Six games in a packed Eastern match day
KHL matchday features six games all hosted in the Eastern Conference. Avangard hosts Sibir in the third game of their season series and Sibir’s six-game road trip. Then, Traktor faces Severstal, Avtomobilist hosts Admiral, and Metallurg plays Amur. Barys meets Shanghai Dragons, and finally Neftekhimik welcomes Spartak.
The intense matchday starts with a Siberian derby between Avangard and Sibir – the third such matchup this season, with the sides trading wins so far. Both teams enter today’s showdown with a recent loss. The hosts suffered a heavy home defeat to Ak Bars (2:5), while Sibir suffered a dangerous loss to its direct rival for a postseason spot, losing to Amur at home in extra time (1:2 OT). The guests remained in eighth spot in the Eastern Conference’s table, but their cushion over the Tigers is now reduced to seven points, with Amur having a game in hand on Sibir. Avangard remains in second place in the East at 82 points, three more than Ak Bars.
16:30: Avangard (39-13-4, 2nd E) vs Sibir (25-27-6, 8th E)
About the game
Avangard enters the third game of a four-match losing streak following a loss to Ak Bars on Tuesday (2:5).
Sibir kicks off a six-game road trip following a loss to Amur on Wednesday (1:2 OT).
The season series between the two sides is 1-1 (2:4, 5:2).
Avangard’s forward Andrew Poturalski is on a thirteen-game scoring streak, with 20 (6+14) points over that stretch.
Avangard’s forward Konstantin Okulov is on a three-game scoring streak instead, with 5 (1+4) points.
Sibir’s defenseman Yegor Alanov had at least an assist in his last three matches, totaling five helpers.
Sibir’s forward Vyacheslav Leshchenko is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points.
Injury list
Avangard: Alexander Volkov.
Sibir: Mikhail Abramov, Timur Akhiyarov, Valentin Pyanov, Daniil Valitov.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s defenseman Vadim Sharipzyanov lines up for his 600th league appearance.
Avangard’s forward Nikolai Prokhorkin may reach 400 league points (currently at 399).
Avangard’s goalie Nikita Serebryakov may celebrate his 150th KHL win.
Avangard’s head coach Guy Boucher celebrates 100 KHL games.
In Chelyabinsk, Traktor will try to return to victory in a home game against Severstal. After two wins in the Far East, the Black-and-Whites suffered two heavy defeats, to Avangard (2:6) and Salavat Yulaev (0:6), respectively. The first meeting between the two sides this season took place on December 1 in Cherepovets, where Severstal edged the contest by the narrowest of margins, 3:2. At present, the team coached by Andrei Kozyrev is riding a three-game winning streak, having beaten the Shanghai Dragons (3:2), Neftekhimik (3:1), and SKA (3:2 SO). With 76 points, the visitors sit second in the Western Conference, narrowly ahead of Dinamo Minsk. Traktor, meanwhile, has collected 58 points and currently occupies seventh place in the Eastern Conference, two points more than Sibir.
17:00: Traktor (26-24-6, 7th E) vs Severstal (36-18-4, 2nd E)
About the game
Traktor is in the middle of a three-game home series and lost its previous couple of games.
Severstal, who defeated Traktor earlier in the season (3:2), enters the second game of a four-match road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Injury list
Severstal: Nikolai Chebykin, Timofei Davydov.
Milestone alert
Traktor’s forward Maxim Dzhioshvili may record his 100th league point (currently at 99).
In the meantime, in Yekaterinburg, Avtomobilist hosts Admiral. Earlier in the current regular season, the Motormen won two of three head-to-head meetings. At present, the Sailors are mired in a six-game losing streak. In their most recent outing, the team coached by Oleg Bratash failed to score in a Far East derby against Amur Khabarovsk, falling 0:3. With 38 points, Admiral sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Avtomobilist, meanwhile, is firmly in fourth place, six points clear of Salavat Yulaev and nine points behind the conference’s leading trio. The hosts come into the game on the back of two convincing wins, having routed Metallurg 8:1 and defeated HC Sochi 4:1. Avtomobilist has a chance to book its playoffs tickets if the Motormen win today and Amur loses to Magnitka in regulation.
