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Key matchups and playoff positioning on the line in a packed KHL Friday
This KHL Friday features six games across both conferences, promising plenty of action. The day begins with Amur hosting Dinamo Minsk, followed by Salavat Yulaev seeking a fifth straight win against Sibir. Severstal and Barys face off in a battle to end losing streaks, while Vityaz takes on the surging Ak Bars at home. Later, CSKA visits Torpedo in a key Western matchup, and Kunlun Red Star wraps up the action by clashing with HC Sochi in a duel of struggling teams.
The matchday will once again start with an early game in the Far East, with Amur taking on Dinamo Minsk as the two sides meet for the second time this season. In the first encounter, the Belarusians prevailed with a shutout win (3:0). However, both teams lost their last game, with Amur losing to table-topping Lokomotiv (3:4 OT), and Dinamo Minsk surrendering to Admiral (0:4). The Bisons only won once in their last five matches, in an away game against Sibir (5:4). Despite the lack of success, Dinamo Minsk forced most of the games to extra time, gaining critical points and retaining a spot in the Western Conference’s top eight – the team currently sits in seventh place. Amur, instead, are still stuck at the bottom of the Eastern Conference’s table. The Tigers only won twice in the last five matches.
In the other Eastern game of the matchday, Salavat Yulaev hosts Sibir. The Ufa team is one of the hottest in the league, riding a four-game winning streak. With two games in hand compared to Traktor, they have a chance to overtake them at the top of the Conference once those matches are played. Today’s opponents, Sibir, most recently lost to Dinamo Minsk (4:5) and will start a short road trip seeking points to return to the Eastern Conference’s top eight – the team is currently the tenth seed in the East. Earlier this season, Salavat Yulaev had already defeated the Novosibirsk team (3:2 SO).
The action then moves to the West, starting with Severstal hosting Barys. Both teams will be seeking a return to victory, especially the Kazakhs, who lost six games in a row. The Steelers aren’t in their best moment either, with just two wins in the last five matches, against Avangard (4:2) and Ak Bars (7:5), respectively. Severstal starts a new home stand today and currently keeps being the sixth seed in the West, tied with Dinamo Minsk at 36 points, with a four-point gap over Vityaz, the ninth-placed team.
The Moscow Region team is set to host Ak Bars. Vityaz’s last home win over the Kazakh franchise dates back to Jan. 7, 2019, when they collected a 2:1 victory. The team lost its last game, in extra time, to CSKA, while Ak Bars is on a three-match winning streak, with victories over Dynamo Moscow (5:4), HC Sochi (3:2 OT), and CSKA (2:1). Before starting its ride, Ak Bars lost to Severstal in a high-scoring game (5:7), and earlier shut out Neftekhimik (2:0), marking four wins in its last five games. This impressive streak had the Kazan side staying in fourth place in the East, but with a chance to climb up to first place once Ak Bars played its remaining games.
In the meantime, Torpedo hosts CSKA as the teams meet for the third time this season after they traded wins earlier. The Muscovites are on a three-game winning streak, with victories over Vityaz (2:1 OT), Barys (3:1), and Dynamo Moscow (2:1). Torpedo lost its last game, to Metallurg (3:5), after two straight shutout wins at the hand of Spartak (6:0) and Lokomotiv (3:0). Six points separate the two teams in the Western Conference’s table, with Torpedo in eighth place and CSKA in fifth.
In the last game of the matchday, Kunlun Red Star clashes with HC Sochi. Both teams will be trying to bounce back, with the Dragons losing their last three games and HC Sochi on a four-match losing streak. The teams have already met twice this season, with HC Sochi taking both games (4:0, 6:5). Kunlun Red Star is currently second-to-last in the West’s standings, with a three-point advantage over the Sochi franchise, stuck on the bottom of the table with 25 points.
12:00: Amur (7-22-4, 12th E) vs Dinamo Minsk (16-13-4, 7th W)
About the game
Amur enters the fourth game of a six-match home series following a loss to Lokomotiv on Wednesday (3:4 OT).
