Season Series Secured: Shikin Slams the Door on Lada

The Shanghai Dragons closed out their road swing with a disciplined 2–1 victory over Lada Togliatti on March 1, securing the season series with their third win in four meetings.

Kalynuk, Wagner and Rasskazov returned to the lineup, while former Lada forwards Josephs and Popugaev had extra motivation facing their old club. Shikin got the start in goal — and delivered when it mattered most.

Friendly bounces

Lada came out aggressive, trying to overwhelm the Dragons’ defensive structure with early pressure. Shanghai absorbed it calmly — and struck first.
At 4:28, Popugayev set up Rielly at the blue line, and the defenseman’s blast deflected off a Lada skater and into the net for a 1–0 lead. The Dragons stayed on the attack, peppering Trushkov with shots. At 11:29, Popugayev fired again from the circle, and Sutter provided a perfect net-front redirection to double the advantage.

Down 2–0, the hosts surged forward, but Shikin was sharp from the outset.

Goaltenders take over

The second period turned into a special-teams battle. Lada killed off two penalties before Shanghai found itself shorthanded three times — including an extended 4-on-3 sequence. Shikin stood tall, controlling rebounds and reading cross-ice passes with poise.

At the other end, Trushkov kept Lada within reach with key stops on Rielly and Kalynuk.

There was a tense moment when Spencer Foo blocked a shot with his face and left for the dressing room, unable to return. Still, the Dragons carried their two-goal cushion into the third.

Shikin denies the comeback

Lada pushed hard in the final frame, outshooting Shanghai and generating sustained pressure. Midway through the period, Setdikov broke in alone, but Shikin turned him aside with authority.

With 2:30 remaining, the hosts pulled their goalie for the extra attacker — and finally broke through. Setdikov scored at 57:13, trimming the deficit to 2–1 on Lada’s 31st shot of the game.

The final minutes were frantic. However, Gage Quinney delivered in the faceoff circle, winning two crucial defensive-zone draws to prevent Lada from executing their quick-strike set plays off the dot.

Shanghai closed it out cleanly, earning an important road win and clinching the season series.

The Dragons now return to Shanghai for home games March 5 and 7 against Sibir Novosibirsk and Barys Astana.

FONBET KHL Regular Season
Lada Togliatti – Shanghai Dragons 1–2 (0–2, 0–0, 1–0)

March 1 | Togliatti, Lada Arena | Attendance: 4,340
Goaltenders: Trushkov – Shikin

Scoring Summary:

0–1 — Reilly (Popugayev, S. Foo) 04:28
0–2 — Sutter (Popugayev, S. Foo) 11:29
1–2 — Setdikov (Syomin, Williams) 57:13 6-on-5

Press Office, Shanghai Dragons, Togliatti