Lada faces Ak Bars, Dynamo Moscow welcomes HC Sochi
It’s a light matchday today, with only two games on tap – both hosted in the Western Conference. In Togliatti, Lada welcomes Ak Bars, then Dynamo Moscow clashes with HC Sochi.
Lada is currently the penultimate team in the Western Conference’s standings and has already lost any postseason qualification hope. However, this didn’t stop the team from defeating CSKA on Tuesday (2:1), with Colby Williams and Tomas Jurco scoring for the Togliatti Motormen. Today, Ak Bars pays a visit to the team, with Lada already defeating the Kazan side earlier in the season. Ak Bars enters today’s game after wins over Torpedo (4:3 OT) and Avangard (5:2), and is currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Hawks and Metallurg. They have however a nine-point cushion over Avtomobilist and fifteen points more than Salavat Yulaev – their spot in the conference’s top four is hard to contest at this point.
18:00: Lada (17-34-7, 10th W) vs Ak Bars (36-15-5, 3rd E)
About the game
Lada, who defeated Ak Bars earlier in the season (4:3 OT), ends a two-game home series following a win over CSKA on Tuesday (2:1).
Ak Bars is in the middle of a three-game road trip and won its previous couple of matches.
Lada’s defenseman Alex Cotton had at least an assist in each of his previous four matches, totaling five helpers.
Lada’s forward Andrei Chivilyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Stepan Falkovsky.
Milestone alert
Lada’s forward Andrei Obidin may reach 100 career points (currently at 99).
Ak Bars’ goalie Timur Bilyalov may record his 40th KHL shutout.
In the second clash of the day, Dynamo Moscow will try to stretch its winning streak in a home game against HC Sochi. The Blue-and-Whites enter today’s contest on a three-win run, having defeated Spartak (3:2), Avtomobilist (2:1), and Torpedo (4:2). The team currently sits sixth in the Western Conference standings, though the table is tightly packed and positions could change quickly. HC Sochi will try to overcome Lada in the standings, and return to victory after two consecutive losses, to Lokomotiv (1:2 OT) and Avtomobilist (1:4). The Black Sea franchise defeated Dynamo Moscow twice this season, and the Blue-and-Whites will try to level the season series.
19:30: Dynamo Moscow (31-21-4, 6th W) vs HC Sochi (16-31-8, 11th W)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow plays the lone home game of the series on a three-match winning streak.
HC Sochi ends a two-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
The season series between the two sides is 1-2 (2:3 OT, 0:2, 3:0).
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Jordan Weal is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points over that stretch.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Dylan Sykura scored at least a goal in each of his previous three matches, totaling three tallies.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Yegor Rimashevsky scored a goal in each of his previous three games.
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Fredrik Claesson, Kirill Gotovets, Artyom Mikheyev.
HC Sochi: Ilya Nikolayev, Alexei Shchetilin, Denis Vengryzhanovsky.
Milestone alert
Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Artyom Sergeyev may record his 100th KHL assist (currently at 99).
HC Sochi’s forward William Bitten lines up for his 100th league appearance.
