SKA seeks redemption against Lokomotiv on a light KHL Saturday
Only three games are on tap on a light KHL Saturday. Two games are scheduled in the East, with Traktor facing Salavat Yulaev and Barys hosting Ak Bars. However, the central stage will most likely in St. Petersburg, where SKA faces off against Lokomotiv in an exciting Western Conference’s matchup.
The KHL match day kicks off in Chelyabinsk, where the hosts face Salavat Yulaev. Traktor have shown mixed form across their previous five fixtures. After edging out Barys 3:2 on the road, the team returned home and overcame Lokomotiv in a disciplined performance (3:1). However, they stumbled against Avangard, conceding eight goals in a high-scoring 5:8 defeat. Earlier in the run, Traktor suffered a setback in Minsk, falling 1:4 to Dinamo. Their road trip started with a tight contest against Shanghai Dragons, narrowly losing 4:5 after OT. Defensive lapses have been costly, but the attack remains potent, averaging over three goals per game in this stretch. Salavat Yulaev will instead enter today’s game on a four-match losing streak, with the team failing in climbing higher than the last spot in the Eastern Conference’s table. The teams will be set for a rematch in Ufa in their next game, on Oct. 21, next Tuesday.
14:00: Traktor (7-5-4, 5th E) vs Salavat Yulaev (3-9-2, 11th E)
About the game
Traktor ends a four-game home series following a loss to Avangard on Tuesday (5:8).
Salavat Yulaev ends a two-game road trip on a four-match losing streak.
Traktor’s forward Andrei Svetlakov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that span.
Traktor’s forward Joshua Leivo is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 4 (2+2) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Pyotr Khokhryakov, Oleg Kuzmin, Dean Stewart.
Milestone alert
Traktor’s forward Andrei Svetlakov may score his 100th KHL goal (currently at 99).
Salavat Yulaev’s defenseman Alexei Vasilevsky may reach 100 league assists (currently at 99).
The second game in the Easter Conference is scheduled in Astana. On Thursday, Barys surprised Avangard and celebrated a 6:2 win with three points from Mason Morelli and a stunning 42-save performance from Adam Scheel between the piping. Before taking down the Hawks, the Kazakhs lost their previous six games, but that streak was somewhat too harsh for Barys, who probably lacked some luck and earned points in three of those outings. The win over Avangard allowed Barys some relief in the standings, but they can’t really relax in a tight Eastern Conference. Ak Bars will visit Astana with the confidence of eleven straight wins over Barys, including two this season (2:1, 4:3). The Kazan side won its previous six matches, and the streak allowed the team to get back into the Eastern Conference’s top four. Today’s game promises to be an exciting one in Astana, with Barys showing that they can defeat even top teams after their victory over Avangard. After the game, Ak Bars will fly back to Kazan, where the team will play its next five matches.
15:00: Barys (6-7-4, 8th E) vs Ak Bars (10-5-1, 4th E)
About the game
Barys enters the fourth game of a five-match home series following a win over Avangard on Thursday (5:2).
Ak Bars, who defeated Barys twice this season (2:1, 4:3), ends a four-game road trip on a six-match winning streak.
Barys’ defenseman Riley Walsh is on a five-game scoring streak, with 8 (3+5) points over that span.
Ak Bars’ defenseman Mitchell Miller is on a six-game scoring streak, with 8 (2+6) points over that stretch.
Ak Bars’ forward Kirill Semyonov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points.
Injury list
Barys: Alikhan Asetov, Nikita Boyarkin, Emil Galimov, Maxim Mukhametov.
Ak Bars: Albert Yarullin.
Today’s last game, however, won’t lag behind, with SKA facing Lokomotiv. The Gagarin Cup champs have only two wins in their last five matches, one of them against SKA, on Oct. 6, with a double by Maxim Shalunov. The productive forward just repeated the feat on Wednesday, when Lokomotiv celebrated a 4:1 home win over Igor Nikitin’s CSKA. Despite the struggles, the Railwaymen remain the top team in the Western Conference, with 22 points – one more than the Shanghai Dragons. SKA is also in a difficult period, with only one win in the last five matches, a 2:1 victory over Avtomobilist on Monday. In its most recent outing, SKA lost to Neftekhimik at home (2:3 SO). The offense keeps on struggling for SKA, with only eight goals over this period. Igor Larionov is expected to find a way to get out of crisis, and a win over Lokomotiv may be a good chance to achieve this.
17:00: SKA (6-5-4, 8th W) vs Lokomotiv (10-4-2, 1st W)
About the game
SKA enters the third game of a six-match home series following a loss to Neftekhimik on Wednesday (2:3 SO).
Lokomotiv, who defeated SKA earlier in the season (4:2), starts a three-game home series fresh off a win over Lokomotiv (4:1).
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Andrei Sergeyev, Daniil Tesanov.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his 10th KHL shutout.
