More PO implications and Jokerit faces SKA!

CSKA will claim the Western Conference title if SKA should lose to Jokerit. At the same time, Jokerit can secure 3rd place in the Western Conference if it gains at least one point against SKA OR Dynamo Moscow fails to gain all 2 points against Spartak Moscow.

Dynamo Moscow will be firmly entrenched in 4th place in the Western Conference if it fails to gain 2 points against Spartak Moscow OR Jokerit manages to gain even a point against SKA. Meanwhile, Spartak Moscow will be firmly entrenched in 5th place in the Western Conference if it gains at least one point against Dynamo Moscow OR Lokomotiv fails to get all 2 points against Avangard.

Lokomotiv will secure 6th place in the Western Conference if it fails to get all 2 points against Avangard OR Spartak Moscow gains at least one point against Dynamo Moscow.

With this all in mind, the playoff picture for the first round of the Western Conference can be solidified, which would see Jokerit face off against Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow play archrival Spartak Moscow. That would also mean that on March 1st, Jokerit and SKA would begin their series as the home teams while on March 2nd, CSKA and Dynamo Moscow would begin their series as the home teams.

10:00: Amur (25-25-9) vs Neftekhimik (25-26-8)

About the game

Amur is playing the 2nd of four straight home games.

Neftekhimik is playing the 2nd of four straight road games.

Amur is coming into this contest having lost its last game.

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

The teams have split victories in two games this season by scores of 5-3 and 4-3 in OT.

Neftekhimik last defeated Amur in Khabarovsk on January 10th, 2016, by a score of 3-2.

Vyacheslav Ushenin has points in 3 straight games, going 3-0-3 over that span.

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

Injury list

Amur: Maxim Kondratyev, Marek Langhamer, Nikita Kamalov, Anton Lazarev

Neftekhimik: Pavel Padakin, Ziyat Paigin

15:00: Metallurg (28-23-8) vs Salavat (28-22-10)

About the game

Metallurg is playing the 3rd of three straight home games.

Salavat is playing the 2nd of three straight road games.

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

Salavat is also coming into this contest fresh off a loss.

Metallurg has defeated Salavat 3 times this season by scores of 3-0, 1-0, and 2-1 in OT.

This is the last home game of the regular season for Metallurg.

Mozyakin has points in 3 straight games, going 1-5-6 over that span.

Filipi has points in 3 straight games, going 3-2-5 over that span.

Injury list

Salavat: Pyotr Khokhryakov, Alexei Kruchinin

Milestone alert

Defenseman and Salavat Captain Grigori Panin is hoping to suit up for his 600th career KHL game (currently at 599).

17:00: Ak Bars (40-12-5) vs Dinamo Minsk (13-35-11)

About the game

Ak Bars is playing the 1st of three straight home games.

Dinamo Minsk is playing the 2nd of two straight road games.

Ak Bars is coming into this contest having lost its last game.

Dinamo Minsk is coming into this contest on a 4-game losing streak.

Ak Bars defeated Dinamo Minsk earlier this season by a score of 4-2.

Wikstrand has points in 3 straight games, going 0-3-3 over that span.

This is the last road game of the season for Dinamo Minsk.

Injury list

Ak Bars: Daniil Zhuravlyov, Kristian Khenkel, Patrice Cormier

Dinamo Minsk: Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Pavlenko

Milestone alert

Forward Viktor Tikhonov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

17:00: Jokerit (38-14-8) vs SKA (42-13-5)

About the game

Jokerit is on a 1-game homestand.

SKA is playing the 1st of two straight road games.

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

SKA is coming into this game on a 10-game winning streak.

SKA has defeated Jokerit twice this season by scores of 3-2 and 4-1, but also lost to the Helsinki natives once rather clearly 6-0.

This is the final home game of the regular season for Jokerit.

Regin has points in 3 straight games, going 0-3-3 over that span.

Hellberg has played 87:55 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Kuzmenko has points in 4 straight games, going 2-3-5 over that span.

Yakupov has points in 3 straight games, going 0-3-3 over that span.

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

Tokranov has points in 5 straight games, going 4-3-7 over that span.

Injury list

Jokerit: Henri Ikonen

17:30: Avangard (37-14-9) vs Lokomotiv (32-23-4)

About the game

Avangard is playing the 2nd of three straight home games.

Lokomotiv is playing the 1st of three straight road games.

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

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

Lokomotiv defeated Avangard earlier this season by a score of 2-1.

Injury list

Avangard: Artyom Manukyan, Alexei Potapov, Alexander Sudnitsin, Maxim Chudinov

Lokomotiv: Daniil Misyul

Milestone alert

Forward Nikolai Kovalenko is hoping to suit up for his 100th career KHL game (currently at 99).

17:30: Dynamo Moscow (35-16-7) vs Spartak Moscow (33-19-8)

About the game

Dynamo Moscow is playing the 1st of two straight home games.

Spartak Moscow is playing the 1st of two straight road games.

Dynamo Moscow is coming into this game on a 2-game losing streak.

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

Dynamo Moscow has defeated Spartak Moscow three times this season by scores of 3-2 in overtime, 3-0, and 4-0.

D. Visnevsky has points in 4 straight games, going 1-3-4 over this span.

Injury list

Dynamo Moscow: Sergei Boikov

Spartak Moscow: Nikita Bespalov, Robin Hanzl

Milestone alert

Forward Daniil Apalkov is hoping to collect his 200th career KHL point (currently at 199).

Forward Vadim Shipachyov is hoping to collect his 450th career KHL assist (currently at 448).

Defenseman Ivan Vishnevsky is hoping to suit up for his 500th career KHL game (currently at 499).