Revenge game between HC Sochi and Spartak, three games on schedule
HC Sochi and Spartak go at it again after Sunday’s match. Earlier in the Eastern Conference, Sibir faces Torpedo, then SKA seeks a return to victory against Dynamo Moscow on home ice.
After seven straight defeats, Sibir will try to return to victory today in a home game against Torpedo. The Novosibirsk side had another shuffle before the game, parting ways with goalie Louis Domingue, who only won one game so far, and calling Konstantin Volkov to a try-out contract. The 28-years-old goalie lined up for Kunlun Red Star and Lada last year. Sibir will try to halt its skid, and leverage the fact that the team defeated its last three home games against the Nizhny Novgorod franchise. Torpedo won its previous three games, including two consecutive shutout wins, with Denis Kostin stopping 51 shots and gaining Goalie of the Week honors – the netminder spent the last three seasons in Novosibirsk before signing with Torpedo this summer. Sibir is currently the last seed in the Eastern Conference, while Torpedo is in second place in the West after defeating Avtomobilist (7:4), Lada (2:0), and Avtomobilist again (2:0).
13:30: Sibir (7-12-2, 11th E) vs Torpedo (14-8-2, 2nd W)
About the game
Sibir plays the lone home game of the series following seven straight defeats.
Torpedo is in the middle of a three-game road trip after three consecutive wins.
Sibir’s defenseman Yegor Alanov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that span.
Sibir’s forward Vladimir Tkachyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Torpedo’s goalie Denis Kostin is on a 128:17 shutout streak.
Torpedo’s forward Alexander Yaremchuk is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Torpedo: Mikhail Naumenkov, Vladislav Rozhkov.
In St. Petersburg, SKA and Dynamo Moscow face off for the first time this season in a classic Western Conference showdown. SKA’s season has been very disappointing so far. The team is in ninth place in the West’s table, and after defeating HC Sochi (8:1) and Sibir (3:2), SKA collected yet another loss, this time to Lokomotiv on the road (2:3), failing to gain momentum. The Blue-and-Whites are instead in exceptional shape. Dynamo won its last four games and climbed up to fifth place in the conference. In this stretch, the Blue-and-Whites scored sixteen goals, and allowed only three. The two teams will meet again, in Moscow, on Saturday.
17:00: SKA (8-8-4, 9th W) vs Dynamo Moscow (13-6-1, 5th W)
About the game
SKA starts a two-game home series following a loss to Lokomotiv on Friday (2:3).
Dynamo Moscow plays the lone road game of the series on a four-match winning streak.
SKA’s forward Marat Khairullin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that stretch.
SKA’s forward Matvei Korotky is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (4+1) points.
Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Igor Ozhiganov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Artyom Mikheyev.
Milestone alert
SKA’s forward Marat Khairullin and Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Igor Ozhiganov may both reach 300 league points (both currently at 298).
In the meantime, in Sochi, the Leopards will seek another win in a revenge game against Spartak. On Sunday, Ilya Samsonov had a strong performance in his debut game for Sochi, helping the Black Sea franchise recording a 5:2 win over the Muscovites. Today, Spartak will be looking for revenge. The team is currently sitting in seventh place in the West’s standings, and will be needing points to avoid losing further ground – the Red-and-Whites are only two points behind Dynamo Moscow in a tight conference.
17:00: HC Sochi (5-12-2, 11th W) vs Spartak (11-7-3, 7th W)
About the game
HC Sochi is in the middle of a three-game home series and defeated Spartak on Sunday (5:2).
Spartak is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost its most recent game, to HC Sochi.
The season series between the two teams is 1-2 (3:4, 3:5, 5:2).
HC Sochi’s forward Dmitry Polyakov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that stretch.
Spartak’s forward Nathan Todd is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 5 (4+1) points.
Injury list
HC Sochi: Amir Garayev, Matvei Guskov, Pavel Khomchenko, Vasily Machulin.
Spartak: Nikita Buruyanov, Pavel Poryadin, German Rubtsov, Ivan Vorobyov.
