On Tuesday, the 21^st of February, the second stage of the KHL Championship, the Gagarin Cup playoffs, gets underway. The format is a best-of-seven contest, with the higher-placed team in the Conference standings enjoying home advantage in Game 1, 2, and if necessary, Game 5 and 7. The team with the lower seeding is at home in Game 3, 4, and if necessary, Game 6.

The pairings (team’s final Conference standing in brackets) and dates are as follows:

Western Conference Quarter-finals:

CSKA (1) – Jokerit (8)

SKA (2) – Vityaz (7)

Dynamo Moscow (3) – Torpedo (6)

Lokomotiv (4) – Dinamo Minsk (5)

Games 1-4 to be played on February 21, 23, 25, and 27; Games 5-7, if necessary, to take place on March 1, 3 and 5.

Eastern Conference Quarter-finals:

Metallurg Magnitogorsk (1) – Kunlun Red Star (8)

Avangard (2) – Admiral (7)

Ak Bars (3) – Salavat Yulaev (6)

Traktor (4) – Barys (5)

Games 1-4 to be played on February 22, 24, 26, and 28; Games 5-7, if necessary, to take place on March 2, 4 and 6.