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Fourth chapter of the Green Derby, SKA welcomes Spartak
The Green Derby headlines a four-game KHL matchday as Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev meet for the fourth time this season. Kazan leads the all-time series with 52 wins, but Ufa holds a 2-1 edge this year and seeks its first victory in Kazan since November 2023. Elsewhere, Torpedo faces Sibir in a playoff battle, Severstal hosts Avangard, and SKA takes on Spartak in another heated chapter of the capitals’ rivalry.
The KHL matchday starts with the excitation of one of the best rivalries in the league, the Green Derby between Ak Bars and Salavat Yulaev. And that just after the Kazan side hosted Avangard on Monday (1:3). The two teams will begin the second century of official KHL matches between them—with Ak Bars holding a slight edge in the first hundred, 52 wins. The previous meeting, held on Dec. 18 in Kazan, also went to Ak Bars’ way (3-2). However, Salavat Yulaev currently leads the season series. The Ufa team won both home games (5-3, 3-2 OT) and will now look to defeat Ak Bars on their home ice for the first time since November 2023.
That was today’s only Eastern game. In the West, Torpedo welcomes Sibir. The Nizhny Novgorod side finally halted its skid on Monday, defeating Dinamo Minsk in Belarus. Today, Torpedo starts a new homestand with Sibir, who was defeated on Monday by Neftekhimik after five straight wins. Both sides are fighting for a playoff spot, with Torpedo holding the eighth place in the West and Sibir being in the same place in the Eastern Conference.
In the meantime, Severstal welcomes Avangard, while SKA faces Spartak. The Hawks defeated Ak Bars on Monday (3:1) and Neftekhimik on Saturday, climbing up to sixth place in the East after shuffling their roster near the trade deadline. The Steelers have three wins in their last five matches, most recently defeating Spartak on Monday (5:3). The first game of the season between the two teams went to Sevestal.
Then, the fans will be in for a new round of the battle between the two Russian capitals as SKA faces Spartak. Back in October, SKA visited Moscow, and that game left a lasting impression. Spartak took an early 2:0 lead, but SKA turned the game around with three goals in just five minutes. Despite a timeout called by Alexei Zhamnov, the Red-and-Whites couldn’t recover from the blow. The game ended with a 5:2 SKA victory, and the passions surrounding that match lingered for a long time. Only one point separates the two teams in the standings. What will happen this time?
17:00: Ak Bars (25-13-2, 3rd E) vs Salavat Yulaev (27-11-2, 2nd E)
About the game
Ak Bars enters the fifth game of a six-match home series following a loss to Avangard on Monday (1:3).
Salavat Yulaev starts a three-game road trip after losing to Sibir on Saturday (1:4).
The season series between the two teams is 1-2 (3:5, 2:3 OT, 3:2).
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Alexander Samonov is on a 77:21 shutout series.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Yegor Babenko, Mitchell Miller.
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
17:00: Torpedo (18-15-8, 8th W) vs Sibir (18-19-3, 8th E)
About the game
Torpedo starts a three-game home series following a road win over Dinamo Minsk on Monday (4:2).
Sibir enters the sixth game of a seven-match road trip after a loss to Neftekhimik also on Monday (1:2).
Injury list
Torpedo: Mikhail Abramov, Markus Phillips.
Sibir: Fyodor Gordeyev.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s head coach Igor Larionov may celebrate his 100th win in the KHL.
Torpedo’s forward Nikita Artamonov may line up for his 100th league appearance.
17:00: Severstal (26-16-0, 7th W) vs Avangard (20-18-3, 6th E)
About the game
Severstal, who defeated Avangard earlier this season (4:2), ends a three-game home series following a win over Spartak on Monday (5:3).
Avangard ends a three-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Severstal’s forward Danil Aimurzin had at least a goal in each of his previous three games, totaling four tallies.
Avangard’s forward Nail Yakupov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Severstal: Adam Liska.
Avangard: Sergei Boikov, Emil Galimov, Alex Grant, Vladimir Tkachyov.
17:00: SKA (25-12-4, 5th W) vs Spartak (25-10-5, 4th W)
About the game
SKA, who defeated Spartak earlier this season (5:2), ends a three-game home series on a three-match winning streak.
Spartak enters the eleventh game of a thirteen-match road trip following a loss to Severstal on Monday (3:5).
SKA’s forward Ivan Demidov is on a six-game scoring streak, with 11 (7+4) points over that span.
SKA’s forward Sergei Plotnikov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 9 (2+7) points.
Spartak’s forward Nikolai Goldobin is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points.
Spartak’s forward Pavel Poryadin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Spartak’s forward Ansel Galimov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points.
Injury list
SKA: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Mikhail Vorobyov.
Spartak: Andrei Mironov.
Milestone alert
SKA’s forward Mikhail Grigorenko may score his 350th KHL point (currently at 348).
