Big games in Kazan and St. Petersburg!
Ak Bars hosts Lokomotiv and SKA welcomes CSKA in today’s center-stage games. In other clashes, Lada welcomes Dinamo Minsk and HC Sochi tries to halt its skid against Torpedo in a four-game KHL Wednesday.
In the first game of the match day, both Lada and Dinamo Minsk will be seeking a return to victory as the two sides clash in Togliatti. The Belarusians have stumbled in recent games, taking only one win from their last five outings. A 7:1 hammering of Torpedo briefly masked growing inconsistency, but losses to Neftekhimik (3:4) and CSKA (3:5) underline defensive fragility. With sixteen goals scored but eighteen conceded in this stretch, the Bison must tighten up ahead of a tricky away clash in Togliatti, where points are vital to keep their top-four ambitions alive. Lada will try to fight to bounce back after three straight losses, to Admiral (1:6), Amur (0:3), and Torpedo (3:5), respectively. These losses increased the Togliatti side’s gap with the rest of the Conference, and reaching the playoffs seems more and more unlikely as the team is sitting in last place in the West.
18:00: Lada (4-11-2, 11th W) vs Dinamo Minsk (8-5-3, 5th W)
About the game
Lada starts a two-game home series on a three-match losing streak.
Dinamo Minsk starts a three-game road trip following two straight losses.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Sam Anas is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (4+2) points over that span.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vitaly Pinchuk is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Stanislav Galiev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Injury list
Lada: Danila Dyadenkin, Alexei Ozhgikhin.
Dinamo Minsk: Brady Lyle.
In the second Eastern outing, Ak Bars hosts Lokomotiv for a top game today. From Moscow, the reigning champions will head to Kazan to face another incredibly hot team. Ak Bars is currently riding a seven-game winning streak. Not all of those victories came easily — in some cases, they had to sweat it out. For example, in their most recent game against Barys, Ak Bars squandered a two-goal lead and managed to prevail only in the shootout in Astana. Still, a winning streak is a winning streak, and the players have surely gained confidence in their abilities. However, Lokomotiv also showed good form lately, with three straight victories and an undisputed spot at the top of the Western Conference’s table. In the 2024/2025 season, the two teams met twice in November, and both games went Lokomotiv’s way (3:2 SO, 2:1).
19:00: Ak Bars (11-5-1, 4th E) vs Lokomotiv (12-4-2, 1st W)
About the game
Ak Bars starts a five-game home series on a seven-match winning streak.
Lokomotiv ends a three-game road trip on a three-match winning streak.
Ak Bars’ defenseman Mitchell Miller is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 9 (2+7) points over that span.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Albert Yarullin.
Lokomotiv: Andrei Sergeyev, Daniil Tesanov.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s forward Denis Alexeyev may score his 250th KHL point (currently at 249).
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may reach 10 league shutouts.
Another top game on the match day is SKA facing CSKA. In other seasons, this was a clash in the Western Conference’s finals, while right now the two sides are disputing the last spot for the playoffs. CSKA found some momentum with two wins in their last five KHL outings, breaking previous frustration. A nice 5:3 home triumph over Dinamo Minsk (courtesy of a double by Daniel Sprong) and a 1:0 road win in Nizhny Novgorod have offset recent defeats to Lokomotiv, Ak Bars, and Dynamo Moscow, but defensive issues persist. With a 12–13 goal ratio in this period, CSKA urgently need to string wins together to solidify—rather than merely chase—their playoff position. SKA is in even a worse position, with just one recent win, over Avtomobilist on Oct. 13 (2:1), and two straight losses. However, the St. Petersburg team won its previous six home games against CSKA, and the team will try to stretch the streak.
19:30: SKA (6-6-4, 9th W) vs CSKA (8-7-2, 8th W)
About the game
SKA enters the fourth game of a six-match home series following two straight defeats.
CSKA plays the lone road game of the series on a two-match winning streak.
SKA’s forward Marat Khairullin had an assist in each of his previous three games.
CSKA’s forward Dmitry Buchelnikov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
CSKA’s forward Daniel Sprong is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Injury list
CSKA: Danila Moiseyev.
In the last game of the night, HC Sochi seeks a return to victory as the Black Sea franchise hosts Torpedo as the sides collide for the second time this season, with Torpedo claiming the first clash. The team lost its last five matches, and is currently the last seed in the West, tied with Lada. The Nizhny Novgorod side lacked consistency, and had only two wins in its last five outings, allowing eighteen goals in the stretch. Torpedo will need better defense and goaltending to stay within the Western Conference’s top four teams as the season goes by.
19:30: HC Sochi (4-8-2, 11th W) vs Torpedo (10-8-1, 4th W)
About the game
HC Sochi ends a two-game home series on a five-match losing streak.
Torpedo, who defeated HC Sochi earlier this season (3:0), starts a two-game road trip fresh off a win over Lada on Sunday (5:3).
Injury list
HC Sochi: Pavel Khomchenko, Maxim Sushko, Mark Verba.
Torpedo: Nikita Rozhkov.
Milestone alert
HC Sochi’s forward Nikolai Polyakov lines up for his 100th league appearance, while Torpedo’s forward Alexander Yaremchuk reaches 300.
