In the opening game of the 2024-2025 KHL regular season, Metallurg Magnitogorsk faced off against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl at the "Arena Metallurg" in Magnitogorsk. In front of a crowd of 6,797 spectators, Lokomotiv edged out a hard-fought victory, winning 3-2.

The game was tightly contested from the start, with both teams playing solid defense and goaltenders Ilya Nabokov (Metallurg) and Daniil Isaev (Lokomotiv) making crucial saves. The first period ended scoreless despite several close calls, particularly a shot by Lokomotiv's Alexander Polunin that hit the post.

Lokomotiv broke the deadlock in the second period, capitalizing on a power play at the 32-minute mark when Artur Kayumov found the back of the net with an assist from Maxim Beriozkin and Maxim Shalunov. Shortly after, Nikita Kiryanov doubled Lokomotiv's lead with a goal from a pass by Alexander Polunin, making it 2-0.

The third period saw Metallurg intensify their efforts, but it was Lokomotiv who struck first, extending their lead to 3-0 through a goal by Shalunov, assisted by Kayumov and Beriozkin. Despite the daunting deficit, Metallurg mounted a comeback attempt. Dmitry Silantyev scored at 53:50, followed by a late goal from Luke Johnson at 56:48, bringing the score to 3-2.

Metallurg pulled their goalie in the final minutes in a bid to equalize, but Lokomotiv's defense held firm, and Isaev made several critical saves to secure the win. Despite Metallurg outshooting Lokomotiv 15-6 in the final period, the comeback fell short, and Lokomotiv took the victory.

Final stats reflected a closely matched contest, with shots on goal favoring Lokomotiv 32-28, while face-offs were dominated by Lokomotiv 39-27. Metallurg had more possession time in the third period, but Lokomotiv's efficient defense and timely scoring proved decisive.

The game ended with Lokomotiv starting their season with a solid 3-2 win on the road, while Metallurg will look to rebound in their next outing.