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Far Eastern playoff push
Both the Far Eastern franchises are fighting to get to postseason, with Admiral currently having the upper hand – and a seven-point advantage – as it’s now the seventh seed in the East. The Sailors will have a hard matchup today as they host Ak Bars. So far, they lost both encounters to the Snow Leopards, both in extra time, but maybe tonight they will find what it takes to defeat the Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s men.
The Tigers, on their hand, will face Avtomobilist following a three-game losing streak. The Motormen achieved two victories over Amur this season, and they have just clinched a playoff spot. Will they relax tonight, and the Tigers will be able to go on the hunt for two points? Or will they play full out to protect their top-four placements from the Hawks’ claws?
The action then moves to the Western Conference, with Torpedo facing Sibir and a Moscow Derby between Spartak and Dynamo Moscow. While both Torpedo and Sibir have secured a spot in the elimination stage, Spartak is currently chasing Dinamo Minsk for the eighth seed in the West. Spartak desperately needs a win tonight, and a rematch against their White-and-Blue fellow Muscovites is scheduled for Feb 16.
12:00: Amur (28-25-9, 8th E) vs Avtomobilist (34-18-9, 4th E)
About the game
Amur starts a three-game home series and lost its previous three matches.
Avtomobilist, who has defeated Amur twice this season (4:2, 4:2), starts a four-math road trip fresh off a win over Dinamo Minsk on Saturday (5:3).
Avtomobilist’s defenseman Yefim Gurkin had an assist in each of his previous three games.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Alexander Shchemerov.
Milestone alert
Amur’s forward Igor Rudenkov may line up for his 300th KHL game.
Amur’s defenseman Yakov Rylov may score his 250th point in the KHL (currently at 249).
12:30: Admiral (31-22-9, 7th E) vs Ak Bars (36-17-9, 1st E)
About the game
Admiral starts a five-game home series fresh off a win over Traktor on Saturday (3:2 OT).
Ak Bars, who has defeated Admiral twice this season (2:1 OT, 2:1 SO), starts a four-game road trip coming off three straight wins.
Admiral’s defenseman Libor Sulak is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points over that span.
Admiral’s forward Nikolai Chebykin is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Ak Bars’ forward Stanislav Galiyev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Ak Bars’ defenseman Vyacheslav Voynov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Injury list
Admiral: Michal Kristof, Evgeny Lisovets.
Ak Bars: Nikita Yevseyev.
19:00: Torpedo (40-17-5, 2nd W) vs Sibir (36-20-6, 2nd E)
About the game
Torpedo ends a two-game home series following a win over Spartak on Saturday (4:3).
Sibir, who has already defeated Torpedo this season (3:2 OT), starts a three-game road trip after two consecutive losses.
Injury list
Torpedo: Andrei Belevich, Alexei Kruchinin, Mikhail Orlov, Yu Sato.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s forward Sergei Goncharuk lines up for his 200th KHL game.
19:30: Spartak (26-28-8, 9th W) vs Dynamo Moscow (35-17-10, 5th W)
About the game
Spartak starts a five-game home series following a loss to Torpedo on Saturday (4:3).
Dynamo Moscow starts a three-game road trip coming off a two-match losing streak.
Spartak has defeated Dynamo Moscow once this season (3:2 SO), and lost twice (1:2 SO, 2:5). Its forward Maxim Tsyplakov is on a six-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points over that span.
Injury list
Spartak: Danila Kvartalnov, German Rubtsov.
Dynamo Moscow: Sergei Boikov.
Milestone alert
Dynamo Moscow’s forwards Vladislav Mikhailov and Jordan Weal line up for their 100th KHL game.
