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Emotions in both conferences on a tense matchday!
Six games are on tap, starting with Traktor welcoming Admiral. Then, Vityaz hosts Kunlun Red Star in a high-stakes matchup for the Western Conference’s playoff picture. Spartak faces Lokomotiv, Metallurg faces off against Amur, Torpedo faces Dynamo Moscow and SKA clashes with Salavat Yulaev.
The matchday starts with an Eastern match, with Traktor welcoming Admiral. In the current regular season, the opponents have previously exchanged victories (2:0, 3:4 OT). The Sailors continue their three-game road trip, which began in Astana against Barys (3:2 SO). Traktor, in its previous home game, couldn’t handle Sibir (3:4), allowing Salavat Yulaev to narrow the gap to the top spot in the East to three points. Moreover, the Ufa team has three games in hand compared to the Urals team. The Sailors are in seventh place in the conference with 50 points.
The action then moves to the West. In the Moscow Region, Vityaz hosts Kunlun Red Star. The two sides are close neighbors in the Western Conference standings. The Dragons have 44 points and sit in ninth place, just one point ahead of Pavel Desyatkov’s team. Both sides remain in contention for a playoff spot, though the gap to Torpedo is quite significant — the Nizhny Novgorod team has 52 points. Three days ago, the hosts secured a victory in Nizhnekamsk against Neftekhimik (4:3). Meanwhile, the Dragons haven’t won since Jan. 12, suffering three consecutive losses. In their last two games, Mikhail Kravets’ team failed to score against Spartak (0:2) and Severstal (0:3). Will they be able to break their goalless streak, which now stands at 145 minutes of game time?
In Moscow, Spartak faces Lokomotiv. So far in the current regular season, the Railwaymen remain an undefeated opponent for the Red-and-Whites. The Yaroslavl team will wrap up a four-game road trip, during which they have collected four out of a possible six points, with their most recent game being a loss to SKA (2:5). Spartak returned home from Nizhny Novgorod, where they narrowly lost to Torpedo in a hard-fought match (2:3 SO). With 60 points, Alexei Zhamnov’s team sits in fifth place in the West, trailing the second position by just two points. Lokomotiv, with 78 points, remains the undisputed leader of the regular season.
In the second Eastern match of the day, Metallurg clashes with Amur. Their last meeting was on Jan. 18 in Khabarovsk, where Amur pulled off a sensational victory over the reigning Gagarin Cup champions (3:2 SO). Prior to that, they had lost twice to Metallurg earlier in the season. Following the game in the Far East, Magnitka bounced back with an away win over Neftekhimik (3:2 OT), while the Tigers began their road trip with a loss to Torpedo (2:5). Ahead of the game against Amur, Metallurg’s coaching staff welcomed Alexei Simakov, who will assist Yuri Trubachyov in improving the power play. Currently, the team ranks only 13th in this area, with a conversion rate of 18.6%.
In Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo will seek a fourth straight win as Dynamo Moscow comes to town. The hosts are on a three-game winning streak, having defeated Amur on home ice just two days ago. These recent results have significantly improved the Nizhny Novgorod team’s playoff position—they now hold an eight-point cushion in the playoff zone, with the gap to seventh place reduced to just four points. Dynamo Moscow sits in fourth place in the West, trailing to second place by a narrow margin. The Blue-and-Whites continue their three-game road trip, which began with a nice victory over SKA (5:3). Alexei Kudashov’s team wasn’t fazed even by a three-goal deficit during the game. What storyline will unfold in Nizhny Novgorod?
Closing the matchday is an exciting clash between SKA and Salavat Yulaev. The first meeting between these teams this season took place on Nov. 2 in Ufa, where Salavat Yulaev emerged victorious (4:2). SKA’s recent 3:5 loss to Dynamo Moscow was its fifth defeat in the last six games. With 57 points, they currently hold sixth place in the Western Conference, but are only one point ahead of Dinamo Minsk, which has a game in hand. Forward Mikhail Vorobyov is expected to return from the injured list for SKA soon, though defensive leader Alexander Nikishin will be unavailable for upcoming games.
Salavat Yulaev arrived in the northern capital from the Black Sea coast, where they dominated HC Sochi (8:1). Prior to that, they effortlessly overcame Avangard (4:0). Viktor Kozlov’s squad is clearly on fire, trailing Eastern Conference leaders Traktor by just three points with three games in hand.
