November opens with four showdowns
It’s an exciting first day of the new month with Avangard facing Neftekhimik, Ak Bars seeking an incredible twelfth straight win against Lada, Severstal facing off with the Shanghai Dragons, and a Moscow derby between Dynamo and CSKA.
In Omsk, Avangard faces Neftekhimik trying to build momentum after its recent tightly-contested home win over Barys (4:3). The Hawks have only two wins in their last five matches; they recent win may provide a change in trend, but defensive consistency remains a concern through the last games. Neftekhimik instead posted three wins and two losses in the same stretch. The Wolves also recorded a recent win over Barys (3:2). This run featured a standout 5:3 victory over Metallurg and a narrow home defeat to Salavat Yulaev. Four points separate the teams in the standings, with Avangard having the upper hand in fourth place. Moreover, the Hawks defeated Neftekhimik in their last ten home games, with the last Wolves’ win being dated back to Dec. 29, 2017 (1:2 OT).
16:30: Avangard (13-6-1, 4th E) vs Neftekhimik (11-9-1, 6th E)
About the game
Avangard ends a five-game home series following a win over Barys on Wednesday (4:3).
Neftekhimik starts a three-game road trip fresh off a win also over Barys on Monday (3:2).
Avangard’s defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points over that span.
Injury list
Avangard: Nail Yakupov.
Neftekhimik: Alexander Dergachyov, Nikita Popugayev, Luka Profaca.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s forward Mikhail Kotlyarevsky lines up for his 300th KHL game.
Avangard’s forward Dmitry Rashevsky may net his 100th KHL goal (currently at 98).
Avangard’s goalie Nikita Serebryakov may reach 20 career shutouts.
Neftekhimik’s forward Danil Yurtaikin may score his 100th KHL point (currently at 99).
In Kazan, Ak Bars is looking to reach the impressive number of twelve consecutive wins in a home game against Lada, currently the tenth seed in the Western Conference’s table. The Kazan side ended October undefeated, ending in style with a strong 4:0 home win over Metallurg. However, Magnitka retains the first place in the Eastern Conference’s standings, with Ak Bars following in second place with a one-point gap. Lada has instead lost its previous couple of matches, to Lokomotiv (2:3) and Torpedo (0:2), respectively. Moreover, the Kazan side defeated Lada in their last eight home games, with the last Togliatti win being dated back to Feb. 2, 2015 (1:2).
19:00: Ak Bars (15-5-1, 2nd E) vs Lada (5-14-2, 10th E)
About the game
Ak Bars ends a five-game home series on an eleven-game winning streak.
Lada enters the third game of a seven-match road trip started with two consecutive losses.
Ak Bars’ goalie Timur Bilyalov is on an 83:05 shutout streak.
Ak Bars’ forward Alexander Chmelevsky is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
Ak Bars’ defenseman Stepan Falkovsky had an assist in each of his previous three matches.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Albert Yarullin.
Lada: Alexei Ozhgikhin.
Milestone alert
Lada’s forward Evgeny Groshev lines up for his 100th league appearance.
The action then moves to the West for a couple of games. First, Severstal takes on the Shanghai Dragons. After winning eight games in a row, Severstal collected a loss in a home game to Dynamo Moscow (0:3), but remains one of the top seeds in the Western Conference. The Steelers will try to rebound back, but will have to do against a very determined team, with the Dragons losing their last five matches. The teams met less than a week again, when Borna Rendulic’s ninth goal of the season wasn’t enough as Severstal collected a 4:1 home win. Moreover, today the Dragons will have a chance to break the spell and collect their 200th KHL win in their sixth attempt at the milestone.
19:00: Severstal (14-7-0, 2nd W) vs Shanghai Dragons (9-5-5, 6th W)
About the game
Severstal, who defeated the Shanghai Dragons earlier in the season (4:1), ends a four-game home series following a loss to Dynamo Moscow on Thursday (0:3).
The Shanghai Dragons start a three-game road trip on a five-match losing streak.
Injury list
Severstal: Vladimir Grudinin, Adam Liska, Kirill Tankov, Vladislav Tsitsyura, Grigory Vashchenko.
Shanghai Dragons: Spencer Foo, Jeremy Groleau, Nikita Popugayev, Riley Sutter.
Milestone alert
The Shanghai Dragons may celebrate their 200th KHL win.
Finally, in Moscow, another Capital derby promises high drama as Dynamo, fresh off snapping Severstal’s streak, meet city rivals CSKA. The Blue-and-Whites enter the game after winning their last three and showing solid offense. CSKA, meanwhile, will be at its second straight Moscow Derby after losing to Spartak on Tuesday (2:3). Before, the team had four straight victories. The Blue-and-Whites have the edge in the standings, with 25 points against CSKA’s 22. It will be the third meeting between the city rivals, with the teams claiming one win each.
19:30: Dynamo Moscow (12-6-1, 6th W) vs CSKA (10-8-2, 8th W)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow plays the lone home game of the series and won its previous three matches.
CSKA is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Spartak on Tuesday (2:3).
The season series between the two teams is 1-1 (2:6, 4:3 SO).
Dynamo Moscow’s goalie Vladislav Podyapolsky is on an 87:24 shutout streak.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Anton Slepyshev is on a six-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that stretch.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (4+1) points.
CSKA’s forward Ivan Drozdov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Artyom Mikheyev.
CSKA: Yegor Fateyev, Danila Moiseyev.
Milestone alert
Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Igor Ozhiganov may reach 300 KHL points (currently at 297).
CSKA’s forward Denis Zernov lines up for his 600th KHL appearance today. The two-time Gagarin Cup champion has 136 goals and 144 assists in his career so far.
