The match against Dynamo was "anomalous".

      Nizhny Novgorod’s “Start” played its first match of the new year. And immediately against one of the season’s main favorites – Moscow’s “Dynamo.” The result – 1:4. Due to heavy snowfall the game was played in three periods of 30 minutes, but that wasn’t all…

      “Start” (Nizhny Novgorod) – “Dynamo” (Moscow) – 1:4 (1:1, 0:1, 0:2).

      8 January. Nizhny Novgorod. Trud Stadium. 900 spectators. 0 degrees. Snowfall.

      Referees: S. Gorbachev (Balashikha), T. Nikolaev (Kazan), A. Ulanov (Ulyanovsk).

      Penalties: 30 (Vasserman, Tsyganenko, Khromenkov — 10 each) — 20 (Kuzmin, Borisenko — 10 each).

      “Start”: Ivanchikov, Filatov, Golubkov, Vasserman, Igoshin, Barbakov, Oskin, Vdovenko, Kotkov, Khromenkov, Baranov. Substitutes used: Tsyganenko, Nechaev, Kobelev.

      “Dynamo”: Yanov, Yu. Bondarenko, A. Butenko, I. Kuzmin, R. Ledyankin, Sergeev, Borisenko, Ragulin, Sharipov, N. Ivanov, Akhmanaev. Substitutes used: R. Darkovsky, Zykov, Chernyshyov, D. Shiryaev, A. Kozlov, Yurlov.

      Goals: 0:1 – R. Darkovsky (R. Ledyankin, 17), 1:1 – Khromenkov (Nechaev, 29), 1:2 – Akhmanaev (Ragulin, 50), 1:3 – Akhmanaev (N. Ivanov, 88), 1:4 – N. Ivanov (90).

      In the 17th minute Golubkov failed to convert a penalty (hit the post).

      The Dynamo players were in excellent spirits after their January 5 victory over Kuzbass in the Russian Super Cup. But Start had also prepared for the match in the most serious way. However, as they say, the weather made its own adjustments. Fifteen minutes before the match the inspector and the referees made the final decision: play three periods of 30 minutes. Looking ahead, these “anomalies” did not end there: at the end of the second period the goalposts were broken — there are still some strongmen left in Russian hockey!

      Before the game there was an award ceremony. In September the administration of the city of Nizhny Novgorod together with the “Center for Sports Management and Development in the Nizhny Novgorod Region” established an award — the “Best Player of the Month” Cup for athletes of professional sports clubs of Nizhny Novgorod for achieved results. The best player of December was recognized as Start hockey club’s goalkeeper Yuri Ivanchikov! The award was presented by the general director of the CSMDR, Maxim Romanovich Gafurov.

      Given the weather, Start’s coaching staff made a smart tactical move: Denis Igoshin played as a winger, and one of the inside-forward positions was taken by Andrei Khromenkov, who, it should be remembered, played for Dynamo earlier in the season. In terms of fighting spirit he certainly won’t be outmatched!

      The Nizhny Novgorod side could have opened the scoring, but Anatoly Golubkov, taking a penalty, struck the post. Immediately after that a cross from Dynamo, a rebound, and Roman Darkovsky opened the scoring. Near the end of the 30-minute first period Andrei Khromenkov put the ball in the net.

      After that the game was almost even. Largely decisive was Yegor Akhmanaev’s goal in the 50th minute. Start had to push forward and had their chances, and in the very end they went all-in, were penalized twice and conceded two attacking forays by Dynamo — 1:4.

      Start’s next match will be on January 11 at 13:00 at Trud Stadium against Arkhangelsk’s “Vodnik.”

      Post-match press conference of HC Start

      More news about the event:

      “Dynamo” crushed “Start” 4:1 in an unusual three-period match

      19:52 8 January

      Nina Serebryakova

      Photo AI progorodnn. 20:12 08.01.2026 ProGorodNN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      The match with “Dynamo” turned out to be “anomalous”

      Nizhny Novgorod’s “Start” played its first match of the new year. And immediately against one of the season’s main favorites – Moscow’s “Dynamo.” 19:49 08.01.2026 HC Start - Nizhny Novgorod