CSKA seeks a return to victory in Nizhny Novgorod on an exciting match day
Five games are on tap today, again starting on the Far East with Amur hosting Lada and Admiral entertaining Spartak. In the Western Conference, CSKA pays a visit to Nizhny Novgorod to try reverting the trend against Torpedo, Dinamo Minsk hosts Neftekhimik, and HC Sochi faces off with Avtomobilist, who has recently welcomed back to its lineup a few key players.
The KHL matchday will start in the Far East again, with Amur hosting Lada and Admiral welcoming Spartak. The Tigers enters strong in today’s game, with three consecutive wins – twice over Neftekhimik (2:1, 4:1), and against Spartak (4:3). The Khabarovsk side is now a in a convincing place for its playoffs push, but the season is still very long and the Eastern Conference’s table is extremely tight, especially on the sixth to tenth position. Lada had a good streak with three consecutive wins, but fall to Admiral in its first Far East match (1:6). Today, the Togliatti side will seek a return to victory trying to also return to playoff contention. Yesterday, Amur parted ways with Canadian-born defenseman Cameron Lee.
12:15: Amur (6-6-2, 8th E) vs Lada (4-9-2, 10th W)
About the game
Amur is in the middle of a three-game home series and won its previous three matches.
Lada is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Admiral on Tuesday (1:6).
Amur’s defenseman Viktor Baldayev had an assist in each of his previous three games.
Injury list
Amur: Ruslan Abrosimov, Artur Gizdatullin.
Lada: Nikita Dyadenkin, Alexei Ozhgikhin.
In the second game in the Far East, Admiral faces Spartak. The Sailors just posted a big home win over Lada (6:1) after they already defeated the team in Togliatti (2:1 OT). Admiral is thus currently on a three-win run, and will seek a fourth victory in today’s home game. Spartak lost to Amur in its first game in the Far East of the series, despite tallies by Adam Ruzicka and Lucas Lockhart (3:4). Today’s match will be a good chance for the Muscovites to earn precious points for the Western Conference’s table, but the team as a whole will need to tighten up defensively to withstand Admiral’s momentum – in a tough Eastern road trip, form, discipline, and character will all be put to the test.
12:30: Admiral (6-4-2, 9th E) vs Spartak (7-5-3, 6th W)
About the game
Admiral is in the middle of a three-game home series and won its previous three matches.
Spartak ends a two-game road trip following a loss to Amur on Tuesday (3:4).
Admiral’s forward Semyon Koshelev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points over that span.
Admiral’s defenseman Grigory Solyannikov had an assist in each of his previous three matches.
Spartak’s forward Adam Ruzicka is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that stretch.
Spartak’s forward Nathan Todd is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Injury list
Admiral: Mario Grman, Alexander Shepelev.
Milestone alert
Admiral’s head coach Leonids Tambijevs celebrates his 250th KHL game.
Admiral seeks its 300th win in the KHL.
Spartak’s head coach Alexei Zhamnov may celebrate his 100th win in the league.
The action then moves to the Western Conference, starting with Torpedo facing CSKA. The Muscovites recently lost to Lokomotiv (1:4), dropped a close game to Ak Bars (2:3), and suffered a shootout defeat against Dynamo Moscow (3:4 SO). This leaves them searching for answers, particularly in regards to consistency and defensive coverage. Both teams are underperforming expectations this season, but Torpedo’s form is of even greater concern: the team lost five of their last six, including a tough 1:7 loss to Dinamo Minsk in its last outing, and is struggling badly, especially at home, where they’ve dropped four straight. If that’s not enough, the Nizhny Novgorod side lost its last four home matches to CSKA. Today, the team will try to revert the trend and avoid CSKA return to winning games. Despite the setback, Torpedo remains the third seed in the West. The Muscovites will be again without Daniel Sprong, out for Igor Nikitin’s choice.
19:00: Torpedo (9-7-1, 3rd W) vs CSKA (6-7-2, 9th W)
About the game
Torpedo starts a two-game home series following a defeat to Dinamo Minsk on Tuesday (1:7).
CSKA ends a two-game road trip on a three-match losing streak.
CSKA’s forward Denis Zernov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that span.
Injury list
CSKA: Yegor Fateyev, Danila Moiseyev.
Milestone alert
CSKA’s head coach Igor Nikitin celebrates 700 games in the KHL.
Following is Dinamo Minsk and Neftekhimik’s rematch, after the Wolves’ 4:3 home win on Sept. 11. The Bison returned to victory on Tuesday, thumping Torpedo 7:1 at home – led by a double by Sam Anas – after losing twice in a row to the Shanghai Dragons (2:3, 1:2). Neftekhimik also enters today’s game following a win as they got the best of SKA in extra time in St. Petersbug on Wednesday (3:2 SO), halting a four-game skid. Both sides are doing well in their respective conference’s standings, with Dinamo Minsk pushing for a top-four finish and Neftekhimik being in sixth place after climbing up to the second spot before its recent losing streak. Today’s game will see much on stake as both teams need point for both a morale boost and a better place in the standings.
19:10: Dinamo Minsk (8-4-2, 5th W) vs Neftekhimik (8-7-1, 6th E)
About the game
Dinamo Minsk ends a two-game home series following a win over Torpedo on Tuesday (7:1).
Neftekhimik, who defeated Dinamo Minsk earlier in the season (4:3), is in the middle of a three-game road trip that started with a win over SKA on Wednesday (3:2 SO).
Injury list
Dinamo Minsk: Brady Lyle.
Neftekhimik: Alexander Dergachyov, Nikita Popugayev, Maxim Sushko.
Milestone alert
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Moroz lines up for his 200th KHL game.
Neftekhimik’s forward Danil Yurtaikin may reach 100 points in the league (currently at 99).
Closing out an exciting KHL Thursday is HC Sochi facing Avtomobilist. The Motormen enter today’s matchup after a mixed stretch of results, currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference despite two consecutive losses, to SKA (1:2) and Severstal (0:2), respectively. Avtomobilist has been struggling in the offensive zone in those games, and that’s concerning for head coach Nikolai Zavarukhin, especially considering that they’ve recently recovered three key forwards in Stephane Da Costa, Brooks Macek, and Curtis Valk (but lost top sniper Reid Boucher). They will seek a return to better shape on the Black Sea shores, with Sochi seeking a return to victory after four straight losses. With his streak, Sochi slipped down to last place in the Western Conference’s standings. Moreover, the Black Sea franchise lost its last five home games to Avtomobilist.
19:30: HC Sochi (4-8-1, 11th W) vs Avtomobilist (10-6-1, 3rd E)
About the game
HC Sochi starts a two-game home series on a four-match losing streak.
Avtomobilist enters the third game of a four-match road trip after two straight losses.
Injury list
HC Sochi: Yegor Babenko, Mark Verba.
Avtomobilist: Reid Boucher, Stepan Khripunov, Maxim Osipov, Nikita Tryamkin, Sergei Zborovsky.
Milestone alert
HC Sochi’s goalie Pavel Khomchenko may record his 10th career shutout.
