Three duels set the pace on an exciting KHL Monday
Three thrilling KHL games headline Monday, as Avangard hosts Avtomobilist in the East, while Lokomotiv takes on SKA and Dinamo Minsk faces Traktor in Western Conference battles.
The KHL match day starts in the Eastern Conference, with a showdown between Avangard and Avtomobilist. It will be the first match between the two Eastern side this season. Both sides enter today’s game in good shape, with the Motormen amassing three straight wins and an OT loss to Lokomotiv, defeating Ak Bars (4:1), Amur (3:1), and Neftekhimik (5:2). Avangard has equally three straight wins. Moreover, both sides are actively battling for the Conference’s leadership, with Metallurg being the lone team to keep the Hawks’ pace so far. It will be an exciting game to follow, with Avtomobilist still having problems with its lineup as six men are currently sitting in injury list. After today’s game, the teams will fly to Yekaterinburg, where they will face again on Friday.
16:30: Avangard (9-2-0, 2nd E) vs Avtomobilist (7-4-1, 3rd E)
About the game
Avangard ends a three-game home series on a three-game winning streak.
Avtomobilist ends a two-game road trip also on a three-game winning streak.
Avangard’s defenseman Semyon Chistyakov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (3+4) points over that span.
Avangard’s defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points.
Avangard’s defenseman Maxim Lajoie is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 4 (1+3) points.
Avangard’s forward Dmitry Rashevsky is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Avtomobilist’s forward Roman Gorbunov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points over that stretch.
Avtomobilist’s forward Denis Romantsev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Avtomobilist’s forward Stepan Khripunov is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 5 (2+3) points.
Injury list
Avangard: Nail Yakupov.
Avtomobilist: Stephane Da Costa, Brooks Macek, Maxim Osipov, Nikita Tryamkin, Curtis Valk, Sergei Zborovsky.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s goalie Nikita Serebryakov may record his 20th KHL shutout.
Avtomobilist’s forward Alexander Sharov may score his 300th point in the league.
The action then moves to the Western Conference for further two games. In Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv faces SKA as the teams clash for the first time this season. SKA needs to bounce back after four defeats in its last five matches, while Lokomotiv showed to be in good form and is currently leading the Western Conference’s table with 18 points, despite two losses (to Avangard, 1:4, and Dinamo Minsk (2:3 SO) in its last three games. With both sides aiming to return to victory, the Yaroslavl crowd can expect a high-stakes game with plenty of emotions at both ends of the ice.
19:00: Lokomotiv (8-2-2, 1st W) vs SKA (5-4-2, 9th W)
About the game
Lokomotiv plays the lone home game of the series and lost to Avangard on Friday (1:4).
SKA is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost its previous three matches.
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Daniil Tesanov.
SKA: Vladislav Romanov, Nikita Zaitsev, Ivan Zinchenko.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may reach ten KHL shutouts.
Closing an exciting KHL Monday is a clash between Dinamo Minsk and Traktor. The Belarusians are in great shape, with four wins in their last five matches, capitulating only to Severstal so far in their first home series of the season (2:5). The Minsk team is currently tied with the Shanghai Dragons at 14 points and are the fourth seed in the West, even if the standings are very tight, with ninth place only two points below. Traktor is in a different situation, with four defeats in its last five matches. Today, it will be a great chance to start building back confidence and gain some points for the Eastern Conference’s table, that now sees the team in fifth place. It will be Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Zach Fucale first game against his former club, with whom he reached the Gagarin Cup finals last year. After today’s clash, the Belarusians will play two consecutive games in St. Petersburg against the Shanghai Dragons before returning home for the Oct. 14 game against Torpedo. In the meantime, Traktor flies back to Chelyabinsk
19:10: Dinamo Minsk (6-2-2, 4th W) vs Traktor (5-3-4, 5th E)
About the game
Dinamo Minsk ends a six-game home series after a loss to Severstal on Wednesday (2:5).
Traktor ends a four-game road trip on a three-match losing streak.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Moroz is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
Dinamo Minsk’s defenseman Ty Smith had at least an assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling four helpers.
Traktor’s forward Joshua Leivo is on a six-game scoring streak, with 9 (3+6) points over that stretch.
Traktor’s forward Mikhail Grigorenko is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (5+1) points.
Injury list
Dinamo Minsk: Yegor Borikov, Vasily Demchenko.
Milestone alert
Dinamo Minsk’s head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov may celebrate his 600th KHL victory.
Traktor’s forward Andrei Svetlakov may score his 250th career point (currently at 249).
