Four games in the West today
It’s a big day in the Western Conference with four matches on schedule for today. All the teams will play simultaneously, with CSKA facing Amur, Torpedo welcoming Avtomobilist, Severstal clashing with the Shanghai Dragons, and Spartak entertaining HC Sochi as the Black Sea franchise looks for a return to victory after a seven-game skid.
In Moscow, CSKA welcomes Amur as the teams clash for the second time this season, with the Tigers claiming a 2:0 win in Khabarovsk. However, this time it will be a different game. CSKA found some pace, so did its leaders Dmitry Buchelnikov and Daniel Sprong – both on active scoring streak – and the team won its previous three matches, over Torpedo (1:0), Dinamo Minsk (5:3), and SKA (4:3), respectively. With these wins, the Muscovites climbed up to eighth place in the West – they will want to improve, but they also have three hard games in front of them after today’s clash with Amur, with two Moscow derbies against Spartak and Dynamo, and a game in Minsk on Nov. 3. The Tigers are instead having a pause – after four straight wins they were toothless against Severstal and Barys, slipping down to eighth place in the East. Today, Amur will have to face a strong CSKA side on a roll, with then its road trip continuing in Cherepovets and Minsk.
17:00: CSKA (9-7-2, 8th W) vs Amur (7-7-3, 8th E)
About the game
CSKA plays the lone home game of the series on a three-match winning streak.
Amur, who defeated CSKA earlier in the season (2:0), enters the second game of a four-match road trip on a two-game losing streak.
CSKA’s forward Dmitry Buchelnikov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
CSKA’s forward Daniel Sprong is on a four-game scoring streak instead, with 6 (4+2) points.
Amur’s goalie Damir Shaimardanov is on an 80:29 shutout streak.
Injury list
CSKA: Yegor Fateyev, Danila Moiseyev.
Amur: Roman Abrosimov, Artur Gizdatullin.
Milestone alert
CSKA’s forward Dmitry Buchelnikov may score his 100th KHL point (currently at 99).
CSKA’s forward Maxim Sorkin may reach 100 league assists (currently at 99).
In the meantime, in Nizhny Novgorod, Torpedo faces Avtomobilist. Both teams started the season well and both teams are in the third place in their conference. Torpedo just lost to Lada after SO (2:3 in Togliatti), but won the previous couple of matches, against HC Sochi (3:1) and the Togliatti side (5:3), respectively. The Motormen are also in good form, with two wins in three matches and an OT loss to Avangard, and they also gradually recovered a few important players for the team, even if they still have key pieces of the puzzle sitting on IL. Today’s game can easily go either way, but Torpedo won its previous five home matches against Avtomobilist. The teams will clash again in just one week.
17:00: Torpedo (11-8-2, 3rd W) vs Avtomobilist (12-6-2, 3rd E)
About the game
Torpedo starts a two-game home series following a loss to Lada on Friday (2:3 SO).
Avtomobilist starts a two-game road trip fresh off a win over Traktor on Thursday (5:3).
Avtomobilist’s forward Stepan Khripunov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (3+3) points over that span.
Avtomobilist’s forward Stephane Da Costa is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points.
Avtomobilist’s forward Brooks Macek is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 3 (1+2) points.
Injury list
Torpedo: Mikhail Naumenkov, Nikita Rozhkov.
Avtomobilist: Reid Boucher, Semyon Kizimov, Maxim Osipov, Nikita Tryamkin, Sergei Zborovsky.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s forwards Andrei Belevich and Alexander Yaremchuk may both reach 100 league points. The former is currently at 99, while Yaremchuk is currently at 98 career points.
In Cherepovets, Severstal looks to stretch its already impressive winning streak of another game. Today’s the opposition is the Shanghai Dragons, who lost their previous three matches. The Steelers celebrated six straight wins and climbed up to second place in the Western Conference’s table, overcoming Torpedo and today’s opponents. The Dragons lost their last three games and are a bit in a slump, even if all their losses came in postgame shootouts (2:3 to Dynamo Moscow, 6:7 to Spartak, 1:2 to Dinamo Minsk). In this game, unpredictability will be key again. The teams will meet again as early as next Saturday, again in Cheepovets.
17:00: Severstal (12-6-0, 2nd W) vs Shanghai Dragons (9-3-5, 4th W)
About the game
Severstal starts a four-game home series on a six-match winning streak.
The Shanghai Dragons end a three-game road trip on a three-match losing streak.
Severstal’s defenseman Iannis Kaldis is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points over that span.
Severstal’s forward Ilya Kvochko is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 3 (1+2) points.
Injury list
Severstal: Vladimir Grudinin, Adam Liska, Kirill Pilipenko, Kirill Tankov, Vladislav Tsitsyura, Grigory Vashchenko.
Shanghai Dragons: Spencer Foo, Jeremy Groleau, Nikita Popugayev, Riley Sutter.
Milestone alert
Shanghai Dragons’ defenseman Alexander Bryntsev may reach 600 league appearances.
The Shanghai Dragons may celebrate their 200th KHL victory.
Closing an intense and exciting matchday is Spartak facing HC Sochi. The Black Sea franchise will seek a return to victory after seven straight losses, including a heavy 1:8 loss to SKA on its last outing, on Friday. This skid caused the team to slip down to last place in the Western Conference. Spartak has also just suffered from a heavy loss – 0:5 by the hand of Dynamo Moscow. Both teams will try to rebound back before meeting again next Sunday. Earlier in the season, on Sept. 7, Spartak defeated HC Sochi with a 4:3 score on home ice.
17:00: Spartak (9-6-3, 6th W) vs HC Sochi (4-10-2, 11th W)
About the game
Spartak, who defeated HC Sochi earlier in the season (4:3), enters the third game of a four-match home series and lost to Dynamo Moscow on Thursday (0:5).
HC Sochi is in the middle of a three-game scoring streak and lost its previous seven matches.
Injury list
Spartak: Nikita Buruyanov, Pavel Poryadin.
HC Sochi: Amir Garayev, Pavel Khomchenko, Vasily Machulin