14:00: Traktor (31-14-5, 1st E) vs Admiral (21-19-8, 7th E)
About the game
Traktor ends a three-game home series following a loss to Sibir on Wednesday (3:4).
Admiral is in the middle of a three-game road trip and defeated Barys on Thursday (3:2 SO).
The season series between the two teams is 1-1 (2:0, 3:4 OT).
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 13 (7+6) points over that span.
Admiral’s defenseman Libor Sulak is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Injury list
Traktor: Nikita Korostelyov, Ostap Safin.
Admiral: Artyom Chmykhov, Alexander Shevchenko.
Milestone alert
Admiral’s forward Stepan Starkov may reach 100 KHL points (currently at 99).
14:00: Vityaz (19-23-5, 10th W) vs Kunlun Red Star (20-23-4, 9th W)
About the game
Vityaz plays the lone game of the home series following a win over Neftekhimik on Wednesday (4:3).
Kunlun Red Star ends a five-game road trip on a three-match losing streak.
The season series between the two sides is 1-1 (7:2, 2:3 OT).
Vityaz’s defenseman Jeremy Roy is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that span.
Vityaz’s forward Dmitry Buchelnikov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points.
Vityaz’s forward Alexei Makeyev is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Vityaz: Alexander Daryin, Sergei Kalinin, Grigory Vashchenko.
Kunlun Red Star: Jack Chelios, Parker Foo, Semyon Sinyatkin.
Milestone alert
Vityaz’s goalie Dmitry Shikin may record his 10th league shutout.
14:00: Spartak (27-13-6, 5th W) vs Lokomotiv (38-9-2, 1st W)
About the game
Spartak starts a three-game home series following a loss to Torpedo on Monday (2:3 SO).
Lokomotiv ends a four-game road trip after a defeat to SKA on Tuesday (2:5).
The season series between the two teams is 0-2 (0:2, 4:5).
Lokomotiv’s goalie Maxim Mayorov is on a 60:00 shutout streak.
Lokomotiv’s forward Artur Kayumov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that span.
Injury list
Spartak: Michal Cajkovsky, Yegor Savikov, Pavel Poryadin.
Lokomotiv: Daniil Isayev, Alexander Yelesin.
Milestone alert
Spartak’s goalies Artyom Zagidulin and Dmitry Nikolayev may record their 10th KHL shutout.
Lokomotiv’s defenseman Andrei Sergeyev lines up for his 800th league appearance.
14:30: Metallurg (29-16-3, 5th E) vs Amur (11-32-5, 11th E)
About the game
Metallurg starts a two-game home series fresh off a win over Neftekhimik on Monday (3:2 OT).
Amur is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Torpedo on Thursday (2:5).
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (2:1 OT, 3:2, 2:3 SO).
Injury list
Metallurg: Makar Khabarov, Vladislav Yeryomenko.
Amur: Ignat Korotkikh, Oleg Li.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s forward Igor Geraskin may reach 200 KHL points (currently at 198).
Metallurg’s forward Alexander Petunin may record his 100th league assist (currently at 99).
17:00: Torpedo (22-17-8, 8th W) vs Dynamo Moscow (29-15-3, 4th W)
About the game
Torpedo ends a three-game home series on a three-match winning streak.
Dynamo Moscow is in the middle of a three-game road trip and defeated SKA on Thursday (5:3).
The season series between the two sides is 1-1 (2:3 SO, 5:4 SO).
Torpedo’s forward Kirill Voronin is on a six-game scoring streak, with 7 (1+6) points over that span.
Torpedo’s forward Vasily Atanasov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Injury list
Torpedo: Igor Larionov, Vyacheslav Voynov.
17:00: SKA (26-16-5, 6th W) vs Salavat Yulaev (31-14-2, 2nd E)
About the game
SKA enters the fourth game of a five-match home series following a loss to Dynamo Moscow on Thursday (3:5).
Salavat Yulaev, who defeated SKA earlier this season (4:2), enters the second game of a four-match road trip and won its previous couple of matches.
SKA’s forward Sergei Plotnikov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (3+4) points over that span.
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Semyon Vyazovoi is on a 65:13 shutout streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Joshua Leivo is on a four-game scoring streak, with 11 (9+2) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Nathan Todd is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Scott Wilson is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points.
Injury list
SKA: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alexander Nikishin, Mikhail Vorobyov.
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
