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Big battle in Omsk: Avangard faces Salavat Yulaev
It’s a crucial game for both Barys and Dinamo Minsk as they battle it out on the ice tonight. With the playoffs looming, every point matters, and both teams are fighting tooth and nail for a chance to compete in the elimination stage.
Barys, with an 8 point-gap from Amur, faces a daunting task of catching up to secure their playoff spot. They suffered a setback on Monday, losing 4:6 to SKA, but their captain Nikita Mikhailis has been leading with his impressive form, producing seven points in his last three games. Mikhailis will be looking to inspire his team to victory and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Dinamo Minsk, on the other hand, is in a precarious position, sitting eighth in the West and with Spartak hot on their heels. They cannot afford to relax and must put in a top-notch performance to secure their playoff spot. The pressure is on, and every player on the team will need to step up and deliver.
In the meantime, Avangard has another home game when they face Salavat Yulaev. Both teams have been in fine shape of late, with Ufa celebrating four straight wins and Ilya Ezhov being named Best goalie of the week after his excellent performance in this span. Playoffs vibes will be high also when Metallurg hosts Neftekhimik – the Wolves have sensationally defeated Magnitka both times so far, and they need points to keep on hoping for a postseason place.
A showdown between CSKA and Lokomotiv closes the KHL matchday. It will be the fifth encounter between the two Western giants, with the teams equally trading wins so far. It will be interesting to see who will go ahead in the series as the playoff get closer with every day.
16:30: Avangard (35-20-7, 5th E) vs Salavat Yulaev (34-20-9, 6th E)
About the game
Avangard enters the fourth game of an eight-match home series coming off two consecutive wins.
Salavat Yulaev ends a two-game road trip and won its previous four matches.
Avangard has defeated Salavat Yulaev three times this season (4:3 SO, 2:1 SO, 3:2 SO), and lost twice (0:5, 1:3).
Avangard’s forward Reid Boucher is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points over that span.
Avangard’s forward Arseny Gritsyuk and Salavat Yulaev defenseman Mikhail Naumenkov are on an identical, three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Kadeikin had at least an assist in each of his previous three games, totaling four helpers.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Chmelevski is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (6+1) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Ilya Ezhov is on a 62:20 shutout streak.
Injury list
Avangard: Stanislav Galimov, Nail Yakupov.
Salavat Yulaev: Josh Ho-Sang.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Kadeikin may reach 250 KHL points (currently at 249).
16:30: Barys (26-20-7, 11th E) vs Dinamo Minsk (25-26-13, 8th W)
About the game
Barys ends a two-game home series after a loss to SKA on Monday (4:6).
Dinamo Minsk, who has already defeated Barys this season (4:3 SO), ends a four-game road trip after losing three straight matches.
Barys’ forward Nikita Mikhailis is on a three-game scoring streak, with 7 (4+3) points over that span.
Barys’ forward Kirill Savitsky is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Ryan Spooner is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points.
Injury list
Barys: Dmitry Gurkov, Yury Sergiyenko.
17:00: Metallurg (33-18-11, 3rd E) vs Neftekhimik (30-28-5, 9th E)
About the game
Metallurg starts a two-game home series fresh off a win over Sibir on Sunday (4:1).
Neftekhimik, who has defeated Metallurg twice this season (6:5, 3:2), starts a two-game road trip coming off a two-match winning streak.
Metallurg’s defenseman Grigory Dronov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (4+3) points over that span.
Neftekhimik’s forward Andrei Belozyorov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Neftekhimik’s forward Evgeny Chivilyov had an assist in each of his previous three games.
Neftekhimik’s forward Semyon Kizimov is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Injury list
Neftekhimik: Emil Garipov.
19:30: CSKA (39-15-8, 3rd W) vs Lokomotiv (39-17-8, 2nd W)
About the game
CSKA plays the lone home game of the series and has won its previous couple of matches.
Lokomotiv ends a two-game road trip following a four-match winning streak.
The teams have equally traded wins this season so far (3:2, 2:1 OT – 2:3 SO, 1:3).
CSKA’s forward Maxim Mamin is on a six-game scoring streak, with 7 (3+4) points over that span.
Lokomotiv’s goalies are both on active shutout streaks: Ivan Bocharov at 84:05, and Daniil Isayev at 67:19.
Injury list
CSKA: Danil Yurtaikin.
Lokomotiv: Yegor Korshkov, Mikhail Varnakov.
Milestone alert
CSKA’s goalie Alexander Sharychenkov may celebrate his 100th victory in the KHL.
