Metallurg faces Barys, Kunlun Red Star welcomes Lada
Only two games, one per Conference, are on tap on a light KHL Friday.
The KHL matchday starts in Magnitogorsk, with Metallurg facing Barys. The first meeting between the teams this season took place on Nov. 20 in Astana and resulted in a surprising victory for Barys over the reigning Gagarin Cup champions (2:1). Since then, Barys has lost all three subsequent games and traveled to Magnitogorsk for the rematch after being shut out by Sibir in Novosibirsk (0:2). Metallurg played two games after their encounter with Barys, defeating Sibir (3:1) and losing to Avangard (1:2 SO). Galym Mambetaliyev’s team remains second to last in the Eastern Conference with 21 points, while Metallurg sits in fifth place with 34 points.
The action then moves to the Western Conference. Kunlun Red Star continues its impressive run, returning from a road trip with four consecutive wins. The most recent victory for the Dragons came against Neftekhimik (3:1). Mikhail Kravets’ team has been succeeding primarily due to its strong defensive organization, allowing more than one goal in a game only once since Nov. 15. This run has temporarily reduced their gap from the Western Conference playoff zone to five points. Lada will conclude its three-game road trip, during which it finally broke a losing streak with a shutout win over Severstal (3:0). The victory marked their first since Oleg Bratash’s departure. Goalie Vladislav Podyapolsky recorded his third shutout of the season, extending his shutout streak to 65:39. With 27 points, the visitors remain in the hunt for a return to the Eastern Conference playoff zone. However, Kunlun Red Star has never recorded an away win over Lada.
17:00: Metallurg (16-14-2, 5th E) vs Barys (9-19-3, 11th E)
About the game
Metallurg ends a three-game home series following a loss to Avangard on Tuesday (1:2 SO).
Barys, who defeated Metallurg earlier this season (2:1), is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost its previous three matches.
Injury list
Barys: Viktor Antipin, Roman Starchenko, Damir Zhafyarov.
19:30: Kunlun Red Star (12-16-3, 10th W) vs Lada (11-13-5, 10th E)
About the game
Kunlun Red Star starts a five-game home series on a four-match winning streak.
Lada ends a three-game road trip following a win over Severstal on Wednesday (3:0).
Kunlun Red Star’s forward Spencer Foo is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
Kunlun Red Star’s Jayden Halbgewachs had an assist in each of his previous three games.
Injury list
Lada: Vladislav Chervonenko, Nikolai Demidov, Nikita Popugayev.
Milestone alert
Kunlun Red Star’s goalie Jeremy Smith may record his 10th shutout in the KHL.
