Chekhovskiye Medvedi — Permskie Medvedi: 28:28, Superleague

Чеховские Медведи and Пермские медведи shared the points in a 28-28 draw in the Superliga on Wednesday. The match ended level after what proved to be a tightly contested affair between two sides sitting close together in the table. By then, both teams had already shown they could trade blows with anyone in the division.

The hosts arrive sixth with five points from three games, two wins and a defeat. Пермские медведи sit fifth on six points after four matches, with two victories and two losses to their name. The gap between them is narrow, and this result keeps that distance intact.

Чеховские Медведи have been inconsistent of late. They beat Кавказ 39-28 and ХК Саратов 34-27 in their last two outings, but losses to ЦСКА Москва and Аль-Ахли suggest vulnerability. Пермские медведи showed resilience with a 36-34 win over ХК Саратов and a 25-23 victory against Динамо Сунгул, though a 31-31 stalemate with Ставрополь hinted at occasional lapses.

We had backed the hosts for victory, giving them 54 per cent confidence. The forecast did not come to pass. What shifted things remains unclear without further detail, but the draw suggests neither side could impose themselves fully.

The result keeps both teams within touching distance of each other in the standings. Five points versus six after just a handful of games means anything can happen. And here's the thing — draws like this often define seasons more than decisive wins do.