Avangard meets Avtomobilist in an exciting showdown; four games scheduled
The KHL Sunday has three games in the Eastern Conference and one in the West, starting with Amur hosting Severstal, then going on with Avangard facing Avtomobilist and Metallurg welcoming Neftekhimik. Then, Torpedo faces Lada in the last clash of an exciting match day.
The match day will start early in Khabarovsk with a showdown between Amur and Severstal. The two sides will meet for the first time this season. What’s interesting is that both Amur and Severstal enter today’s game with goalies in top shape – both achieved shutout victories in their last outings. The Tigers celebrated a 3:0 win over Lada, with Maxim Dorozhko posting 29 saves, while Alexander Samoilov stopped 30 shots as Severstal defeated Avtomobilist on Wednesday (2:0). The goaltending duel will be exciting to watch, but it won’t be the only factor – Severstal can sport two top players on active scoring streaks in Mikhail Ilyin and Daniil Aimurzin, but the Tigers are on a longer winning streak and have fewer players sitting on injury list. Today’s Far East game can go either way, and it may have its consequences on both conference’s standings.
10:00: Amur (7-6-2, 7th E) vs Severstal (7th W)
About the game
Amur ends a three-game home series on a four-match winning streak.
Severstal starts a three-game road trip after three straight wins.
Amur’s goalie Maxim Dorozhko is on a 61:10 shutout streak, while Alexander Samoilov hasn’t allowed any goal in the last 69:05 minutes.
Severstal’s forward Mikhail Ilyin is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 8 (3+5) points over that stretch.
Severstal’s forward Daniil Aimurzin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Injury list
Amur: Roman Abrosimov, Ilnar Gizdatullin.
Severstal: Nikolai Burenov, Ilya Ivantsov, Adam Liska, Kirill Pilipenko, Artyom Shchuchinov, Kirill Tankov, Vladislav Tsitsyura.
The action then moves to Omsk for a showdown between Avangard and Avtomobilist. In the previous two encounters of the season – which happened back-to-back – the Motormen celebrated two consecutive wins (1:4, 0:3). Avangard’s last games have been a rollercoaster. The team alternates between offensive explosions (eight goals vs Traktor, five vs Metallurg on a strong performance) and quiet nights (two shutouts suffered, then a heavy defeat by Barys). Defensive gaps have hurt the Hawks, and consistency remains elusive—the attack can be brilliant, but lapses against top opposition prove costly. In today’s game and going forward, Avangard must tighten up defensively if they want to capitalize on their excellent scoring potential. The Motormen have been solid, picking up wins over Avangard and Traktor, but also suffered losses to Severstal and SKA. However, on their Friday’s win over HC Sochi, Stephane Da Costa and Brooks Macek returned to scoring. Overall, they remain competitive with three wins and two defeats in their last five outings. The teams will battle for the second seed in the East.
14:00: Avangard (11-5-0, 3rd E) vs Avtomobilist (11-6-1, 2nd E)
About the game
Avangard starts a five-game home series following a loss to Barys in Astana on Thursday (2:6).
Avtomobilist, who defeated Avangard twice earlier in the season (1:4, 0:3), ends a four-match road trip after defeating HC Sochi on Friday (3:2 OT).
Avangard’s forward Nikolai Prokhorkin is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (5+1) points over that stretch.
Avangard’s forward Konstantin Okulov had at least one assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling six helpers.
Avangard’s defenseman Maxim Lajoie is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points.
Injury list
Avangard: Nail Yakupov.
Avtomobilist: Reid Boucher, Stepan Khripunov, Maxim Osipov, Nikita Tryamkin, Sergei Zborovsky.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s goalie Nikita Serebryakov may reach 20 KHL shutouts.
Avtomobilist’s forward Ilya Ovchinnikov lines up for his 100th league appearance.
Leading the Eastern Conference is Metallurg, today facing Neftekhimik. Both teams enter today’s game in fine shape. Magnitka won four of its last five matches, only conceding one game to Avangard last Sunday (1:5). In this streak, they defeated Salavat Yulaev (6:4), Torpedo (twice, 4:1 and 5:1), and Spartak (6:2). With nine goals allowed in the last two matches, however, head coach Andrei Razin will try to tighten the defensive zone in the home game against the Wolves – known for excellent offensive play this season under new head coach Igor Grishin. Evgeny Kuznetsov started well in Magnitogorsk, with an assist in each of his first three games with his new team; perhaps the veteran will seek his first goal today against Neftekhimik, who interrupted a concerning skid posting two consecutive huge road wins over SKA (3:2 SO) and Dinamo Minsk (4:3 OT). The teams will face off again on Oct. 23 in Nizhnekamsk.
14:30: Metallurg (12-2-2, 1st E) vs Neftekhimik (9-7-1, 6th E)
About the game
Metallurg ends a four-game home series following a win over Salavat Yulaev on Thursday (6:4).
Neftekhimik ends a three-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Metallurg’s forward Evgeny Kuznetsov had an assist in each of his previous three matches.
Injury list
Neftekhimik: Alexander Dergachyov, Nikita Popugayev.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s forward Evgeny Kuznetsov lines up for his 300th league appearance, while Neftekhimik’s forward Vladislav Barulin reaches 200.
Neftekhimik’s forward Danil Yurtaikin may record his 100th KHL point (currently at 99).
Closing out an exciting KHL Sunday is Torpedo facing Lada for the third time this season, with Torpedo claiming wins in each of the clashes. The Nizhny Novgorod side enters the game in search of a response after a worrying slide. The team suffered two consecutive losses—first a 1:4 defeat against Metallurg, then a bruising 1:7 setback to Dinamo Minsk that exposed defensive flaws. Offensively, they’ve struggled to generate chances, scoring just twice in their last two outings. The recent form marks a contrast to their earlier run, and Torpedo will be focused on tightening up at the back and reigniting their attack as they aim to break the losing streak and get back on track. Despite the setback, Torpedo is quite high in the Western Conference’s table, and will be seeking a return to victory. Lada lost two straight games on the Far East after two consecutive wins, and is now tied with HC Sochi at the bottom of the conference standings. The two teams will clash again on Friday, Oct. 24, in Togliatti.
17:00: Torpedo (9-8-1, 3rd W) vs Lada (4-10-2, 10th W)
About the game
Torpedo, who defeated Lada twice earlier in the season (4:3, 5:1), ends a two-game home series on a two-match losing streak.
Lada ends a three-game road trip and has also lost its previous couple of matches.
Injury list
Lada: Danila Dyadenkin, Alexei Ozhgikhin.
