One win away: Lokomotiv eyes historic Gagarin Cup triumph

Lokomotiv is on the brink of making history. After a dominant 3:1 win in Chelyabinsk, the Railwaymen lead the series 3-1 and are just one victory away from their first Gagarin Cup title. With three straight wins following an opening loss, the Yaroslavl side has momentum and home ice on its side for game five. Can Traktor force the series back to Chelyabinsk, or will Lokomotiv lift its first national championship since 2003 in front of its fans?

19:30: Lokomotiv vs Traktor

Series stand
3-1 (1:2, 4:1, 5:2, 3:1).

About the game
Lokomotiv’s excellent form on the road in this year’s playoffs continues – and a 3:1 win in Chelyabinsk puts the Railwaymen only one game away from lifting the Gagarin Cup. For the third round in a row, Lokomotiv dropped the first game then rebounded with three wins on the spin. If the Railwaymen get it done, and they can do it on home ice on Wednesday, it would be their first time as KHL champion, and their first Russian championship since 2003. In game four, Lokomotiv gave no chance to Traktor, with goals coming from Maxim Beryozkin and Ilya Nikolayev. Vladimir Tkachyov cut the hosts’ lead short with fewer than three minutes to go with Zach Fucale pulled, but Denis Alexeyev’s empty-netter sealed the deal for the Railwaymen, who were outshot 29-26 but made the most of their chances. Daniil Isayev stopped 28 attempts, while Fucale made 23 saves for Traktor.
Will Traktor return the series to Chelyabinsk or will Lokomotiv finally lift the Cup?

Injury list
Lokomotiv: Stepan Nikulin

Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s forward Alexander Polunin may record his 100th assist in the KHL (currently at 99).
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov may reach 200 KHL points (currently at 198).
Traktor’s forward Alexander Kadeikin may record his 200th KHL assist (currently at 199).