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Big battles in the East and West in today’s matches!
Four games are on tap today, with Sibir welcoming Traktor, and Salavat Yulaev facing Neftekhimik in the East. In the West, Vityaz battles with HC Sochi, while Spartak hosts Avtomobilist.
The matchday starts in Novosibirsk again, with the home side hosting Traktor after defeating Neftekhimik on Monday (2:1 OT), a win that allowed Sibir to remain on the right side of the playoff line. Traktor is still leading the Eastern Conference’s table, cementing its lead with a 5:3 win in Nizhny Novgorod also on Monday. The Black-and-Whites defeated Sibir twice this season and will be eyeing a third win. Moreover, Traktor won its previous ten games against the Novosibirsk side.
Then, in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Neftekhimik. Both sides lost their last outing, with the Wolves however losing two straight matches and having only one win in the last five games. After losing to Avangard, Salavat Yulaev was overtaken by Ak Bars in second place in the Eastern Conference’s standings. The two sides met most recently on Friday, with Salavat Yulaev claiming a 7:4 win, with doubles by Scott Wilson and Joshua Leivo. Earlier in the season, Neftekhimik collected a 4:2 victory with a strong performance by Jean-Sebastien Dea.
The action then moves to the Western Conference for a further couple of matches. First, Vityaz will seek a return to victory after six straight losses as they host HC Sochi. It will be the fifth match this season between the two sides, with Vityaz claiming three victories in the series. Sochi only won thirteen games out of 43 and is the last team in the West.
Then, Spartak welcomes Avtomobilist. The Motormen traveled to the Russian capital riding a three-game winning streak. Each victory was a hard-fought battle, decided by a one-goal margin: against Barys (3:2 SO), Admiral (4:3), and Dinamo Minsk (4:3 SO). With 54 points, the Yekaterinburg squad holds fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Spartak is currently in the top seven of the Western Conference amidst an incredibly tight standings race. Following a stunning victory over SKA in Saint Petersburg (0:5), the Red-and-Whites have yet to win another game, suffering defeats to Lokomotiv (4:5) and CSKA (2:4), which cost them their second-place position.
15:30: Sibir (19-20-4, 8th E) vs Traktor (28-13-5, 1st E)
About the game
Sibir enters the second game of a four-match home series following a win over Neftekhimik on Monday (2:1 OT).
Traktor enters the third game of a four-match road trip after defeating Torpedo also on Monday (5:3).
The season series between the two teams is 0-2 (4:5, 0:5).
Traktor’s forward Charles Robinson is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points over that span.
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points.
Traktor’s forward Andrei Svetlakov is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points
Traktor’s defenseman Grigory Dronov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Injury list
Sibir: Fyodor Gordeyev.
Traktor: Nikita Korostelyov, Ostap Safin.
Milestone alert
Traktor’s goalie Zach Fucale may collect his 50th KHL win.
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (28-13-2, 3rd E) vs Neftekhimik (14-18-12, 10th E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev starts a three-game home series following a loss to Avangard on Monday (2:3).
Neftekhimik ends a two-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
The season series between the two teams is 1-1 (2:4, 7:4).
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
Neftekhimik: Roman Abrosimov, Alexander Dergachyov, Yegor Korbit.
Milestone alert
Neftekhimik’s forward Vyacheslav Leshchenko may net his 100th KHL tally.
19:30: Vityaz (16-22-5, 10th W) vs HC Sochi (13-27-3, 11th W)
About the game
Vityaz ends a two-game home series on a six-match losing streak.
HC Sochi is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Metallurg on Monday (2:4).
The season series between the two teams is 3-1 (5:4, 4:2, 3:2 OT, 1:3).
Injury list
Vityaz: Alexander Daryin, Sergei Kalinin, Grigory Vashchenko.
HC Sochi: Amir Garayev, Timur Khafizov.
Milestone alert
Vityaz’s goalie Dmitry Shikin may record his 10th KHL shutout.
19:30: Spartak (26-12-5, 4th W) vs Avtomobilist (24-13-6, 5th E)
About the game
Spartak, who defeated Avtomobilist earlier this season (5:4 SO), starts a two-game home series on a two-match losing streak.
Avtomobilist starts a three-game road trip following three consecutive wins.
Spartak’s forward Ansel Galimov is on a six-game scoring streak, with 9 (5+4) points over that span.
Avtomobilist’s forward Semyon Kizimov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Avtomobilist’s defenseman Jesse Blacker is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Injury list
Spartak: Michal Cajkovsky.
Avtomobilist: Nick Ebert, Curtis Valk.
Milestone alert
Spartak’s goalie Artyom Zagidulin may record his 10th league shutout.
