Lokomotiv beat Avangard Omsk 2:1 on Thursday evening at the Bolshoi Ice Palace, a result that keeps the hosts unbeaten after five games and extends their perfect start to the season. The visitors had already tasted defeat once this term, and this match offered them another chance to show they belong among the league's better sides.
It is fair to say Lokomotiv's position looks solid now — five wins from five, sitting second in the table, and a game in hand on the leaders. Avangard remain seventh after four matches, one loss in the bag, and a few points to find if they want to climb higher.
Both sides came in with momentum. Lokomotiv had won their last four straight, including a 4:1 victory over Traktor and a 3:2 win against CSKA. Avangard were on a three-game run themselves, beating Ekaterinburg and Metallurg Magnitogorsk, though their 0:4 loss to Salavat Yulaev reminded everyone how quickly things can turn.
We had backed the hosts at 48% confidence before kickoff, and here's the thing — it was not a blind guess. Lokomotiv's defensive structure has been tight all season, and Avangard have looked vulnerable away from home. The prediction held, and it is easy to see why.
What stood out was how the game unfolded in patches rather than as a controlled affair. Lokomotiv started cleanly, but Avangard recovered and pushed back hard. There were moments where the visitors ran the show, and moments where the hosts dug in. By then, it was clear this would not be decided by possession or territory alone.
The table after tonight tells its own story. Lokomotiv hold second with ten points from five games, and Avangard sit seventh with six points from four. The gap between them is small, but the confidence of a clean sheet and a win at home — that price has gone up for Yekaterinburg.