Irbis ran riot at Sputnik Almetievsk, winning 7-1 in the MHL on 19 September. Both sides were level on zero points after this round, though the table tells a different story. Sputnik sit fourth after two games, while Irbis occupy eighth after three.
It was a blunt result for the hosts, who had looked dangerous in their previous outing. Two days ago they edged Reaktor 2-1, and before that beat them 3-2 at home. Three goals in those two games suggested momentum, but this was a different matter entirely.
Irbis came in with mixed recent form. They had lost to the KrASNye RYsy 5-1 and fallen to Reaktor 4-3 in their last two, but they also beat Chaika 5-3 on 7 September and took all three points against Chaika again on 19 August. That 7-1 scoreline settled any debate.
And here's the thing about the standings — both teams carry zero points despite playing different numbers of games. The table has barely begun to take shape, and one match does not make a pattern. Sputnik's fourth place after two outings is not a position of strength or weakness yet.
What the result does change is the narrative around Sputnik's early season. They had worked the channels in their last two games, finding the net three times across them. This performance put that in perspective. Irbis, meanwhile, extended their run of away games without a win to three matches.
The goal difference tells the story without embellishment. Sputnik now sit at -6 after two games, Irbis at -4 after three. The season is young, but the gap between these two sides on Saturday was unmistakable.