Rendulic) 26:57
3–2 — Josephs (Merkley, Bryntsev) 34:47
3–3 — Voynov (Okulov, McLeod) 49:29
3–4 — McLeod (Lajoie) 49:41
3–5 — Okulov (Poturalski, McLeod) 59:56 ENG

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons