Another full slate on hand with a whopping 9 KHL games to take in!
Some decisions are already being made with respect to the initial playoff spots. Today, CSKA can qualify for the playoffs if it defeats Amur in any form or if it gains one point from Amur while Vityaz loses in regulation to SKA.
On the other hand, Dinamo Riga will be out of playoff hope if it gains as many or fewer points than Vityaz. Should both teams win, Dinamo maintains a shot at playoff qualification as long as its victory is in regulation time while Vityaz first wins in OT.
Likewise, Neftekhimik is on the brink of qualification elimination and will be out if it loses in regulation time while Barys manages to defeat Dynamo Moscow in any way.
17:00: Avtomobilist (26-15-7) vs Severstal (24-19-4)
About the game
Avtomobilist is entering today’s contest fresh off a loss.
Severstal is entering today’s contest on a 2-game losing streak.
Avtomobilist is playing the 3rd of five straight home games.
Severstal is playing the 2nd of five straight road games.
Severstal defeated Avtomobilist earlier this season by a score of 2-1.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Pavel Kulikov, Sergei Shumakov, Georgi Belousov
Severstal: Pavel Kulikov
Milestone alert
Defenseman Maxim Berezin is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL point (currently at 99).
17:00: Metallurg (28-14-5) vs Dinamo Riga (8-31-7)
About the game
Metallurg is entering today’s contest on a 3-game winning streak.
Dinamo Riga is entering today’s contest having won its last game. We don’t get to write that often.
Metallurg is playing the 3rd of three straight home games.
Dinamo Riga is playing the 4th of five straight road games.
Prokhorkin has points in three straight games, going 3-0-3 over that span.
Dronov has points in three straight games, going 2-2-4 over that span.
Scarlett has points in three straight games, going 2-3-5 over that span.
Injury list
Metallurg: Bogdan Potekhin
Dinamo Riga: Danila Larionovs, Stanislov Galimov, Janis Voris
Milestone alert
Forward Denis Parshin is hoping to collect his 400th career KHL point (currently at 398).
17:00: Traktor (26-18-3) vs Salavat (29-16-4)
About the game
Traktor is entering today’s contest fresh off a loss.
Salavat is entering today’s contest fresh off a victory.
Traktor is playing the 4th of four straight home games.
Salavat is playing the 1st of four straight road games.
Salavat defeated Traktor earlier this season by a score of 3-1.
Osnovin has points in three straight games, going 3-0-3 over that span.
Granlund has points in three straight games, going 4-2-6 over that span.
Alexeyev has points in four straight games, going 3-1-4 over that span.
Injury list
Salavat: Mikhail Vorobyov, Gleb Kuzmin
Milestone alert
Defenseman Denis Bodrov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL assist (currently at 99).
Forward Vyacheslav Solodukhin is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL game (currently at 99).
Forward Markus Hartikainen is hoping to suit up for his 500th career KHL game (currently at 499).
19:00: Ak Bars (35-8-5) vs Lokomotiv (29-13-5)
About the game
Ak Bars is entering today’s contest fresh off a loss.
Lokomotiv is entering today’s contest on a 2-game losing streak.
Ak Bars is playing the 2nd of three straight home games.
Lokomotiv is playing the 2nd of four straight road games.
Lokomotiv defeated Ak Bars earlier this season by a score of 4-3.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Alexander Burmistrov, Albert Yarullin
Lokomotiv: Georgi Ivanov, Pavel Kudryavtsev
Milestone alert
Forward Roman Lyubimov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL point (currently at 99).
Defenseman Denis Barantsev is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL point (currently at 99).
19:00: Kunlun (11-26-8) vs Neftekhimik (15-32-0)
About the game
Kunlun is entering today’s contest having lost its last game.
Neftekhimik is entering today’s contest having lost its last game.
Kunlun is playing the 2nd of two straight home games.
Neftekhimik is playing the 2nd of four straight road games.
Neftekhimik has defeated Kunlun twice this season by scores of 4-3 and 6-3, but also lost to them once by a score of 5-4.
Leshchenko has points in three straight games, going 2-1-3 over that span.
19:30: Vityaz (23-21-3) vs SKA (28-12-8)
About the game
Vityaz is coming into this contest on a 2-game winning streak.
SKA is also coming into this contest having won its last game.
Vityaz is playing the 2nd of four straight home games.
SKA is playing the 3rd of three straight road games.
Vityaz has lost its last 16 home games against SKA, having last won on January 15th, 2009, by a score of 5-4.
Daugavins has points in three straight games, going 2-1-3 over that span. Should he gain three more points this season, he’ll have set a national record of points by a Latvian player (he has 42 now while Darzins set the record with 44).
Injury list
Vityaz: Ivan Larichev
19:30: Dynamo Moscow (28-14-5) vs Barys (24-16-5)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow is coming into this contest fresh off a loss.
Barys is coming into this contest on a 2-game winning streak.
Dynamo Moscow is playing the 5th of ten(!) straight home games.
Barys is playing the 2nd of three straight road games.
Dynamo Moscow defeated Barys earlier this season by an overtime score of 5-4.
Barys last defeated Dynamo Moscow on the road on October 16th, 2012, by an overtime score of 3-2.
The last five games played between these two teams have gone to overtime.
Yeremenko has played 73:54 straight minutes of shutout hockey.
Shipachyov has points in three straight games, going 1-3-4 over that span.
Jaskin has points in three straight games, going 2-1-3 over that span.
Lilja has points in three straight games, going 1-2-3 over that span.
Mikhailis has points in three straight games, going 4-1-5 over that span.
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Mikhail Grigoriev, Vladimir Bryukvin, Oscar Lindberg, Juuso Hietanen, Ilya Shipov
Barys: Viktor Svedberg, Leonid Metalnikov
Milestone alert
Defenseman Michal Cajkovsky is hoping to suit up for his 200th career KHL game (currently at 199).
Defenseman Andrei Mironov is hoping to collect his 100th career KHL point (currently at 99).
19:30: Sochi (12-28-8) vs Sibir (20-24-4)
About the game
Sochi is coming into this contest on a 7-game losing streak.
Sibir is also coming into this contest having lost its last game.
Sochi is playing the 3rd of four straight home games.
Sibir is playing the 3rd of three straight road games.
Sochi defeated Sibir earlier this season by a score of 2-1.
Shmelyov has points in five straight games, going 5-1-6 over that span.
Injury list
Sibir: Eric O’Dell
Milestone alert
Forward Dmitri Sayustov is hoping to suit up for his 500th career KHL game (currently at 499).
19:30: CSKA (34-8-5) vs Amur (18-25-4)
About the game
CSKA is entering this contest on a 2-game winning streak.
Amur is coming into this contest on a 2-game losing streak.
CSKA is playing the 3rd of four straight home games.
Amur is playing the 3rd of three straight home games.
CSKA defeated Amur earlier this season by a score of 5-1.
Injury list
CSKA: John Gilmour
Amur: Artyom Zhelezkov, Danil Faizullin, Matvei Zaseda
Milestone alert
Forward Dmitri Lugin is hoping to suit up for his 500th career KHL game (currently at 499).
