Oleg Tymchenko’s wards secured a spectacular road win, keeping their net locked for the second time this season.
In the match against Liepaja, Kyiv`s team roster was missing Danylo Baida, who had been loaned to Energija, while Shamardin, on the contrary, returned to the ice. The rest of the lines underwent a reshuffle. The defensive pairings were put together just as they were in the preseason matches. The Jansons-Andreykiv pairing played on the first line, Svars and Brants on the second, and the Finnish defensemen formed the third.
Furthermore, forwards Cipruss and Zelts, as well as Honcharenko and Zukauskas, swapped places. The Latvians started the game on the third offensive line, while the Ukrainian and the Lithuanian featured on the fourth. Additionally, Huunonen replaced Mölder on the final line of defense.
The first period of the match passed in an evenly matched struggle, but the teams failed to convert their chances into goals. With 03:22 remaining, the game was suspended due to technical reasons. This remaining time was played out in conjunction with the second 20-minute period. However, even before its nominal start, the guests took the lead by quickly capitalizing on their first full power play. A masterful cross-crease pass from Sprukts was converted into a goal by Stradnieks, who found the back of the net against his former team.
Meanwhile, the Citizens failed to take advantage of their own two-minute power play in the middle of the second period. Instead, the Kyivians doubled their lead. Brants fired an inaccurate shot from the blue line, but following a pass from Korenchuk, the puck found its way back to Harijs, and from a closer distance, our team’s defenseman left Valenta with no chance for a save.
But it didn’t stop there. Oleg Tymchenko’s squad once again masterfully executed a one-man advantage, with Sarkanis netting his fourth goal and eighth point of the 2026/2027 Optibet League.
In the final 20-minute stretch, the guests only increased their handicap. Sprukts added a goal to his two assists, and the team converted on the power play for the third time. Stradnieks put the final nail in the coffin. Kevins retrieved the puck following his own blocked shot and sent it into the bottom corner of Valenta’s net. As a result, the Kyiv Capitals forward secured a brace against his former team.
Thus, the 5:0 victory allowed Oleg Tymchenko’s wards to earn six points and climb to second place. Special congratulations also go to Romi Huunonen on recording his first shutout of the season.
Liepaja (Latvia) – Kyiv Capitals (Ukraine) – 0:5 (0:1; 0:2; 0:2)
Goals: 0:1 – Stradnieks (Sprukts, Jansons, – power play), 18:37; 0:2 – Brants (Korenchuk), 35:34; 0:3 – Sarkanis (Sprukts, Korenchuk, – power play), 39:54; 0:4 – Sprukts (power play), 44:32; 0:5 – Stradnieks (Sarkanis, Svars), 54:45.
Liepaja: Michael Valenta; Kristians Berzins – Ralfs Grinbergs (c), Endijs Butans – Kristers Butans – Karlis Ozolins; Simonas Valivonis – Daniils Andrejevs, Perttu Iso-Kuortti – Niks Zile – Daniels Andersons; Kristaps Nimanis – Alberts-Emils Snepste, Roberts Freidenfelds – Karlis Tamenieks – Rihards Borskis; Miks Kravinskis – Andrians Berzins, Martins Petkus – Niklavs Lagzdins.
Head coach: Edgars Brancis
Kyiv Capitals: Romi Huunonen; Vitalii Andreykiv – Eduards Hugo Jansons, Gatis Sprukts (c) – Kevins Stradnieks – Deivids Sarkanis; Pauls Svars – Harijs Brants, Mykhailo Kovalchuk – Feliks Morozov – Danylo Tsarkovskyi; Ville Rautiala – Jani Siekkinen, Illia Korenchuk – Renars Cipruss – Kristians Zelts; Anton Romanyshyn – Ivan Shamardin, Denys Honcharenko – Lukas Zukauskas.
Head coach: Oleg Tymchenko
Our team will play its next match this coming Saturday. Their opponent will be the Lithuanian Hockey Punks.
