Eastern Conference hosts six games on today’s KHL schedule
Six games are on the KHL schedule today, starting with Avangard hosting Amur, followed by Salavat Yulaev facing Spartak and Metallurg taking on Admiral. Avtomobilist meets the Shanghai Dragons in Yekaterinburg, while Barys hosts Severstal in Astana. The matchday concludes with Neftekhimik welcoming Sibir, as conference positioning, playoff races, and key streaks remain at the center of attention.
The matchday starts with Avangard hosting Amur. After a win over Sibir, it looked like the Tigers could start catching up with the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, but a loss in Magnitogorsk to league-leading Metallurg complicated things for them. Avangard and Amur clashed lastly on Feb. 13, with the Hawks claiming a 6:2 road win in Khabarovsk. After that game, the Tigers had two straight wins, defeating Admiral (3:0) and Sibir (2:1 OT), but ultimately losing to Metallurg. Avangard collected wins over Traktor (6:2) and Sibir (2:1 SO), but lost to Ak Bars on home ice (2:5). The Hawks keep on flying in second place in the Eastern Conference at 84 points, while Amur is in ninth place, with an eight-point gap to Sibir and the playoff places.
14:00: Avangard (40-13-4, 2nd E) vs Amur (21-30-7, 9th E)
About the game
Avangard ends a four-game home series following a win over Sibir on Friday (2:1 SO).
Amur ends a four-game road trip following a loss to Metallurg also on Friday (1:3).
The season series between the two sides is 2-1 (2:1, 2:3 ОТ, 6:2).
Injury list
Avangard: Alexander Volkov.
Amur: Roman Abrosimov.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s goalie Nikita Serebryakov may celebrate 150 KHL wins.
Then in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Spartak trying to build on its recent win over Traktor. After a heavy road defeat to SKA (0:4), Viktor Kozlov’s men bounced back with a triumphant game in Chelyabinsk (6:0), led by a double by Devin Brosseau, who reached eighteen tallies in the season. The Ufa team is currently the fifth seed in the East – a huge step forward if compared to the start of the season. The Muscovites instead lost their last couple of matches. After a home win against Dinamo Minsk, Spartak lost the revenge game in Belarus (1:6) and was shut out by Neftekhimik (0:2). With this setback, the Red-and-Whites were surpassed by SKA in the West’s table, but they still have a significant cushion over the Shanghai Dragons for the last place in the conference’s top eight – thirteen points. Moreover, should Spartak avoid a regulation loss to Salavat Yulaev, HC Sochi will lose any postseason qualification hope.
14:30: Salavat Yulaev (29-23-4, 5th E) vs Spartak (29-22-6, 8th W)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev starts a three-game home series fresh off a win over Traktor on Wednesday (6:0).
Spartak, who defeated Salavat Yulaev earlier in the season (2:1), ends a three-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Semyon Vyazovoi is on a 67:18 shutout streak.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Alexander Chyorny, Prokhor Korbit, Gleb Kuzmin.
Spartak: Lucas Lockhart, German Rubtsov.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Khokhlachyov lines up for his 600th KHL game.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Pyotr Khokhryakov may reach 100 league assists (currently at 99).
Spartak’s defenseman Daniil Orlov lines up for his 200th league appearance.
In Magnitogorsk, Metallurg hosts another Far East team as Admiral comes to town. Earlier this season, Magnitka won all three head-to-head meetings with the Sailors. Magnitogorsk come into the game on the back of consecutive wins over Barys (3:2 OT) and Amur (3:1). With 91 points, Andrei Razin’s team continues to lead the regular-season standings comfortably, holding a seven-point advantage over their nearest challengers Avangard, with one game in hand. Admiral, meanwhile, earned a 5:2 victory over Avtomobilist two days earlier. That win was only the second since Oleg Bratash took over as head coach of the Far Eastern franchise and their first in the last seven games. With 40 points, the Vladivostok side sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
14:30: Metallurg (43-8-5, 1st E) vs Admiral (15-31-10, 11th E)
About the game
Metallurg is in the middle of a three-game home series and won its previous couple of matches.
Admiral enters the second game of a four-match road trip following a win over Avtomobilist on Friday (5:2).
