First Conference Finals to start tonight!

SKA hosts CSKA tonight for game one of the Conference Finals – familiar foes meet again at this stage for the fifth time in eight years, with the 2020 playoffs cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both teams had an extremely successful playoff campaign so far, with CSKA going undefeated, and SKA only losing once to Spartak in the second round. Who will prevail in this classic clash of titans? We’ll soon find out.

17:00: SKA vs CSKA

Series stand:
0-0.

Series history:
2021: Western Conference finals. CSKA defeated SKA 4-2.
2019: Western Conference finals. CSKA defeated SKA 4-3.
2018: Western Conference finals. CSKA defeated SKA 4-2.
2016: Western Conference finals. CSKA defeated SKA 4-0.
2015: Western Conference finals. SKA defeated CSKA 4-3.
2014: First-round meetup. SKA defeated CSKA 4-0.
2012: First-round meetup. SKA defeated CSKA 4-1.
In the KHL history, CSKA has won four of seven series against SKA.

About the game
CSKA is yet to lose a game in this year’s playoffs, as they defeated Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow both with a 4-0 score in the series. SKA only lost once after storming 4-0 past Dinamo Minsk and conceding a game to Spartak en route to a 4-1 victory.
The teams met three times this season. They exchanged home victories, but CSKA prevailed twice. However, SKA had the best in the most recent clash, with Nikita Gusev netting the game winner in a 3:2 OT victory on Dec 22.
CSKA’s defenseman Vladislav Provolnev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that span.

Injury list
SKA: Joonas Kemppainen.
CSKA: Nikita Rtishchev.

Milestone alert
CSKA’s forward Anton Slepyshev may score his 100^th KHL goal (currently at 99).
CSKA’s goalie Ivan Fedotov may celebrate his 50^th KHL victory.

CSKA’s forward Konstantin Okulov may reach 50 points in the KHL playoffs (currently at 47).