Moscow derby showdown headlines a thrilling KHL matchday
A thrilling six-game slate takes center stage, headlined by a high-stakes Moscow derby between CSKA and Dynamo. The matchday kicks off in the Far East, where Amur hosts Barys, followed by a pivotal playoff race clash between Sibir and Torpedo. Metallurg continues its homestand against Kunlun Red Star, while Salavat Yulaev battles Dinamo Minsk. Ak Bars looks to close out its home stretch on a high note against Vityaz. The day culminates in the Russian capital, where CSKA aims to maintain its dominance over Dynamo in their final regular-season showdown.
The matchday starts in the Far East with a showdown between Amur and Barys. Astana kicked off their Far East road trip with a victory over Admiral (5:4 SO), overcoming a three-goal deficit along the way. Galym Mambetaliyev’s team will now face Amur, who are on a four-game losing streak, having most recently fallen to Sibir in Novosibirsk (2:4). Both teams are already out of playoff contention and sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, with Amur holding a three-point advantage. Notably, Barys has managed to score just once against the Tigers in their three previous meetings this season.
The action then moves to Novosibirsk, where Sibir faces Torpedo. Thanks to a 4:2 win over Amur, Sibir managed to strengthen their position in the playoff race. Vadim Yepanchintsev’s team remains in eighth place in the standings. Torpedo, meanwhile, will wrap up a challenging three-game road trip. The Nizhny Novgorod side suffered narrow losses to Avangard (3:4) and Dynamo Moscow (1:2). Sitting eighth in the Western Conference with 70 points, they have already secured their first-round playoff matchup against Lokomotiv. For the upcoming game, Torpedo is expected to welcome back forwards Andrey Belevich and Kirill Voronin, along with defenseman Markus Phillips.
In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg hosts Kunlun Red Star. The Foxes continue their four-game homestand following a 4:2 victory over CSKA. The reigning Gagarin Cup champions have accumulated 84 points and remain in the battle to secure a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference. Kunlun Red Star, meanwhile, has been officially eliminated from playoff contention, sitting ninth in the Western Conference. The team traveled to Magnitogorsk for their final road game of the season after a convincing 5:2 win over HC Sochi on the Black Sea coast. Can the Dragons finish their campaign on a high note and pull off a stunning upset? It’s worth noting that Kunlun Red Star has never defeated Metallurg on the road in KHL history.
In the meantime, Salavat Yulaev clashes with Dinamo Minsk. Following a 1:3 loss to Dynamo Moscow, the Bison now heads to Ufa. Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team is coming off back-to-back defeats against SKA (1:3) and Severstal (4:5)—two direct rivals in the Western Conference standings. As a result, the Bisons are at risk of dropping out of the top four. Salavat Yulaev, meanwhile, sits second in the East with 85 points. The teams have already faced off this season, with Dinamo Minsk securing a 3:2 SO victory on Nov. 7. Can they replicate that success on the road?
In the last Eastern game of the matchday, Ak Bars faces Vityaz. The Kazan side will wrap up its five-game homestand following a commanding 6:2 victory over conference-leading Traktor, powered by two-goal performances from Artyom Galimov and Dmitrij Jaskin. Ak Bars currently holds 82 points and, despite inconsistent results, remains in the hunt for a top-four finish. Vityaz, meanwhile, sits tenth in the West and travels to Tatarstan’s capital fresh off a 3:1 home win over Sibir.
The only Western game today is a Moscow derby between CSKA and Dynamo. CSKA has been an unbeatable opponent for Dynamo this season, claiming victory in all three Moscow derbies. CSKA returns home after a three-game road trip that ended with a 2:4 loss to Metallurg. Dynamo, on the other hand, secured a 3-1 win over Salavat Yulaev in its last outing, solidifying its hold on second place in the Western Conference. With 85 points, Ilya Vorobyov’s squad remains one of the top contenders, trailing the leader by just two points.
10:30: Amur (15-41-8, 11th E) vs Barys (14-43-7, 12th E)
About the game
Amur plays the lone home game of the series on a four-match losing streak.
Barys is in the middle of a three-game road trip and defeated Admiral on Thursday (5:4 SO).
The season series between the two teams is 3-0 (5:1, 3:0, 5:0).
Amur’s forward Oleg Li is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points over that span.
Injury list
Amur: Devin Brosseau.
Barys: Nikita Boyarkin, Andrei Shutov.
13:30: Sibir (27-27-10, 8th E) vs Torpedo (31-26-8, 8th W)
About the game
Sibir enters the second game of a five-match home series following a win over Amur on Thursday (4:2).
Torpedo, who defeated Sibir earlier this season (2:0), ends a three-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
Torpedo’s forward Kirill Voronin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that span.
Injury list
Sibir: Fyodor Gordeyev.
Torpedo: Mikhail Abramov, Vasily Atanasov, Igor Larionov, Bobby Lynch.
14:30: Metallurg (40-20-4, 3rd E) vs Kunlun Red Star (28-32-5, 9th W)
About the game
Metallurg, who defeated Kunlun Red Star earlier this season (4:2), enters the second game of a four-match home series following a win over CSKA on Wednesday (4:2).
Kunlun Red Star wraps up a ten-game road trip after defeating HC Sochi on Tuesday (5:2).
Metallurg’s goalie Alexander Smolin is on a 75:43 shutout streak.
Metallurg’s forward Roman Kantserov had at least one assist in each of his previous three games, totaling four helpers.
Injury list
Metallurg: Vladislav Yeryomenko, Danila Yurov.
Kunlun Red Star: Parker Foo.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s defenseman Valery Orekhov lines up for his 400th league appearance, while forward Yegor Korobkin reaches 300.
14:30: Salavat Yulaev (41-20-3, 2nd E) vs Dinamo Minsk (37-20-7, 4th W)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev ends a two-game home series following a loss to Dynamo Moscow on Thursday (1:3).
Dinamo Minsk, who defeated Salavat Yulaev earlier this season (3:2 SO), wraps up a three-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Joshua Leivo is on a six-game scoring streak, with 8 (3+5) points over that span.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Sheldon Rempal is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Shipachyov is on a six-game scoring streak, with 9 (3+6) points over that stretch.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Moroz is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (5+2) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
Dinamo Minsk: Nikita Pyskhailo, Daniil Sotishvili.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Vladislav Yefremov may reach 400 games.
17:00: Ak Bars (40-23-2, 5th E) vs Vityaz (23-32-9, 10th W)
About the game
Ak Bars, who defeated Vityaz earlier this season (5:3), ends a five-game home series following a win over Traktor on Wednesday (6:2).
Vityaz starts a two-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Vityaz’s defenseman Dean Stewart is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Yegor Babenko.
Vityaz: Ivan Chekhovich, Frederik Gauthier.
Milestone alert
Vityaz’s goalie Dmitry Shikin may record his 10th KHL shutout.
17:00: CSKA (37-18-9, 3rd W) vs Dynamo Moscow (40-19-5, 2nd W)
About the game
CSKA starts a three-game home series following a loss to Metallurg on Wednesday (2:4).
Dynamo Moscow ends a three-game road trip and defeated Salavat Yulaev on Thursday (3:1).
The season series between the two teams is 3-0 (3:1, 4:3 SO, 1:0).
CSKA’s forward Stanislav Galiyev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Nikita Gusev is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (4+3) points.
Injury list
CSKA: Vitaly Abramov, Colby Williams.
