Avangard and Metallurg headline a four-game KHL matchday
Four games across the league headline today’s matchday, starting early in the Far East and rolling west through Omsk, Minsk and St. Petersburg. The slate features a crucial Eastern Conference basement battle between Admiral and Sibir, a heavyweight clash between Avangard and Metallurg, an offensive showdown as Dinamo Minsk hosts SKA, and a cross-conference meeting with the Shanghai Dragons welcoming Neftekhimik as both teams look to build momentum before the next stretch of the season.
The matchday starts early in the Far East, with Admiral taking on Sibir for the fourth time in the season after celebrating twice in direct confrontations, including last week, with the Sailors claiming a 3:2 road win. After that game, however, Admiral lost twice, both to higher-ranked teams, and both with a 2:3 scoreline, to Avtomobilist and Lokomotiv, respectively. Sibir, instead, bounced back with a 4:2 win over Amur, but failed to score as the Motormen shut the team down for a 5:0 win in Novosibirsk. The teams sit at the penultimate and last spot in the Eastern Conference’s standings, tied at 30 points, but Admiral has the upper hand in the table due to more regulation wins. Today, one of the teams will be able to climb higher than the opposition and gain precious points – no team is out of playoff contention yet. The sides will meet again in two days.
12:30: Admiral (12-18-6, 10th E) vs Sibir (13-21-4, 11th E)
About the game
Admiral starts a three-game home series following two straight losses.
Sibir starts a three-game road trip following a loss to Avtomobilist on Tuesday (0:5).
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (1:2 SO, 2:0, 3:2).
Injury list
Admiral: Adam Huska, Maxim Maltsev, Ruslan Pedan.
Milestone alert
Sibir’s forward Ivan Chekhovich may line up for his 300th league appearance.
Then, in Omsk, Avangard faces Metallurg in a classic Eastern showdown. It will be the fourth meeting between the two giants, with the Hawks flying high twice so far. Both teams head into today’s clash in excellent shape, with three straight wins. Avangard had two straight shutout wins, over Neftekhimik and Lokomotiv (both 3:0), then defeated Neftekhimik again, but in extra time (4:3 OT). Metallurg started its stretch with a win in Sochi (5:1), then defeated Traktor (7:4) and Neftekhimik (4:3 SO). In the standings, Magnitka retains its top spot at 59 points, while Avangard is third, eight points below.
16:30: Avangard (24-9-3, 3rd E) vs Metallurg (28-6-3, 1st E)
About the game
Avangard enters the second game of a four-match home series following three straight wins.
Metallurg plays the lone home game of the series and also won its last three matches.
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (5:1, 1:4, 3:1).
Avangard’s forward Konstantin Okulov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that stretch.
Metallurg’s forward Roman Kantserov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 8 (5+3) points.
Injury list
Metallurg: Alexander Siryatsky.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s forward Konstantin Okulov may reach 300 KHL assists (currently at 299).
Metallurg’s forward Nikita Korotkov lines up for his 300th league appearance.
The action then moves to the Western Conference. Dinamo Minsk – one of the hottest teams in the league – hosts SKA in the teams’ second meeting in the current campaign. Last time around, SKA celebrated a 3:2 OT win in St. Petersburg, with the Bison seeking revenge for that sour-tasting loss in extra time. The Belarusians are currently the second seed in the West, while SKA is in seventh place after losing to Spartak at home on Saturday (1:2). The fans at the Minsk Arena will be treated to an exciting game between two offensive teams in excellent form, and the place is likely to be sold out to the last seat.
17:00: Dinamo Minsk (24-7-5, 2nd W) vs SKA (19-12-5, 7th W)
About the game
Dinamo Minsk enters the third game of a four-match home series on a two-game winning streak.
SKA, who defeated Dinamo Minsk earlier in the season (3:2 OT), starts a three-game road trip following a loss to Spartak on Saturday (1:2).
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Ilya Usov tallied a goal in each of his previous three matches.
Injury list
Dinamo Minsk: Darren Dietz.
SKA: Matvei Korotky, Trevor Murphy, Vladislav Romanov, Nikita Zaitsev.
Milestone alert
Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Vasily Demchenko may record his 30th KHL shutout.
SKA’s forward Andrei Loktionov may reach 200 assists in the league (currently at 199).
Then, in St. Petersburg, the Shanghai Dragons will try to build on their recent win over Spartak as today Neftekhimik pays a visit to the Chinese franchise. The win helped the Dragon getting some morale boost and finally returning to winning games, but the gap with the playoff places is still significant. The Wolves are however in a worse period, with five straight losses. Despite the setback, however, Neftekhimik remains in fifth place in the Eastern Conference’s standings, and will be a tough opponent for the Dragons today.
19:30: Shanghai Dragons (15-14-8, 9th W) vs Neftekhimik (18-18-3, 5th E)
About the game
The Shanghai Dragons enters the fourth game of an eight-match home series following a win over Spartak on Wednesday (4:3 SO).
Neftekhimik, who defeated the Shanghai Dragons earlier in the season (7:5), ends a three-game road trip on a five-match losing streak.
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Borna Rendulic is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Shanghai Dragons: Jake Bischoff, Parker Foo, Jeremy Groleau.
Neftekhimik: Raul Yakupov.
Milestone alert
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Kirill Rasskazov may score his 100th career assist (currently at 99).
