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Spartak hosts Lokomotiv in a clash at the top of the Western Conference!
Only three games are on tap on a light KHL Tuesday, with Salavat Yulaev hosting Lada as the Ufa team tries to build on its recent good momentum and Vityaz facing Severstal.
In Ufa, Salavat Yulaev seeks to build a winning streak hosting Lada as the team starts a new home series. The Bashkortostan franchise gained points in its last four matches, with two wins in extra time, one regulation win, and one SO loss (to Dinamo Minsk). Salavat Yulaev is currently the fourth seed in the East. Lada is also in a good period, with three straight wins before falling to CSKA on Sunday (1:4)—a good momentum that put the team in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Moreover, Lada achieved its last win in Ufa on Sept. 24, 2009 (3:1).
The action then moves to the Western Conference. First, Vityaz hosts Severstal. Both teams came off losses in their latest action, but Severstal had a long winning streak halted by Dinamo Minsk just Sunday, while the Moscow Region franchise has four losses in its previous five matches. With this skid, Vityaz dropped four points below the playoffs line, and climbing up won’t be easy. The Cherepovets side, instead, is currently the fourth seed in the West.
Then, the fans in Moscow witness a clash between the Western Conference leaders as Spartak hosts Lokomotiv. Even a win won’t allow the Red-and-Whites to catch up to Yaroslavl, as the Railwaymen have been on an impressive streak, with ten straight wins. However, Alexei Zhamnov’s team will have plenty of motivation. Spartak is currently undergoing a similar process to Lokomotiv’s recent transformation—coaches are focused on establishing a winning culture and building the right atmosphere in the locker room. With this in mind, Lokomotiv will be a great (if not the best) test for the Red-and-Whites. The teams haven’t met this season yet, but the last game in Moscow ended with a 2-1 win for Lokomotiv. The Yaroslavl side starts a road trip with its impressive streak – the Railwaymen will be looking for yet another win to further stretch its advantage in the standings. Lokomotiv is currently eleven points above Spartak in the Western Conference’s table.
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (14-7-1, 4th E) vs Lada (10-10-3, 7th E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev starts a three-game home series fresh off a win over Torpedo on Saturday (3:2 OT).
Lada ends a five-game road trip after a loss to CSKA on Sunday (1:4).
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Sheldon Rempal is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
Lada: Andrei Altybarmakyan, Vladislav Chervonenko, Evgeny Groshev.
Milestone alert
Lada’s goalie Vladislav Podyapolsky may record his 20th KHL shutout.
19:30: Vityaz (11-13-1, 9th W) vs Severstal (15-8-0, 4th W)
About the game
Vityaz is in the middle of a three-game home series and lost its previous couple of matches.
Severstal enters the third game of a four-match road trip following a loss to Dinamo Minsk on Sunday (1:3).
Injury list
Vityaz: Grigory Vashchenko.
Severstal: Alexander Skorenov.
Milestone alert
Vityaz’s goalies Maxim Dorozhko and Dmitry Shikin may reach their 10th career shutout.
19:30: Spartak (16-5-3, 2nd W) vs Lokomotiv (22-2-2, 1st W)
About the game
Spartak starts a six-game home series on a five-game winning streak.
Lokomotiv starts a three-game road trip after ten straight victories.
Spartak’s forward Daniel Usmanov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that span.
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Georgy Ivanov, Pavel Kraskovsky.
