Jokerit heading to Ufa with wind in its sails to face slumping Salavat!

The rollercoaster ride continues for both teams, but Salavat has had a hard finding wins at home lately. That’s something Barys hasn’t had to worry about, having won four in a row at home and now facing old rival Torpedo, which features one of the league’s hottest hands in the scoring department. Metallurg hopes to get back on track at home, but is hosting a Dynamo Moscow squad that is coming in on a 3-game winning streak, all of which have been on the road.

Ak Bars is also hot with three wins in a row, staying on top in the east with 25 accumulated wins already. It’s hard to imagine that Minsk will be able to do much to change that today. Traktor and Sibir face off tonight, with both teams looking to end a 2-game drought.

Elsewhere, Sochi hosts a slumping Neftekhimik (4 straight losses) while one of the day’s most interesting matchups sees Spartak Moscow, winners of two straight, pay a visit to Severstal, winners of three in a row. Whose fate will take a negative twist tonight?

16:30: Barys (14-11-5) vs Torpedo (16-14-4)

About the game

Barys is entering this contest on a 4-game winning streak.

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

Barys is playing the 5^th of five straight home games.

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

Barys has won seven straight home games played against Torpedo.

Karlsson has played 65:47 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

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

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

Zhafyarov has points in 11 straight games, going 8-9-17 over that span. With a point tonight, he could break Robert Nilsson’s club record of points in 11 straight games.

Miele has points in four straight games, going 3-3-6 over that span.

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

Injury list

Barys: Jesse Blacker, Darren Dietz, Viktor Svedberg

Torpedo: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Ziyat Paygin, Semyon Ruchkin

17:00: Metallurg (21-11-4) vs Dynamo Moscow (20-10-4)

About the game

Metallurg is entering today’s contest fresh off a defeat.

Dynamo Moscow is also entering today’s contest on a 3-game winning streak.

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

Dynamo Moscow is playing the 4^th of five straight road games.

Metallurg defeated Dynamo Moscow earlier this season by a score of 6-2.

Metallurg has won nine straight games played at home against Dynamo Moscow. The Muscovites last won in Magnitogorsk on October 10^th, 2011, by a score of 6-5.

Shipachyov has points in three straight games, going 0-6-6 over that span.

Jaskin has points in four straight games, going 5-1-6 over that span.

Injury list

Metallurg: Nikolai Prokhorkin, Nikolai Kulemin

Dynamo Moscow: Mikhail Grigoriev, Ivan Igumnov, Vladimir Bryukvin, Vyacheslav Kulemin

Milestone alert

Forward Maxim Karpov is hoping to score his 100^th career KHL goal (currently at 99).

17:00: Salavat (20-13-3) vs Jokerit (17-8-3)

About the game

Salavat is entering today’s contest on a 3-game losing streak.

Jokerit is coming into today’s game fresh off a victory.

Salavat is playing the 3^rd of five straight home games.

Jokerit is playing the 2^nd of five straight road games.

Salavat has lost four straight home games played against Jokerit. It’s last victory at home against the Finns was on October 24^th, 2015, by a score of 4-0.

Jokerit defeated Salavat earlier this season by a score of 3-1.

Injury list

Salavat: Vladislav Kartayev, Eduard Gimatov

Jokerit: Iiro Pakarinen, John Norman

Milestone alert

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

17:00: Traktor (21-12-2) vs Sibir (15-16-4)

About the game

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

Sibir is also entering today’s game on a 2-game losing streak.

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

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

Sibir defeated Traktor earlier this season by a score of 2-1.

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

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

Injury list

Traktor: Roman Manukhov, Nikita Yazkov

Sibir: Eric O’Dell

Milestone alert

Forward Juuso Puustinen is looking to collect his 100^th career KHL point (currently at 99).

19:30: Ak Bars (25-7-4) vs Dinamo Minsk (19-11-3)

About the game

Ak Bars is entering today’s contest on a 3-game winning streak.

Dinamo Minsk is entering today’s fresh off a loss.

Ak Bars is playing the 2^nd of four straight home games.

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

Ak Bars defeated Dinamo Minsk earlier this season by a score of 5-4.

Reideborn has played 105:43 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Bilyalov has played 83:10 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

Da Costa has points in three straight games, going 2-2-4 over that span.

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

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

Injury list

Ak Bars: Artyom Galimov, Justin Azevedo

Dinamo Minsk: Dmitri Buinitsky, Rob Klinkhammer, Adam Almqvist, Ilya Shinkevich

19:30: Severstal (18-14-2) vs Spartak Moscow (16-12-6)

About the game

Severstal is entering this contest on a 3-game winning streak.

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

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

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

The teams have exchanged victories in two outings this season, each game having ended by a score of 4-3, albeit Spartak’s victory first came in overtime.

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

Injury list

Severstal: Yegor Chizhikov, Makar Khabarov, Joonas Nattinen

Spartak Moscow: Nikita Pivtsakin, Dmitri Vishnevsky, Andrei Kuteikin

Milestone alert

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

19:30: Sochi (9-19-6) vs Neftekhimik (10-24-0)

About the game

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

Neftekhimik is also entering today’s contest on a 4-game losing streak.

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

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

Shmelyov leads Sochi in scoring with 10 goals and 21 points in 34 games played.

Hudacek leads Neftekhimik with 11 goals, 14 assists, and 25 points in 29 games played.

Injury list

Sochi: Ansel Galimov, Rafael Batyrshin

Neftekhimik: Vladimir Galuzin