Dragons Tie It With Six Seconds Left, Fall in Overtime in Nizhny Novgorod

The Shanghai Dragons staged a dramatic late comeback but ultimately fell 4–3 in overtime to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday night at KRK Nagorny.

It was the first stop of a road trip and a return to Nizhny Novgorod for head coach Mitch Love. The Dragons rolled with the same lineup that battled CSKA days earlier, with Tikhomirov once again between the pipes.

Few chances, clinical finish

The tone was set early when Spencer Fu took a penalty just two minutes in. Torpedo, known for its puck-possession style, immediately tried to stretch the ice and tilt the zone. But Shanghai’s defensive structure – and Tikhomirov’s sharp play – held firm.

Midway through the period, the Dragons struck on the counter. Labanc and Josephs broke in two-on-one, and Josephs snapped a one-timer past Shugaev at 8:57 to give Shanghai a 1–0 lead.

The home side pushed hard for a response, including another power play, but couldn’t solve Tikhomirov before the first intermission.

Momentum swings

Torpedo carried more of the play in the second period, controlling possession and generating traffic in front. At 25:54, after Shanghai failed to convert on a power play, Vinogradov found Atanasov at the blue line. He broke in alone and tied the game at 1–1.

The crowd surged behind the home team, and the pace intensified. Still, the Dragons absorbed the pressure and kept the game level heading into the third.

Late chaos, last-second heroics

The final frame was a rollercoaster. After killing off an early sequence of penalties, Shanghai found itself under siege again. At 49:21, Letunov converted on the power play to give Torpedo its first lead of the night. But the response was immediate. Just 98 seconds later, Parker Fu finished a quick transition rush at 50:59 to make it 2–2. The drama wasn’t done. Another Dragons penalty proved costly, and Konyushkov capitalized at 53:57 to restore Torpedo’s advantage, 3–2.

With time winding down and Tikhomirov pulled for an extra attacker, the Dragons made one final push. Adam Clendening danced along the blue line and fired a shot from the boards toward the net. Gage Quinney redirected it home with just six seconds remaining – 59:54 – tying the game 3–3 and stunning the building.

Overtime heartbreak

The extra frame featured chances at both ends. Tkachev and Rielly each had looks in transition, but the game appeared destined for a shootout. Instead, with just over a minute remaining in overtime, Tkachev found space and buried the winner at 63:43, sealing a 4–3 victory for Torpedo. The Dragons salvage a point but fall short once again in overtime.

Shanghai continues its road trip on February 20 against Barys Astana.

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

February 18 | Nizhny Novgorod, KRK Nagorny | Attendance: 5,500
Goaltenders: Shugayev – Tikhomirov

Scoring Summary:

0–1 — Josephs (Labanc, Sucese) 08:57
1–1 — Atanasov (Vinogradov, Tkachyov) 25:54
2–1 — Letunov (Kruchinin, Sokolov) 49:21 PPG
2–2 — P. Foo (Wagner, Burmistrov) 50:59
3–2 — Konyushkov (Kruchinin, Goncharuk) 53:57 PPG
3–3 — Quinney (Clendening) 59:54 6-on-5 ENG
4–3 — Tkachyov (Nardella, Geraskin) 63:43 OTW

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Nizhny Novgorod