Huge games on tap for Vityaz, Traktor, & Dinamo Riga! Preview Feb 11

A very full schedule is just as full of intrigue as the battle for a playoff spot rages on while teams duke it out for 1st overall in the KHL!

Jokerit can ensure that it kicks off the playoffs with home-ice advantage if it OR Dynamo Moscow wins

Vityaz can secure a playoff spot if it wins AND Dinamo Riga loses in regulation time.

Avtomobilist will win the Kharlamov division if it gains so much as one point today.

Admiral will be disqualified from the playoffs if Traktor manages to gain even one point.

Neftekhimik will be eliminated from the playoffs if it loses to Traktor in regulation time.

17:00 Avtomobilist (43-13-1) vs. Torpedo (24-23-10)

About the game

- Avtomobilist is coming into this contest fresh off a loss.

- Torpedo is coming into this contest on a 2-game losing streak.

- Avtomobilist is playing the 3rd of five straight home games.

- Torpedo is playing the 2nd of three straight road games.

- Avtomobilist has lost to Torpedo twice this season, 3-1 and 3-2 in OT, but they’ve also defeated Torpedo once by a convincing score of 5-1.

Injury list

- Avtomobilist: Alexander Kucheryavenko, Kirill Koltsov, Mikhail Mamkin, Vitaly Popov

- Torpedo: Mathew Bodie, Stanislov Galimov

17:00 Traktor (26-27-3) vs. Neftekhimik (21-30-6)

About the game

- Traktor is coming into this contest fresh off a loss.

- Neftekhimik is coming into this contest having won its last game.

- Traktor is playing the 4th of five straight home games.

- Neftekhimik is playing the 2nd of two straight road games.

- Traktor has defeated Neftekhimik twice this season 3-2 and 1-0 in OT, but have also lost to Neftekhimik 4-1.

Injury list

- Traktor: Alexander Shinin, Yevgeny Ryasensky, Paul Szczechura

Milestone alert

- Forward Andrej Nestrasil is hoping to suit up for his 100th career regular season KHL game.

- Goaltender Ilya Yezhov is hoping to be in goal for his 100th career KHL game for Neftekhimik.

19:30 SKA (43-8-5) vs. Severstal (20-33-4)

About the game

- SKA is coming into this contest on a 2-game losing streak. Until this point in time, the boys from St. Petersburg hadn’t lost twice in a row all season.

- Severstal is also coming into this contest having won its last game.

- SKA is on a 1-game homestand.

- Severstal is playing the 1st of two straight road games.

- SKA has more than convincingly defeated Severstal all three times the teams have met this season, 5-0, 2-0, and 6-1.

- With a shutout, Shestyorkin could tie Miiko Koskinen’s KHL record of 25.

- Gusev leads the team, and the KHL, with 57 assists and 71 points.

- Furch has played 64:49 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Injury list

- SKA: Evgeny Ketov, Artyom Zemchyonok

- Severstal: Konstantin Korneyev

Milestone alert

- Forward Yevgeny Bodrov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist.

- Goaltender Dominik Furch is hoping to stand in goal for his 200th career regular season KHL game.

19:30 Spartak Moscow (28-21-8) vs. Dynamo Moscow (30-21-5)

About the game

- Spartak Moscow is coming into this contest having won its last game.

- Dynamo Moscow is coming into this contest having lost its last game.

- Spartak is playing the 3rd of four straight home games.

- Dynamo is on a 1-game road trip.

- Spartak has defeated Dynamo twice this season, 4-2 and 2-1 in OT, but they also lost once 3-1.

- This is the last road game Dynamo will play this season.

- Both Shipachyov (59) and Kagarlitsky (58) can surpass Dynamo’s record for points in a regular season, set by Mathias Weinhandl with 60.

Injury list

- Spartak: Andrei Kuteikin, Alexei Grishin

- Dynamo: Andrei Alexeyev, Maxim Afinogenov, Miika Koivisto, Ivan Muranov, Daniil Tarasov, Nikolai Kulemin, Patrik Zackrisson

Milestone alert

- Forward Enver Lisin is hoping to collect his 100th career regular season KHL assist.

