SKA heads to Balashikha as one of the KHL’s hottest teams!

With almost identical records, SKA and Avangard face off to determine some early season supremacy. With four wins in its first five games, Metallurg heads to Sochi to continue in its winning ways.

Salavat plays at home boasting the same record as Metallurg and Avangard, hoping an always tough Torpedo side will have an off day. Likewise, a thus far strong Avtomobilist will look to whisp away its recent loss with another win against Neftekhimik.

Vityaz plays its second home game in a row against a Dinamo Minsk team that is definitely looking a good bit better over last year’s squad while Spartak Moscow hosts Traktor with both teams hoping to get back into the win column.

17:00: Salavat (4-1-0) vs Torpedo (2-3-0)

About the game

Salavat is entering the contest having won its last game.

Torpedo is coming into today’s game fresh off a defeat.

Salavat is playing the 2^nd of two straight home games.

Torpedo is playing the 3^rd of three straight road games.

Salavat already defeated Torpedo once this season by a score of 3-2.

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

Varnakov has points in three straight games, going 4-0-4 over that span.

Injury list

Salavat: Vladislav Kartayev, Philip Larsen

Milestone alert

Forward Daniil Ilyin is hoping to suit up for his 200^th career KHL game (currently at 199).

19:00: Neftekhimik (1-3-0) vs Avtomobilist (3-0-1)

About the game

Neftekhimik is entering this contest on a 2-game losing streak.

Avtomobilist is coming in having lost its last game.

Neftekhimik is playing the 1^st of three straight home games.

Avtomobilist is playing the 1^st of two straight road games.

Neftekhimik has lost its last four home games played against Avtomobilist.

Injury list

Avtomobilist: Geoff Platt

Milestone alert

Forward Pavel Datsyuk is hoping to collect his 200^th career KHL point (currently at 199).

Defenseman Chay Genoway is hoping to collect his 100^th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

Goaltender Jakub Kovar is hoping to pitch his 40^th career KHL shutout (currently at 39).

19:30: Avangard (4-1-0) vs SKA (3-0-1)

About the game

Avangard is entering today’s contest having lost its last game.

SKA is coming into today’s game on a 3-game winning streak.

Avangard is on a 1-game homestand.

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

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

Aaltonen has points in three straight games, going 3-4-7 over that span.

Ozhiganov has points in three straight games, going 0-5-5 over that span.

Burdasov has points in seven straight games, going 6-3-9 over that span.

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

Vey has points in four straight games, going 0-4-4 over that span.

Milestone alert

Goaltender Emil Garipov is hoping to rack up his 150^th career KHL victory (currently at 149).

19:30: Vityaz (2-2-0) vs Dinamo Minsk (3-2-0)

About the game

Vityaz is entering today’s contest having won its last game.

Dinamo Minsk is also coming into today’s game having won its last game.

Vityaz is playing the 2^nd of three straight home games.

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

Yezhov has played 62:10 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Spooner has points in seven straight games (going into last season), going 2-9-11 over that span.

Menell has points in four straight games, going 0-6-6 over that span.

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

Injury list

Vityaz: Vitali Popov

Dinamo Minsk: Vyacheslav Gretsky, Stepan Falkovsky

19:30: Spartak Moscow (2-2-1) vs Traktor (1-2-1)

About the game

Spartak Moscow is entering today’s contest having lost its last contest.

Traktor is coming into today’s game on a 2-game losing streak.

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

Traktor is playing the 2^nd of three straight road games.

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

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

Injury list

Traktor: Igor Isayev

Milestone alert

Forward Anton Lazarev is hoping to collect his 100^th career KHL assist (currently at 99).

19:30: Sochi (1-3-0) vs Metallurg (4-1-0)

About the game

Sochi is entering today’s game having lost its last contest.

Metallurg is heading into today’s game having won its last game.

Sochi is playing the 2^nd of three straight home games.

Metallurg is playing the 1^st of three straight road games.

Milestone alert

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

Forward Sergei Mozyakin is hoping to collect his 900^th career KHL point (currently at 897).