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Traktor faces Admiral at home, Lokomotiv vs Kunlun Red Star
The Southern Ural franchise is on a four-game winning run and will try to reach five straight victories. Three games are on tap on a light KHL Wednesday.
Traktor is currently one of the hottest teams in the league, as it’s shown by its four straight wins—after a Sept. 25 home loss to Salavat Yulaev (3:5), they defeated Avangard (4:2), and all the Moscow teams: Spartak (3:2 SO), Dynamo (4:1) and CSKA (4:0) in away matches. Today, the Black-and-Whites return to Chelyabinsk to face Admiral. The Sailors lost four straight games, but finally defeated Lada on Monday, with goalie Andrei Mishurov getting his second straight shutout after a SO loss to HC Sochi. Moreover, newly signed forward Nikita Soshnikov netted his first goal for the team. Today, both teams will be seeking a victory.
Then, Lada hosts Sibir. The Togliatti side has only won twice in its last five games, both times after SO against Neftekhimik (5:4) and Admiral (1:0). Most recently, Lada surrendered to Admiral (0:2). Sibir, instead had two nice wins, a 4:0 thumping of Avtomobilist in Yekaterinburg and a 6:3 win in Kazan over Ak Bars. Lada will be needing points to return to the playoff places, while Sibir is currently in the top four in the West and will want to keep its positioning.
Finally, Lokomotiv hosts Kunlun Red Star. The Railwaymen had five straight wins before falling to SKA in OT on Monday (3:4), thus the Igor Nikitin’s men will want to rebound back before moving on to a road trip. Despite the loss, Lokomotiv is still the number one team in the West. The Dragons lost their last couple of matches and are among the last seeds in the Conference. However, underrating them would be a mistake by Lokomotiv. Kunlun Red Star has defeated teams like SKA and Salavat Yulaev this season, but the Railwaymen have already won a contest against the Dragons this season.
17:00: Traktor (8-2-2, 2nd E) vs Admiral (6-4-2, 6th E)
About the game
Traktor starts a five-game home series on a four-match winning streak.
Admiral ends a five-game road trip and defeated Lada on Monday (2:0).
Traktor’s goalie Zach Fucale is on a 93:08 shutout streak.
Traktor’s forward Maxim Shabanov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points over that span.
Admiral’s goalie Andrei Mishurov is on a 135:32 shutout streak.
Injury list
Traktor: Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Dyklan Sikura.
Admiral: Vyacheslav Osnovin, Stepan Starkov.
Milestone alert
Traktor’s forward Vladimir Zharkov may record his 100th assist in the league (currently at 99).
Admiral’s defenseman Libor Sulak may score his 100th KHL point (currently at 99).
18:00: Lada (4-7-2, 10th E) vs Sibir (8-5-0, 3rd E)
About the game
Lada ends a three-game home series following a loss to Admiral on Monday (0:2).
Sibir enters the fourth game of a five-match road trip after two straight wins.
Sibir’s defenseman Trevor Murphy is on a nine-game scoring streak, with 16 (3+13) points over that span.
Injury list
Lada: Andrei Altybarmakyan.
Sibir: Dmitry Ovchinnikov.
19:30: Lokomotiv (10-1-2, 1st W) vs Kunlun Red Star (5-8-0, 10th W)
About the game
Lokomotiv, who has already defeated Kunlun Red Star this season (6:2), end a two-game home series following a loss to SKA on Monday (3:4 OT).
Kunlun Red Star enters the fifth game of a six-match road trip on a two-game losing streak.
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Denis Alexeyev.
Kunlun Red Star: Ryan Merkley, Dylan Somerby.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s forward Artur Kayumov may score his 200th career point (currently at 199).
Kunlun Red Star’s forward Tomas Jurco lines up for his 100th league appearance.
