Three Straight! Sutter Scores Twice As Dragons Roll Past Sochi 4–1

The Shanghai Dragons are officially on a roll.

Riley Sutter scored twice, Daniil Malorosiyanov recorded his first KHL goal, and Amir Miftakhov delivered a strong performance in net as the Dragons defeated HC Sochi 4–1 at SKA Arena on Monday night for their third consecutive victory.

After home wins against Avtomobilist and Dinamo Minsk, Shanghai delivered another controlled performance, scoring twice in the opening period and never allowing Sochi to seriously threaten its lead.

Mitch Love and his coaching staff made several adjustments to the lineup. Takhir Mingachyov returned in place of Stepan Khripunov, Vladislav Barulin moved alongside Nick Petan and Dmitrij Jaskin, and Nate Sucese shifted back to the wing. Miftakhov got the start in goal.

Sutter Strikes in 34 Seconds

There was no danger of Shanghai taking Sochi lightly. The Dragons had stressed the importance of a strong start before the game — and needed only 34 seconds to turn those words into a goal. A loose puck bounced into Sutter’s path, and the Shanghai forward made no mistake, beating Pavel Andreyanov to give the Dragons a 1–0 lead on the game’s opening shift.

Sochi struggled to keep pace with Shanghai and soon found itself in penalty trouble. The Dragons took advantage at 11:14. Nikita Alexandrov collected the puck in the offensive zone and snapped a wrist shot inside the near post, beating Andreyanov to double Shanghai’s lead. Daniil Malorosiyanov and Pavel Koledov picked up the assists. Shanghai received additional power-play opportunities as the period continued but couldn’t add another goal. Still, the Dragons had exactly the start they wanted. 2–0 after 20 minutes.

Malorosiyanov Gets His First

Sochi’s penalty trouble continued into the second period, giving Shanghai several opportunities to extend its advantage. The power play couldn’t find another goal, however, and gradually the visitors began working their way back into the game. Sochi generated several dangerous shots and created traffic around Miftakhov’s crease, forcing the Dragons to deal with their first sustained pressure of the night.

Shanghai responded. With just over a minute remaining in the period, Malorosiyanov stepped into the faceoff circle and fired a low shot inside the far post to make it 3–0 at 38:49. It was the 20-year-old defenseman’s first career KHL goal. Yegor Solovyov and Mingachyov earned the assists on a goal that restored complete control for Shanghai heading into the second intermission. 3–0 Dragons after 40.

Miftakhov Holds Firm, Sutter Finishes It

Sochi entered the third period needing a major push, but Shanghai never allowed the visitors to build sustained momentum. The Dragons protected the middle of the ice, disrupted attempts to get to Miftakhov’s net and continued to create opportunities on the counterattack. David Chen nearly added another when he broke in alone, but couldn’t convert.

Miftakhov, meanwhile, moved closer to what would have been the Dragons’ first shutout of the season. That bid ended at 49:17. Viktor Baldayev found a way through, cutting Shanghai’s lead to 3–1 with a little more than 10 minutes remaining. But there would be no late drama this time. The Dragons kept Sochi away from the most dangerous areas for the remainder of regulation, and when Andreyanov headed to the bench for an extra attacker, Shanghai put the game away.

Miftakhov helped move the puck up ice, Sucese picked up the secondary assist, and Sutter fired into the empty net at 59:16 for his second goal of the night. 4–1. Three straight wins. After waiting until late September for their first true home game, the Dragons have made SKA Arena count: three home games, three victories.

Shanghai will look to extend its winning streak when it hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk on September 30.

KHL Regular Season 2026–27
Shanghai Dragons – HC Sochi 4–1 (2–0, 1–0, 1–1)

September 28 | St. Petersburg, SKA Arena | Attendance: 3,145
Goaltenders: Miftakhov – Andreyanov

Scoring Summary

1–0 — Sutter (Murray, Ottenbreit) — 00:34
2–0 — Alexandrov (Malorosiyanov, Koledov) — 11:14
3–0 — Malorosiyanov (Solovyov, Mingachyov) — 38:49
3–1 — Baldayev (Kara, Ovchinnikov) — 49:17
4–1 — Sutter (Miftakhov, Sucese) — 59:16 EN

Shanghai Dragons Media Relations