Ak Bars shoots for league-leading 35th win against visiting Torpedo

It won’t be easy against a team that has 24 wins of its own, but Ak Bars continues to look like a team on a mission. But this won’t be the only heavyweight battle of the day as Avtomobilist hosts Avangard and CSKA once again squares off against SKA.

Meanwhile, Neftekhimik welcomes Dinamo Riga in a battle of bottom-feeders while Barys faces Amur in a tried-and-true Eastern Conference showdown.

All in all, eight games are on tap today so get your fill of KHL action before a 1-day break in the action will leave you thirsty for more.

14:00: Barys (22-16-5) vs Amur (17-24-4)

About the game

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

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

Barys is playing the 3^rd of three straight home games.

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

Barys defeated Amur twice this season by scores of 5-2 and 5-4 in OT, but also lost to them once by a score of 5-1.

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

Dietz has points in six straight games, going 1-5-6 over that span.

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

Butuzov has points in four straight games, going 2-2-4 over that span.

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

Injury list

Barys: Viktor Svedberg, Leonid Metalnikov

Amur: Artyom Zhelezkov, Danil Faizullin, Matvei Zaseda

15:00: Avtomobilist (25-14-7) vs Avangard (26-10-10)

About the game

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

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

Avtomobilist is playing the 1^st of five straight home games.

Avangard is playing the 2^nd of six straight road games.

Avtomobilist did defeat Avangard once this season by a tight OT score of 4-3, but has lost to them twice as well, 6-3 and 3-1.

Kovar has played 63:03 straight minutes of shutout hockey.

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

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

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

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

Injury list

Avtomobilist: Pavel Kulikov, Sergei Shumakov, Georgi Belousov

Avangard: Arseni Gritsyuk, Artyom Manukyan, Damir Sharipzyanov, Ville Pokka, Alexander Yaremchuk, Yegor Chinakhov

Milestone alert

Forward Stanislav Bocharov is hoping to suit up for his 500^th career KHL game (currently at 499).

Defenseman Maxim Berezin is hoping to collect his 100^th career KHL point (currently at 99).

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

15:00: Traktor (25-17-3) vs Lokomotiv (29-11-5)

About the game

Traktor is entering this contest fresh off a victory.

Lokomotiv is also coming into this contest fresh off a victory.

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

Lokomotiv is playing the 1^st of four straight road games.

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

Pasquale pitched a shutout in his last outing.

Kraskovsky has points in four straight games, going 3-4-7 over that span.

Injury list

Lokomotiv: Georgi Ivanov, Pavel Kudryavtsev

Milestone alert

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

Defenseman Denis Barantsev is hoping to collect his 100^th career KHL point (currently at 99).

17:00: Neftekhimik (14-31-0) vs Dinamo Riga (7-30-7)

About the game

Neftekhimik is entering today’s contest fresh off a victory.

Dinamo Riga is entering today’s contest on a 4-game losing streak.

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

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

Neftekhimik defeated Dinamo Riga earlier this season by a score of 3-1.

Injury list

Dinamo Riga: Janis Svanenbergs, Stanislov Galimov, Janis Voris

Milestone alert

Forward Denis Parshin is hoping to collect his 400^th career KHL point (currently at 398).

17:00: Severstal (24-18-3) vs Dinamo Minsk (24-18-3)

About the game

Severstal is entering today’s contest on a 2-game winning streak.

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

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

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

Severstal defeated Dinamo Minsk earlier this season by a score of 2-1 in OT, but also lost to them once by a score of 4-1.

In the last five games played between these teams, the road team has won each time.

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

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

Injury list

Severstal: Yegor Chizhikov

Dinamo Minsk: Dmitri Buinitsky, Brandon Kozun, Ryan Spooner, Brennan Menell

17:30: Ak Bars (34-8-4) vs Torpedo (24-17-6)

About the game

Ak Bars is entering today’s contest on a 2-game winning streak.

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

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

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

Ak Bars has defeated Torpedo twice this season by a score of 6-2 and 7-5, but also lost by a score of 4-2.

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

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

Injury list

Ak Bars: Alexander Burmistrov, Albert Yarullin

Torpedo: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev

Milestone alert

Forward Roman Lyubimov is hoping to collect his 100^th career KHL point (currently at 99).

17:30: Dynamo Moscow (28-14-4) vs Sibir (19-23-4)

About the game

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

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

Dynamo Moscow is playing the 4th of ten(!) straight home games.

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

Dynamo Moscow defeated Sibir earlier this season by a score of 4-2.

Sibir last defeated Dynamo Moscow on the road on October 16^th, 2012, by an overtime score of 3-2.

Injury list

Dynamo Moscow: Mikhail Grigoriev, Alexander Kucheryavenko, Vladimir Bryukvin, Oscar Lindberg, Sergei Boikov, Juuso Hietanen, Ilya Shipov

Sibir: Eric O’Dell

18:00: CSKA (32-8-5) vs SKA (27-11-8)

About the game

CSKA is entering this contest fresh off a loss.

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

CSKA is playing the 1^st of four straight home games.

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

CSKA last defeated SKA twice this season by scores of 3-1 and 3-2 in OT while having dropped one game to them in a shootout by the score of 4-3.

Injury list

CSKA: Andrei Loktionov, John Gilmour

SKA: Artyom Shvets-Rogovoy

Milestone alert

Forward Alexander Popov is hoping to collect his 700^th career KHL game (currently at 699).

Forward Yevgeni Ketov is hoping to suit up for his 700^th career KHL game (currently at 699).