17:00: Avtomobilist (32-20-4, 4th E) vs Admiral (14-31-10, 11th E)
About the game
Avtomobilist is in the middle of a seven-game home series and won its previous couple of matches.
Admiral starts a four-game road trip on a six-match losing streak.
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (2:4, 3:2, 4:1).
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Dmitry Yudin.
Admiral: Vladimir Bryukvin, Alexander Daryin, Nikita Soshnikov.
In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg seeks a second straight win in a home game against Amur. Earlier this season, Metallurg won all three head-to-head meetings against the Tigers. Amur comes in on the back of two straight wins over Admiral (3:0) and Sibir (2:1 OT), but the gap to eighth-placed Novosibirsk still remains significant — seven points, albeit with one game in hand. Three days earlier, Metallurg earned an extra time road win over Barys (3:2 OT). Andrei Razin’s team is approaching the end of the regular season as its clear leader, having posted 42 wins in 55 games and collected 89 points. Their closest pursuer, Avangard, trails by seven points.
17:00: Metallurg (42-8-5, 1st E) vs Amur (21-29-7, 9th E)
About the game
Metallurg starts a three-game home series fresh off a win over Barys on Tuesday (3:2 OT).
Amur enters the third game of a four-match road trip following a couple of wins.
The season series between the two teams is 3-0 (3:1, 4:3, 4:2).
Injury list
Amur: Roman Abrosimov.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s forward Daniil Vovchenko lines up for his 600th KHL game.
In Astana, Barys faces the Shanghai Dragons as the teams face for the first time in the current campaign. Coach Mitch Love’s team will be looking to avoid a seventh consecutive defeat. The Dragons have not won since Jan. 30, and two days ago they lost to Torpedo (3:4 OT). Barys also lost in extra time in their last outing, dropping a 2:3 OT decision to Metallurg. Astana sits second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with 45 points, while the Chinese franchise is ninth in the West with 49 points. Should Barys win the game, CSKA will automatically fall in the playoffs in the Western Conference.
17:30: Barys (18-31-9, 10th E) vs Shanghai Dragons (19-27-11, 9th W)
About the game
Barys enters the fourth game of a five-match home series following a loss to Metallurg on Tuesday (2:3 OT).
The Shanghai Dragons enter the second game of a five-match road trip on a six-match losing streak.
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Nate Sucese is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Barys: Ansar Shaikhmeddenov.
Shanghai Dragons: Jeremy Groleau, Ben Harpur, Andrei Kareyev, Kirill Rasskazov, Patrik Rybar.
Milestone alert
Shanghai Dragons’ goalie Dmitry Shikin may record his 10th KHL shutout.
In the last game of the day, Neftekhimik will seek a return to victory in a home game against Spartak. The Red-and-Whites continue to compete without head coach Alexei Zhamnov, who is absent for medical reasons. Two days ago, they suffered a heavy 1:6 defeat to Dinamo Minsk, marking their fourth loss in the last five games. Neftekhimik, meanwhile, is on a four-game losing streak, having not won since Feb. 4. Over that span, they scored just five goals in total against SKA (1:5), HC Sochi (3:5), Severstal (1:3), and Lokomotiv (0:1). With 59 points, Neftekhimik sits sixth in the Eastern Conference, narrowly ahead of Traktor. Spartak has dropped to eighth in the West and is now just one point behind SKA.
19:30: Neftekhimik (28-26-3, 6th E) vs Spartak (29-21-6, 8th W)
About the game
Neftekhimik starts a two-game home series on a four-match losing streak.
Spartak is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Dinamo Minsk on Wednesday (1:6).
Injury list
Neftekhimik: Vladislav Barulin, Raul Yakupov.
Spartak: Lucas Lockhart, German Rubtsov.