- Defenseman Dmitry Vishnevsky is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL point.

19:30 Sochi (23-24-10) vs. Vityaz (27-23-8)

About the game

- Sochi is coming into this contest on a 3-game losing streak.

- Vityaz is coming into this contest on a 2-game losing streak.

- Sochi is on a 1-game homestand.

- Vityaz is playing the 1st of 4 straight road games.

- Vityaz has defeated Sochi three times this season, 3-1, 3-2 in OT, and again 3-2.

- Bakos has points in 3 straight games, going 1-3-4 over that span.

Injury list

- Sochi: Dmitry Arkhipov, Nikita Shchitov, Oleg Pogorishny, Denis Mosalyov

- Vityaz: Alexander Semin

Suspensions

- Sochi: Damir Rakhimullin will sit out this game while serving the 3rd of a three game suspension.

Milestone alert

- Defenseman Yuri Alexandrov is hoping to collect his 100th career regular season KHL point.

- Goaltender Dmitri Shikin is hoping to suit up for his 100th career regular season KHL game.

- Defenseman Alexander Yevseyenkov is looking to collect his 100th career regular season KHL assist.

19:30 Dinamo Minsk (16-32-8) vs. Lokomotiv (38-15-4)

About the game

- Dinamo Minsk is coming into this contest having lost its last game.

- Lokomotiv is coming into this contest having won its last game.

- Dinamo is playing the 4th of four straight home games.

- Lokomotiv is playing the 4th of four straight road games.

- Dinamo has defeated Lokomotiv twice this season in relatively close games with scores of 2-1 and 3-0, but lost to Lokomotiv recently by a score of 5-2.

- Averin has points in 4 straight games, going 1-3-4 over that span.

Injury list

- Minsk: Dmitry Buinitsky, Alexander Pavlovich, Denis Osipov, Kirill Gotovets, Andrei Stepanov, Andrei Kostitsyn, David Booth

- Lokomotiv: Petri Kontiola

Suspensions

- Lokomotiv: Grigori Denisenko will sit out this game while serving the 2nd of a two-game suspension.

Milestone alert

- Forward Stepan Sannikov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist.

- Forward Denis Alexeyev is hoping to suit up for his 100th career regular season KHL game.

20:30 Dinamo Riga (22-25-10) vs. Jokerit (35-15-6)

About the game

- Dinamo Riga is coming into this contest on a 2-game losing streak.

- Jokerit is coming into this contest having won its last game.

- Dinamo is playing the 1st of three straight home games.

- Jokerit is playing the 5th of seven straight road games.

- Jokerit has defeated Dinamo twice this season by scores of 7-3 and 3-2 in OT. Riga took another meeting 2-1 in OT.

- Videll has points in 7 straight games, going 3-5-8 over that span.

- Lepisto has points in 4 straight games, going 1-4-5 over that span.

- O’Neill has points in 5 straight games, going 0-8-8 over that span.

- Zapolski can break Karlsson’s record for overall KHL victories. They currently have 55 apiece.

- Lepisto can break the record for KHL points scored by a Jokerit defenseman. Both he and Lajunen now have a total of 70.

Injury list

- Riga: Gunars Skvorcovs

Milestone alert

- Defenseman Pekka Jormakka is looking to suit up for his 200th career KHL game.

- Forward Peter Regin is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist.

20:30 Slovan (19-32-4) vs. CSKA (46-9)

About the game

- Slovan is coming into this contest on a 2-game winning streak.

- CSKA is coming into this contest on a 3-game winning streak.

- Slovan is playing the 4th of five straight home games.

- CSKA is playing the 3rd of four straight road games.

- CSKA has blown out Slovan twice this season, 9-0 and 4-0.

- Overall, CSKA has won its last 10 games against Slovan, including playoffs.

- Sorokin has played 146:47 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

- Shalunov has points in 3 straight games, going 1-2-3 over that span.

- Slepyshev has points in 3 straight games, going 1-3-4 over that span.

Injury list

- Slovan: Andrei Meszaros

Milestone alert

- Forward Sergei Andronov is looking to collect his 100th career regular season KHL point.