In front of 8,476 fans at Ufa Arena, Salavat Yulaev claimed a thrilling 5-3 victory over Ak Bars in a high-paced KHL matchup. The game saw both teams exchanging momentum, with Salavat Yulaev pulling ahead late to secure the win.

Salavat Yulaev opened the scoring early in the first period, with Gleb Kuzmin finding the back of the net at 1:08 off an assist from Alexei Vasilevsky. The home team doubled their lead at 16:50 through Nathan Todd, making it 2-0 before the first intermission. Despite Ak Bars having a few solid chances, Salavat Yulaev's Alexander Samonov was solid in goal, stopping all 11 shots in the first.

The second period saw Ak Bars clawing their way back into the game. At 33:13, Alexander Barabanov reduced the deficit to 2-1, scoring off assists from Albert Yarullin and Nicholas Petan. Salavat Yulaev's defense and goaltending held firm, keeping Ak Bars at bay despite their 9 shots on target. The period ended with a 2-1 scoreline.

The final period delivered intense action as both teams turned up the pressure. Ak Bars tied the game 2-2 at 53:21 with a powerplay goal from Nicholas Petan, assisted by Dmitry Yashkin. However, Salavat Yulaev quickly responded just seconds later at 53:36, as Yaroslav Tsulygin put his team back in front 3-2, assisted by Josh Leivo and Nikita Zorkin.

Salavat Yulaev extended their lead to 4-2 at 56:50, when Alexander Khmelevsky scored off a setup by Josh Leivo. Ak Bars pulled their goalie and managed to cut the deficit to 4-3 with 58:35 left, thanks to a goal from Artem Galimov, assisted by Nicholas Petan and Mitchell Miller. However, an empty-net goal by Sheldon Rempal at 59:00 sealed the win for Salavat Yulaev, making the final score 5-3.

Salavat Yulaev's defense, highlighted by their 21 blocked shots, played a crucial role in their victory. Despite Ak Bars dominating in puck possession and shots, the home team capitalized on their chances and took advantage of Ak Bars' missed opportunities.