McLeod hat-trick helps Avangard beat Avtomobilist

Avangard Omsk beat Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 4–2 in the KHL regular season on October 16. Michael McLeod scored three of the home side's goals.

McLeod struck twice in the opening period, in the 10th and 12th minutes. Daniel Sprong cut the visitors' deficit to 2–1 in the 30th minute.

Vasily Ponomaryov restored Avangard's two-goal lead early in the third period. McLeod scored into an empty net in the 58th minute to complete his hat-trick. Sprong scored Avtomobilist's second goal in the final minute.

Ponomaryov made his 100th KHL appearance. The game was the 400th in the league for both Dmitry Rashevsky and Semyon Chistyakov, RIA Novosti reported.

The win lifted Avangard from last to ninth in the Eastern Conference on 14 points. Avtomobilist also have 14 points and sit eighth.

Avangard host Traktor Chelyabinsk on October 18. Avtomobilist visit Metallurg Magnitogorsk the same day.