First Far East Derby; four games on tap today
November continues with three games in the East and one in the West. First, Amur and Admiral face off for the first time in the season, Traktor hosts Sibir, and Avtomobilist welcomes Torpedo. In the West, HC Sochi will play its first game under its new head coach against Spartak, trying to collect a win after nine consecutive losses.
The KHL match day starts with the first Far East derby of the season between Amur and Admiral. Both teams are in a results crisis, with the five straight losses for the Tigers and six for the Sailors – today’s game can be a huge chance for one to build momentum and perhaps start a winning streak to climb up in the standings. Moreover, both teams are slipping down to the bottom of the standings, so points are vital in the playoff race and to avoid falling further behind. To add a further layer of pressure to the Tigers, Admiral won its last four games in Khabarovsk. With the last matches highlighting defensive struggles for both sides, fans can expect an exciting game perhaps with a few changes of scenery for a can’t miss regional rivalry showdown.
10:00: Amur (7-10-3, 9th E) vs Admiral (6-8-4, 10th E)
About the game
Amur starts a six-game home series on a five-match losing streak.
Admiral ends a five-game road trip after six consecutive losses.
Injury list
Amur: Roman Abrosimov, Timur Gizdatullin.
Admiral: Mario Grman, Alexander Shepelev.
Milestone alert
Amur’s forward Ilya Talaluyev lines up for his 300th league appearance.
Amur’s goalie Maxim Dorozhko is seeking his 50th win in the KHL.
Admiral may celebrate his 300th league win.
In Chelyabinsk, Sibir will try to return to victory after losing six consecutive matches – a skid that caused the Novosibirksk franchise slip down to last place in the Eastern Conference’s standings. The teams already met recently, on Oct. 25, when Traktor celebrated a 4:3 SO win. The Chelyabinsk side is lacking consistency of late, with only two wins in the last five matches – other than Sibir, Traktor also defeated Barys in October’s last day (6:3). The Black-and-Whites are currently the fifth seed in the East after they suffered losses to Salavat Yulaev (2:3) and twice to Avtomobilist (3:5, 1:2 SO). After today’s showdown, Sibir will fly back to Novosibirsk, where the team will face Torpedo on Tuesday before departing for another road trip.
14:00: Traktor (10-7-5, 5th E) vs Sibir (7-11-2, 11th E)
About the game
Traktor, who defeated Sibir earlier in the season (4:3 SO), enters the third game of a four-match home series following a win over Barys on Friday (6:3).
Sibir ends a three-game road trip on a six-match losing streak.
Traktor’s forward Mikhail Grigorenko is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 10 (5+5) points over that stretch.
Traktor’s forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev had at least an assist in each of his previous four matches, totaling six helpers.
Sibir’s defenseman Yegor Alanov is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Disqualifications
Traktor’s defenseman Grigory Dronov serves the four game of a five-match ban.
Milestone alert
Sibir’s forward Sergei Shirokov becomes the seventh player in KHL history to reach 900 games played. The Olympic Games and Gagarin Cup champion has 246 goals and 317 assists in his KHL career.
In Yekaterinburg, two teams in excellent shape will meet when Avtomobilist hosts Torpedo. Both the Motormen and Torpedo won their previous couple of matches, with the Nizhny Novgorod side collecting a 7:4 win in a direct confrontation, with five goals in the first period alone – Avtomobilist will be looking for revenge today as the team is slowly, but steadily, returning to its usual lineup. The teams’ excellent shape is reflected in the standings, with both teams being in third place in their respective conference.
14:30: Avtomobilist (14-7-2, 3rd E) vs Torpedo (13-8-2, 3rd W)
About the game
Avtomobilist ends a two-game home series on a two-match winning streak.
Torpedo, who defeated Avtomobilist earlier in the season (7:4), starts a three-game road trip also on a two-match winning streak.
Torpedo’s goalie Denis Kostin is on a 68:17 shutout streak.
Torpedo’s forward Maxim Letunov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Semyon Kizimov, Maxim Osipov, Nikita Tryamkin, Sergei Zborovsky.
Torpedo: Mikhail Naumenkov, Nikita Rozhkov.
In Ufa, Salavat Yulaev will be looking to further stretch its winning streak in a home game against Lokomotiv. The Ufa side won its previous five matches, including two consecutive wins over Admiral (6:1, 5:0) and an away win in Nizhnekamsk (2:1). This streak allowed Salavat Yulaev to leave the last place in the Eastern Conference’s table and return to the playoff places despite a rough start and seven players in the injury list. The team just announced the signing of former KHL rookie of the year Ilya Konovalov to strengthen its goaltending depth and provide greater reliability between the pipes. The Gagarin Cup champions are also on a good run, with two consecutive wins and four victories in their last five matches. This good form allowed the team to return to the top of the Western Conference. The Yaroslavl franchise will play today’s game in Ufa, then will return home for two games.
14:30: Salavat Yulaev (8-10-2, 8th E) vs Lokomotiv (14-5-2, 1st W)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev ends a three-game home series and won its previous five matches.
Lokomotiv plays the lone road game of the series and has two consecutive victories.
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Semyon Vyazovoi is on an 83:07 shutout streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Maxim Kuznetsov had an assist in each of his previous four matches.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Jake Rodewald is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that stretch.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Zharovsky is on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points.
Salavat Yulaev’s defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk had an assist in each of his previous three games.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Artur Faizov is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Danil Alalykin, Anton Berlyov, Pyotr Khokhryakov, Gleb Kuzmin, Artyom Pimenov, Dennis Yan, Nikita Zorkin.
Lokomotiv: Andrei Sergeyev, Daniil Tesanov.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s defenseman Alexei Vasilevsky may reach 100 KHL assists (currently at 99).
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his 10th league shutout.
The action then moves to the West for a further game, between HC Sochi and Spartak. The Black Sea franchise is in a deep crisis, with nine consecutive losses, but the board tried to shake things up with a couple of decisions. Head coach Vladimir Krikunov will now continue as a consultant for the coaching staff, with 46-years-old Dmitry Mikhailov taking his spot and debuting as a KHL head coach after working with Team Russia at different junior levels in the last couple of seasons. Moreover, the team also announced to have signed 28-years-old goalie Ilya Samsonov to a two-year deal. Samsonov spent his last six seasons in North America, and has 87 KHL career games under his belt, all with Metallurg. Today’s opposition, Spartak, won its last nine matches in Sochi and will try to stretch this streak. The Red-and-Whites won their previous couple of matches, over Sochi (5:3) and CSKA (3:2).
17:00: HC Sochi (4-12-2, 11th W) vs Spartak (11-6-3, 7th W)
About the game
HC Sochi starts a three-game home series on a nine-match losing streak.
Spartak, who defeated HC Sochi twice this season (4:3, 5:3), starts a three-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Injury list
HC Sochi: Amir Garayev, Pavel Khomchenko, Vasily Machulin.
Spartak: Nikita Buruyanov, Pavel Poryadin, German Rubtsov.
