Buran Voronezh lost 2:3 to HC Norilsk in the Supreme Hockey League on Friday. The visitors completed a away win after a hard-fought match where both sides created chances. By then the result had shifted the momentum in the standings.
The hosts sit 13th in the table after six games, with four wins and two defeats. They have yet to collect points in the current system. And here's the thing — the absence of points despite wins suggests a format change rather than poor performance.
Norilsk arrived with mixed recent form. They beat Omskie Krylia 3:0 last time out, but had lost to Kurgan 1:2 before that. The visitors also beat Rubin Tyumen 4:1 and dropped points against Yugra. To be fair, their away record needs consistency.
Buran's recent run included a 2:1 win over AKM and a 2:1 victory against Ryazan. They had also beaten Bars 4:1 before falling to Almetyevsk 2:1. The loss to Norilsk ends what looked like a promising sequence.
The scoreline leaves the hosts on 0 points after six matches. Norilsk move closer to the playoff spots with this result, while Voronezh will need to regroup quickly. By then the gap between the teams may appear smaller.