Dinamo Minsk, who defeated Amur earlier this season (3:0), is in the middle of a five-game road trip and lost to Admiral also on Wednesday (0:4).
Amur’s forward Vladislav Barulin had at least one assist in each of his previous three games, totaling four helpers.
Injury list
Amur: Igor Bobkov, Devin Brosseau, Alexander Bryntsev.
Dinamo Minsk: Daniil Sotishvili.
Milestone alert
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Sam Anas lines up for his 100th KHL game. The forward has 30 goals and 42 assists.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Shipachyov may reach 650 KHL assists.
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (21-8-2, 2nd E) vs Sibir (12-15-3, 10th E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev, who defeated Sibir earlier this season (3:2 SO), enters the fourth game of a five-match home series on a four-match winning streak.
Sibir starts a two-game road trip following a loss to Dinamo Minsk on Monday (4:5).
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Joshua Leivo is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Vladislav Yefremov is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Dennis Yan is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin, Nikita Zorkin.
Sibir: Ilya Morozov.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Alexander Samonov may record his 20th KHL shutout.
Salavat Yulaev’s defenseman Yaroslav Tsulygin lines up for his 100th league appearance.
Sibir’s forward Sergei Shirokov may reach 300 KHL assists (currently at 298).
19:00: Severstal (18-14-0, 6th W) vs Barys (9-22-3, 11th E)
About the game
Severstal starts a six-game home series following a loss to Lada on Tuesday (0:1).
Barys starts a five-game road trip on a six-match losing streak.
Injury list
Barys: Viktor Antipin, Roman Starchenko, Damir Zhafyarov.
19:30: Torpedo (15-12-5, 8th W) vs CSKA (17-7-7, 5th W)
About the game
Torpedo is in the middle of a three-game home series and lost to Metallurg on Tuesday (3:5).
CSKA is in the middle of a three-game road trip and won its previous three matches.
The season series between the two teams is 1-1 (4:3 OT, 1:3).
Torpedo’s forward Dmitry Kagarlitsky had at least one assist in each of his previous four games, totaling seven helpers.
Torpedo’s forward Sergei Goncharuk is on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (4+2) points.
CSKA’s forward Konstantin Okulov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
CSKA: Dmitry Samorukov.
19:30: Vityaz (14-15-4, 9th W) vs Ak Bars (20-9-1, 4th E)
About the game
Vityaz enters the third game of an eight-match home series following a loss to CSKA on Wednesday (1:2 OT).
Ak Bars starts a two-game road trip on a three-match winning streak.
Ak Bars’ goalie Amir Miftakhov is on an 89:19 shutout streak.
Ak Bars’ forward Ilya Safonov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 8 (2+6) points over that span.
Ak Bars’ forward Artyom Galimov is on a three-game scoring streak, with four tallies.
Injury list
Vityaz: Ivan Chekhovich, Ivan Savchik, Vladislav Tsitsyura, Grigory Vashchenko.
Ak Bars: Yegor Babenko.
Milestone alert
Ak Bars’ forward Dmitrij Jaskin may reach 100 KHL assists.
19:30: Kunlun Red Star (12-18-4, 10th W) vs HC Sochi (11-18-3, 11th W)
About the game
Kunlun Red Star enters the fourth game of a five-match home series on a three-game losing streak.
HC Sochi enters the fourth game of an eight-match road trip on a four-game losing streak.
The season series between the two teams is 0-2 (0:4, 5:6 OT).
Kunlun Red Star’s defenseman Joseph Duszak had at least one assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling four helpers.
Injury list
Kunlun Red Star: Semyon Sinyatkin.
HC Sochi: Andrei Nikonov, Daniil Seroukh, Yegor Spiridonov.
Milestone alert
Kunlun Red Star’s goalie Jeremy Smith may record his 10th KHL shutout.
