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It’s Green Derby time again! Severstal hosts Lokomotiv
Only two games are on tap on a light KHL Friday, with Salavat Yulaev hosting Ak Bars and Severstal facing Lokomotiv.
The matchday will start with an exciting game in Ufa. The opponents will face each other for the sixth and final time in the current regular season. So far, Ak Bars holds the edge in victories with a 3-2 record. In their previous games, both teams suffered defeats. Salavat Yulaev lost 2:4 on the road to Kunlun Red Star, while Ak Bars had no answers at home against Torpedo, falling 1:5. The visitors are just one point ahead of their fierce rivals in the Eastern Conference standings, with both teams currently ranking among the top four.
Salavat Yulaev forward Joshua Leivo’s participation in the upcoming game is uncertain, as he missed the match against the Dragons. He remains the league’s top scorer and points leader by a wide margin, with 40 goals and 23 assists in only 47 games. He is also on an active eight-game point streak, having recorded 12 goals and 4 assists during that span.
Then, in the Western Conference, Severstal faces Lokomotiv. The first meeting between these opponents in the current regular season took place on Sep. 23 in Yaroslavl, where Lokomotiv secured a convincing 4:1 victory. The Railwaymen returned home from Minsk, where they suffered a 1:3 loss to local side Dinamo. Nevertheless, they remain favorites in the race for the Continental Cup, leading Eastern Conference frontrunners Traktor by six points with a game in hand. Severstal is coming off back-to-back wins against Moscow-based Spartak (8:6) and CSKA (4:3). The Cherepovets team will be playing for the first time since Feb. 6, while Yaroslavl last took the ice on the 12th. The hosts have 69 points and continue to compete for second place in the Western Conference. Importantly for the team, they have announced to have renewed ties with top-scoring forward Daniil Aimurzin for a further season.
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (34-16-3, 3rd E) vs Ak Bars (35-16-2, 2nd E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev starts a two-game home series following a loss to Kunlun Red Star on Tuesday (2:4).
Ak Bars starts a three-game road trip after a loss to Torpedo also on Tuesday (1:5).
The season series between the two teams is 2-3 (5:3, 3:2 OT, 2:3, 1:5, 3:4 OT).
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Semyon Vyazovoi is on a 65:13 shutout streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Nathan Todd is on a ten-game scoring streak, with 12 (2+10) points over that span.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Joshua Leivo is on an eight-game scoring streak, with 16 (12+4) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Sheldon Rempal is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 12 (8+4) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Chmelevsky is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points.
Ak Bars’ forward Dmitrij Jaskin is on a six-game scoring streak, with 9 (5+4) points.
Ak Bars’ forward Kirill Semyonov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin, Grigory Panin.
Ak Bars: Yegor Babenko, Mitchell Miller, Ilya Safonov.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Chmelevsky lines up for his 200th league appearance. He has 81 goals and 77 assists in his KHL career so far.
19:30: Severstal (34-18-1, 4th W) vs Lokomotiv (40-13-2, 1st W)
About the game
Severstal starts a two-game home series on a two-match winning streak.
Lokomotiv, who defeated Severstal earlier this season (4:1), is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Dinamo Minsk on Wednesday (1:3).
Severstal’s forward Nikolai Chebykin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
Lokomotiv’s forward Artur Kayumov is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Severstal: Yaroslav Dyblenko, Alexander Skorenov.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s forward Nikita Kiryanov lines up for his 100th league appearance.
