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Ural derby in Yekaterinburg!
The Ural Derby between Avtomobilist and Traktor this season has taken on a vibrant new look. To further distinguish this derby among other intense matchups and rivalries in the KHL, special jerseys have been created, inspired by the Ural character and nature. As a delightful bonus, the winner of the derby now not only earns two points in the standings but also claims the coveted title of Mountain King. And if that’s not enough, Traktor will bring acting head coach Alexei Zavarukhin to Yekaterinburg to face Avtomobilist, led by Nikolai Zavarukhin – they are first cousins. In their first meeting in the current season, Anton Burdasov netted the game-winner as Traktor claimed a 2:1 victory – tonight the fans will again be treated to see the teams wearing the event’s uniforms.
Earlier on, Sibir hosts Metallurg as both sides will try to return to victory after two straight losses. Despite that, Metallurg remains on the top of the Eastern Conference standings, tied with Ak Bars. In the second game in the East, Avangard hosts Dynamo Moscow as the Hawks will seek revenge for their recent 0:6 loss, and will enter into the game with leaders Vladimir Tkachyov and Reid Boucher on a scoring streak. Today’s game will be dedicated to the memory of the late Alexei Cherepanov, who passed away 15 years ago. In the meantime, in Kazakhstan, Barys welcomes Lokomotiv on a serious exam for its acting head coach Galym Mambetaliyev who won his first two games behind the bench following Andrei Skabelka’s dismissal.
In the last game scheduled in the Eastern Conference, Salavat Yulaev hosts Vityaz on a two-game winning streak. It may be a good chance for the Ufa team to climb up in the standings, but they shouldn’t underestimate their opposition.
In the lone game hosted in the Western Conference, SKA faces Dinamo Minsk. The Belarusians got the upper hand in the two teams’ first clash of the season, recording a 4:2 win despite being down by two following the opening frame. SKA will also have to face league-leading goalie Alexei Kolosov, who has already three shutouts under his belt this season. Six games are on tap tonight, with twelve teams on a show on a busy KHL Friday.
15:30: Sibir (7-6-3, 8th E) vs Metallurg (11-4-3, 2nd E)
About the game
Sibir ends a three-game home series and lost its previous couple of matches.
Metallurg enters the second game of a five-match road trip and has also lost its previous couple of games.
Injury list
Trevor Murphy.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s forward Denis Zernov may reach 100 goals in the KHL (currently at 99), while his teammate, defenseman Yegor Yakovlev, may score his 200th point (currently at 199).
16:30: Avangard (8-5-2, 7th E) vs Dynamo Moscow (11-5-1, 4th W)
About the game
Avangard enters the third game of a four-match home series after a win over Metallurg on Wednesday (4:1).
Dynamo Moscow, who has already defeated Avangard this season (6:0), ends a three-game road trip following a loss to Barys also on Wednesday (2:3 SO).
Avangard’s forward Vladimir Tkachyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that span.
Avangard’s forward Reid Boucher is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Avangard: Ivan Telegin.
Dynamo Moscow: Kirill Gotovets.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s goalie Vitaly Demchenko may reach 20 KHL shutouts.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Nikita Gusev may reach 200 league goals (currently at 199).
16:30: Barys (5-7-5, 10th E) vs Lokomotiv (13-3-1, 1st W)
About the game
Barys enters the third game of a four-match home series on a two-game winning streak.
Lokomotiv enters the second game of a five-match road trip also on a two-game winning streak.
Lokomotiv’s forward Georgy Ivanov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points over that span.
Injury list
Barys: Alex Grant, Dmitry Gurkov.
Lokomotiv: Yegor Averin, Andrei Sergeyev.
Milestone alert
Barys’ forward Roman Starchenko may reach 400 league points (currently at 399).
Lokomotiv’s forward Sergei Andronov may net his 100th KHL tally (currently at 99).
17:00: Avtomobilist (10-5-2, 3rd E) vs Traktor (9-7-2, 5th E)
About the game
Avtomobilist starts a six-game home series after a loss to Salavat Yulaev on Tuesday (1:4).
Traktor, who has already defeated Avtomobilist this season (2:1), ends a four-game road trip and defeated Sibir on Wednesday (5:4 SO).
Avtomobilist’s goalie Vladimir Galkin is on a 107:18 shutout streak.
Avtomobilist’s forward Brooks Macek scored a goal in each of his previous five games.
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Denis Barantsev, Jessie Blacker, Maxi Nick Ebert, Semyon Kizimov, Curtis Valk.
Traktor: Andrei Chibisov, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Vladimir Zharkov.
Milestone alert
Avtomobilist’s goalie Evgeny Alikin may reach 20 KHL shutouts.
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (9-7-0, 6th E) vs Vityaz (4-12-1, 11th W)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev is in the middle of a three-game home series and won its previous couple of matches.
Vityaz enters the third game of a four-match road trip on a two-game losing streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Danil Bashkirov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 8 (3+5) points over that span.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Mikhail Naumenkov, Grigory Panin.
Vityaz: Vladimir Galuzin, Yegor Popov, Vladislav Tsitsyura.
Milestone alert
Vityaz’s goalie Dmitry Shikin may record his 10th KHL shutout.
19:30: SKA (8-8-0, 8th W) vs Dinamo Minsk (8-5-2, 6th W)
About the game
SKA enters the third game of a four-match home series following a loss to Lokomotiv on Wednesday (2:3).
Dinamo Minsk, who has already defeated SKA this season (4:2), is in the middle of a three-game road trip and won its previous four matches.
SKA’s forward Mikhail Vorobyov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 9 (3+6) points over that span.
Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Alexei Kolosov is on an 84:20 shutout streak.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Moroz is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Injury list
SKA: Stepan Falkovsky, Marat Khairullin, Brendan Leipsic, Johan Mattsson, Andrei Pedan.
Dinamo Minsk: Nikita Pyshkailo, Ivan Sekerin, Alexander Suvorov.
