Murphy slays the Dragons in OT!

6 November 2025

Trevor Murphy’s brace earned a hugely important victory for SKA over the Shanghai Dragons in the 2025/2026 KHL regular season, with his second marker sealing a dramatic 3:2 triumph in overtime at the Ice Palace!

SKA had been on the ropes after conceding twice in the first period, but Murphy’s heroics ensured that we eventually emerged victorious in what was a pulsating battle.

The Chinese visitors had initially come flying out of the blocks.

Kevin Lebanc handed Shanghai a deserved lead on the powerplay in the third minute, whipping a rising wrister over Yegor Zavragin from the right circle.

Matters went from bad to worse for a somewhat sloppy SKA in the 18th minute after a 5-on-3 opportunity had previously been wasted.

Following a poor turnover, Vladimir Kuznetsov doubled the opponents’ advantage on the left flank, getting the better of Zavragin with a clever shot.

However, Zavragin then made what turned out to be a decisive save in the dying seconds of the first stanza.

Shorthanded, Austin Wagner suddenly found himself completely clean through, but Zavragin pulled off a superb stop with his left pad to keep us in the match.

SKA duly made an improvement in the second frame, quickly cutting the deficit to one as Murphy smashed a powerful slap shot past the surprised Patrik Rybar from distance.

That goal provided our team with a much-needed boost. In stark contrast to the preceding period, SKA were now bossing proceedings with their sharp play, drawing plenty of penalties out of the away team and creating clear chances.

Shanghai did even the game out as the period progressed. And again it was Zavragin who kept us in with a shout, making an incredible diving save to somehow keep out Nikita Popugayev’s sneaky wraparound.

The Dragons were now on top once again. But, with a mere 27 seconds remaining in the second period, SKA grabbed the all-important equaliser.

Matvei Polyakov, who stood out all game long with his energetic, tenacious play, cleverly bundled the rebound home after Murphy’s bomb had crashed off the boards behind the Shanghai goal.

Shanghai opted to pull Rybar in favour of Andrei Tikhomirov for the third stanza. Unfortunately for us, that change did have a positive effect for the Dragons, as they controlled possession well and asked an increasing number of questions of our defence.

To our relief, SKA successfully weathered the storm, upped the ante themselves in the last knockings of the period and earned a last-gasp powerplay as Kuznetsov was found guilty of holding the puck in his glove.

SKA couldn’t convert that chance in regulation, but Murphy only required three seconds in the ensuing extra period to thump an unstoppable one-timer beyond Tikhomirov!

We will now prepare to face Dynamo in Moscow on Saturday. Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time.

Match protocol:

SKA – Shanghai Dragons – 3:2 OT (0:2, 2:0, 0:0, 1:0)

Goals:

0:1 Labanc (Clendening, Quinney), 02.26 PPG

0:2 Kuznetsov (McKegg), 18.12

1:2 Murphy (Plotnikov, Sapego), 21.18

2:2 Polyakov (Murphy, Khairullin), 39.33

3:2 Murphy (Grimaldi, Vorobyov), 60.03 PPG

Goalkeepers: Zavragin – Rybar/Tikhomirov

Shots: 75 – 45

Shots on target: 39 – 25