Key showdowns in the East and West: Metallurg hosts Traktor, Dynamo Moscow faces SKA
Four games are on the KHL schedule today, featuring key battles in both conferences. The South Ural derby sees Metallurg, riding a seven-game winning streak, hosting Traktor. Ak Bars wraps up its homestand against struggling Barys, aiming to extend its dominance. In the West, Torpedo faces Admiral, with both teams seeking better playoff positioning. The marquee matchup features Dynamo Moscow, fresh off three straight wins, hosting SKA, who look to rebound after a tough loss.
Another South Ural derby is scheduled for today, with Metallurg hosting Traktor as the Black-and-Whites defeated Magnitka earlier this season in the first edition (4:0). On Nov. 13, Andrei Svetlakov potted a double and Zach Fucale made 26 saves as Traktor celebrated a strong-willed victory. Today, however, Traktor will face a much more fit opponent, with Metallurg currently on a seven-game winning streak, while the Black-and-Whites won twice in a row, shutting out Lada (5:0) and Avtomobilist (2:0), and keep on being at the top of the Eastern Conference. Metallurg is tied with Ak Bars at 56 points in third place.
The Kazan side will face Barys at home, wrapping up a six-game homestand. The Kazakhs are struggling in finding the back of the net, with nine consecutive losses, failing to score any goal in five of these games. Moreover, Ak Bars has already achieved two wins over Barys this season – one of them with goalie Amir Miftakhov earning a shutout. Goaltending should be on display in this game: Miftakhov is the league’s leader in saves percentage, while Barys’ Nikita Boyarkin is in fourth place.
The action then moves to the Western Conference for a further two matches. First, Torpedo welcomes Admiral. The Sailors aren’t in a good position lately, with six consecutive losses, while Igor Larionov’s men won twice in a row, over Dinamo Minsk (4:2) and Sibir (2:0). Admiral slipped down to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, while Torpedo is currently the eighth seed in the West. Both teams will seek to improve their positioning in today’s match.
In the marquee matchup of the day in the West, SKA will aim to bounce back from their recent crushing home defeat to Spartak (0:5) facing Dynamo Moscow. The St. Petersburg side begins a short two-game road trip, where they will also face Lokomotiv. The Blue-and-Whites enter the game riding a three-game winning streak, with away victories over Severstal (7:2) and HC Sochi (5:1, 2:0).
Goaltender Vladislav Podyapolsky recorded his first shutout with his new club during this stretch. A former SKA player, Podyapolsky ranks among the top five netminders this season across all key metrics. In the standings, only one point separates the teams. Dynamo Moscow sits in fourth place in the Western Conference, just ahead of SKA.
14:30: Metallurg (26-15-2, 4th E) vs Traktor (27-12-5, 1st E)
About the game
Metallurg enters the third game of a four-match home series on a seven-game winning streak.
Traktor, who defeated Metallurg earlier this season (4:0), starts a four-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Metallurg’s defenseman Robin Press had an assist in each of his previous four matches.
Traktor’s goalie Zach Fucale is on a 126:53 shutout streak.
Injury list
Metallurg: Makar Khabarov, Vladislav Yeryomenko.
Traktor: Nikita Korostelyov, Ostap Safin.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s forward Roman Kantserov lines up for his 100th league appearance.
Traktor’s goalie Zach Fucale may celebrate his 50th win in the league.
17:00: Ak Bars (26-13-2, 3rd E) vs Barys (10-32-4, 11th E)
About the game
Ak Bars ends a six-game home series after a win over Salavat Yulaev on Wednesday (5:1).
Barys ends a two-game road trip on a nine-match losing streak.
The season series between the two teams is 2-0 (5:0, 2:1 SO).
Ak Bars’ forward Artyom Galimov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points over that span.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Yegor Babenko, Mitchell Miller.
Barys: Batyrlan Muratov, Maxim Mukhametov, Roman Starchenko.
17:00: Torpedo (19-15-8, 8th W) vs Admiral (18-18-7, 7th E)
About the game
Torpedo, who defeated Admiral earlier this season (4:2), is in the middle of a three-game home series and won its previous couple of matches.
Admiral ends a three-game road trip on a six-match losing streak.
Torpedo’s goalie Ivan Bocharov is on an 81:45 shutout streak.
Injury list
Torpedo: Mikhail Abramov.
Admiral: Artyom Nikolayev.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s defenseman Mikhail Orlov reaches 400 KHL games today, while forward Nikita Artamonov may reach 100.
17:00: Dynamo Moscow (26-14-3, 4th W) vs SKA (25-13-4, 5th W)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow, who defeated SKA earlier this season (4:2), starts a three-game home series on a three-match winning streak.
SKA starts a two-game road trip following a loss to Spartak on Wednesday (0:5).
Dynamo Moscow’s goalie Vladislav Podyapolsky is on a 66:06 shutout streak.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Jordan Weal had at least an assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling four helpers.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Cedric Paquette is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
Injury list
SKA: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Mikhail Vorobyov.
Milestone alert
SKA’s forward Mikhail Grigorenko may score his 350th KHL point (currently at 348).
