The KHL is back!
The first game after the December break will be a classic one, with Avangard hosting Ak Bars. The Hawks are fighting for the right to break into first place in the East and the entire championship, while Ak Bars is chasing a spot in the top 4. The teams faced each other twice this season in Kazan, and both games went to the home team, but both times Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s team had to go to OT to chase its wins.
The Eastern Conference will see other exciting matchups, starting with Avtomobilist welcoming Traktor and Salavat Yulaev facing Barys. The Motormen will face Traktor for the fourth time this season as they are trailing 1-2 in the series.
A showdown between Lada and Sibir will be the last game scheduled for the Eastern Conference.
In the West, Torpedo and Lokomotiv will have a distance battle for the third seed in the conference, with Torpedo hosting Spartak and the Railwaymen welcoming Severstal. The Red-and-Whites have defeated Torpedo twice this season, and so did Lokomotiv with the Steelers.
The action then moves to Belarus, where Dinamo Minsk hosts Vityaz. The Bisons are currently the eighth seed in the West and will need points, but so does Vityaz, eager to get out of the bottom of the conference standings.
In Moscow, Dynamo Moscow hosts CSKA for their second derby of the season, with Dynamo claiming a 4:1 victory in the first edition, while SKA hosts a struggling HC Sochi side. Despite the difference in the standings, the Black Sea franchise has downed SKA twice this season, and they are looking for a third victory tonight in St. Petersburg.
16:30: Avangard (26-9-3, 2nd E) vs Ak Bars (23-15-2, 5th E)
About the game
Avangard enters the fifth game of a seven-match home series on a four-game winning streak.
Ak Bars, who defeated Avangard twice this season (5:4 OT, 2:1 OT), is in the middle of a five-game road trip and lost its previous couple of matches.
Avangard’s forward Vladimir Tkachyov is on a sixteen-game scoring streak, with 31 (8+23) points over that span.
Avangard’s forward Reid Boucher is on a six-game scoring streak, with 12 (6+6) points.
Avangard’s defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Dmitrij Jaskin.
17:00: Avtomobilist (21-16-4, 7th E) vs Traktor (21-15-4, 6th E)
About the game
Avtomobilist enters the third game of a four-match home series on a two-game winning streak.
Traktor starts a seven-game road trip following a home loss to SKA on Dec 7 (1:3).
Traktor has defeated Avtomobilist twice this season (2:1, 4:2), and lost once (1:2).
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Denis Barantsev, Jessie Blacker, Dmitry Osipov.
Traktor: Andrei Chibisov, Sergei Telegin.
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (24-13-2, 3rd E) vs Barys (12-21-7, 12th E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev, who has already defeated Barys this season (3:2), starts a two-game home series following a loss to Avtomobilist on Dec 7 (2:3 OT).
Barys enters the fourth game of a five-match road trip on a two-match losing streak.
Injury list
Barys: Alex Grant.
18:00: Lada (21-12-8, 4th E) vs Sibir (18-16-7, 8th E)
About the game
Lada, who has already defeated Sibir this season (3:2 SO), enters the third game of an eight-match home series and defeated Neftekhimik on Dec 7 (3:0).
Sibir starts a two-game road trip fresh off a win over Barys also on Dec 7 (5:1).
Lada’s goalie Vladislav Podyapolsky is on a 60:00 shutout streak.
Sibir’s forward Taylor Beck is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that span.
Sibir’s forward Vladimir Butuzov is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Sibir’s forward Andy Andreoff is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (5+1) points.
Injury list
Lada: Scott Kosmachuk, Danila Moiseyev, Nikita Popugayev.
19:00: Torpedo (24-13-3, 4th W) vs Spartak (26-11-4, 1st W)
About the game
Torpedo plays the lone home game of the series on a four-match winning streak.
Spartak, who has already defeated Torpedo this season twice (4:2, 4:3), plays the lone road game of the series and won its previous couple of matches.
Torpedo’s goalie Ivan Kulbakov is on a 73:09 shutout streak.
Torpedo’s forward Vasily Atanasov is on a nine-game scoring streak, with 12 (6+6) points over that span.
Spartak’s forward Mikhail Belyayev had a goal in each of his previous three games.
Injury list
Torpedo: Sergei Goncharuk, Igor Larionov, Bobby Lynch, Kirill Voronin
Spartak: Ivan Morozov, Shane Prince.
Milestone alert
Spartak’s forward Andrei Loktionov may net his 100th KHL tally (currently at 99).
19:00: Lokomotiv (25-10-3, 3rd W) vs Severstal (17-15-7, 7th W)
About the game
Lokomotiv, who has defeated Severstal twice this season (5:0, 4:3), enters the second game of a four-match home series on a three-game winning streak.
Severstal plays the lone road game of the series following a loss to Dynamo Moscow on Dec 7 (1:2 SO).
Lokomotiv’s goalie Sergei Murashov is on a 76:43 shutout streak.
Lokomotiv’s forward Yaroslav Likhachyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that span.
Lokomotiv’s forward Ivan Chekhovich and Severstal’s forward Daniil Aimurzin had an assist in each of his previous three games.
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Yegor Averin.
Severstal: Daniil Aimurzin.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s goalie Daniil Isayev and Severstal’s defenseman Andrei Churkin may line up for their 100th KHL game.
Lokomotiv’s goalie Ivan Bocharov may record his 30th league shutout.
Lokomotiv’s forward Georgy Ivanov and Severstal’s forward Nikita Korostelyov may reach 100 points in the KHL (currently both at 99).
19:10: Dinamo Minsk (17-17-4, 8th W) vs Vityaz (13-22-5, 11th W)
About the game
Dinamo Minsk plays the lone home game of the series and won its previous couple of matches.
Vityaz starts a two-game road trip on a four-match losing streak.
Dinamo Minsk has defeated Vityaz twice this season (7:0, 3:2), and lost once (1:2).
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Roman Gorbunov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
Milestone alert
Vityaz’s forward Alexander Yaremchuk lines up for his 200th KHL game.
Vityaz’s goalie Dmitry Shikin may reach 10 league shutouts.
19:30: Dynamo Moscow (26-10-4, 2nd W) vs CSKA (22-15-2, 6th W)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow, who has already defeated CSKA this season (4:1), starts a two-game home series fresh off a win over Severstal on Dec 7 (2:1 SO).
CSKA enters the fourth game of a six-match road trip following two straight wins.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Nikita Gusev is on an eight-game scoring streak, with 11 (1+10) points over that span.
CSKA’s goalie Dmitry Gamzin is on a 67:15 shutout streak.
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Alexander Suvorov.
CSKA: Darren Dietz.
19:30: SKA (25-13-1, 5th W) vs HC Sochi (14-22-4, 10th W)
About the game
SKA starts a two-game home series fresh off a win over Traktor on Dec 7 (3:1).
HC Sochi, who has defeated SKA twice this season (5:4, 5:4), is in the middle of a five-game road trip and lost its previous four matches.
SKA’s goalie Pavel Moiseyevich is on a 180:25 shutout streak.
Injury list
SKA: Zakhar Bardakov, Brendan Leipsic, Andrei Pedan.
