CSKA Moscow saw off Nizhny Novgorod 3:0 on Tuesday evening in the KHL, a result that settles the early-season debate about which team has the deeper squad. The hosts, sitting ninth after just one game and one defeat, found themselves against a visitor third in the table with two wins from two. Things came to a head when the visitors, who had won their last two on the bounce, met a side that refused to be pushed around. By then, the scoreboard told the story plainly enough.
We had called for the home side at 51 per cent confidence, and it was right to do so. The visitors had looked sharp against Dinamo Minsk and Spartak Moscow, but this was a different test. CSKA were out-thought on the touchline in their opening fixture, losing 2:3 to Spartak, yet they adjusted quickly. To be fair, they have the experience when games tighten.
The first period saw Nizhny Novgorod pressing high, their forwards making runs into space. CSKA held their shape and struck when the visitors overcommitted. The second goal arrived when the hosts punished them from a corner, a set-piece execution that caught the defence flat-footed. The third came late, when the visitors, chasing the game, left gaps at the back. The stadium fell silent as the final whistle approached.
Shots on goal favoured the hosts 28 to 19, with expected goals reflecting that dominance at 2.4 to 1.1. Nizhny Novgorod created chances but could not convert, while CSKA made the most of their opportunities. The visitors had scored 14 goals in their previous two games, but here they were held to fewer than half that tally. It was not a spectacle, but it was a statement.
The result leaves CSKA Moscow with their first win of the season and Nizhny Novgorod facing a tougher run ahead. The hosts move to two points, level on the table with several sides but still below the top four. The visitors remain third but have now tasted defeat. That price has gone up for them.