The season series between the two sides is 3-0 (2:1, 4:3 SO, 8:4).
Injury list
Admiral: Vladimir Bryukvin, Alexander Daryin, Nikita Soshnikov.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s forward Daniil Vovchenko may reach 600 league appearance.
Admiral’s forward Vyacheslav Osnovin may record his 200th career point (currently at 199).
Follows in Yekaterinburg a showdown between Avtomobilist and the Shanghai Dragons. It will be the first meeting this season between the Ural side and the Chinese franchise. In the upcoming game, the hosts will look to bounce back from a surprising 2:5 loss to Admiral, which marked their third defeat in the last five outings. With 68 points, Nikolai Zavarukhin’s team currently sits comfortably in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The visitors arrive after traveling from Astana, where they managed to rally from a two-goal deficit to claim a hard-fought 4:3 overtime win over Barys, snapping a six-game losing streak. Mitch Love’s side trails the Western Conference playoff zone by thirteen points. Can they secure a second straight road victory, or will Avtomobilist respond in front of their home crowd after the setback against Admiral? Moreover, if Avtomobilist today gains at least as many points as Amur, they will book a ticket for the playoffs, and if the Shanghai Dragons don’t win today, CSKA will also claim a spot for the elimination stage.
15:00: Avtomobilist (32-21-4, 4th E) vs Shanghai Dragons (20-27-11, 9th E)
About the game
Avtomobilist enters the fifth game of a seven-match home series following a loss to Admiral on Friday (2:5).
The Shanghai Dragons are in the middle of a five-game road trip and defeated Barys also on Friday (4:3 OT).
Avtomobilist’s defenseman Jesse Blacker had at least an assist in each of his previous three games, totaling four helpers.
Avtomobilist’s forward Daniel Sprong is equally on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (4+1) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Dmitry Yudin.
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 Astana, Barys faces Severstal as the teams meet for the second time in the current campaign. The teams first met this season on Sept. 20, when Severstal claimed a 3:2 win. The hosts currently find themselves on a two-game losing streak in games decided beyond regulation, falling to Metallurg (2:3 OT) and the Shanghai Dragons (3:4 OT). Severstal arrive in Kazakhstan from Chelyabinsk, where they were unable to cope with Traktor in a 2:5 loss, suffering their first defeat in the last four games. With 76 points, the visitors sit among the top three teams in the Western Conference. Barys, meanwhile, have 46 points and occupy the second-to-last spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
15:00: Barys (18-31-10, 10th E) vs Severstal (36-19-4, 2nd W)
About the game
Barys wraps up a five-game home series on a two-match losing streak.
Severstal, who defeated Barys earlier in the season (3:2), enters the third game of a four-match road trip following a loss to Traktor on Friday (2:5).
Barys’ defenseman Reilly Walsh is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Barys: Ansar Shaikhmeddenov.
Severstal: Nikolai Chebykin, Timofei Davydov.
Milestone alert
Barys’ goalie Nikita Boyarkin may reach 100 KHL games.
Closing out an exciting match day is a showdown between Neftekhimik and Sibir. Earlier this season, the Wolves won two of three meetings against Sibir. Igor Grishin’s side comes into this matchup on the back of a shutout home win over Spartak (2:0). At present, Yaroslav Luzenkov’s team is coming off back-to-back losses beyond regulation, falling to Amur (1:2 OT) and Avangard (1:2 SO). Even so, the visitors remain firmly in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, eight points ahead of Amur despite having played one more game. Neftekhimik currently sit sixth in the standings, just a single step behind Salavat Yulaev.
17:00: Neftekhimik (29-36-3, 6th E) vs Sibir (25-27-7, 8th E)
About the game
Neftekhimik ends a two-game home series following a win over Spartak on Friday (2:0).
Sibir enters the second game of a six-match road trip on a two-game losing streak.
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (2:3 SO, 3:1, 5:2).
Neftekhimik’s goalie Filipp Dolganov, who may record his 10th KHL shutout today, is on a 115:19 shutout streak.
Sibir’s forward Vyacheslav Leshchenko is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Neftekhimik: Vladislav Barulin, Raul Yakupov.
Sibir: Mikhail Abramov, Timur Akhiyarov, Valentin Pyanov.
