Traktor faces Lada, Torpedo hosts Dinamo Minsk, CSKA travels to Sochi
A new KHL week kicks off today with a three-game show. In the Eastern Conference, Traktor faces Lada. Then, in the West, Torpedo tries to defeat Dinamo Minsk for the first time this season, then HC Sochi hosts CSKA, who punched their postseason ticket yesterday.
The new KHL week starts in Chelyabinsk, with a showdown between Traktor and Lada. It will be the second head-to-head between the teams after the Dec. 25 game in Togliatti, when the Ural side claimed a convincing 6:1 victory. Heading into the rematch, Evgeny Koreshkov’s team is coming off two very different performances: a heavy 0:6 loss to Salavat Yulaev followed by a strong 5:2 win over Severstal. With 60 points, the hosts sit seventh in the Eastern Conference. Lada are second from last in the Western Conference, narrowly ahead of HC Sochi, despite having played three more games. They were the first team in their conference to be eliminated from playoff contention and suffered a 2:4 home loss to Ak Bars four days ago.
14:00: Traktor (27-24-6, 7th E) vs Lada (17-35-7, 10th W)
About the game
Traktor, who defeated Lada earlier in the season (6:1), ends a three-game home series following a win over Severstal on Friday (5:2).
Lada starts a two-game road trip following a loss to Ak Bars on Thursday (2:4).
Lada’s defenseman Alex Cotton had at least an assist in his last five matches, totaling six helpers.
Lada’s forward Andrei Chivilyov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Lada: Alexei Ozhgikhin.
Milestone alert
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov lines up for his 400th league appearance.
Lada’s forward Andrei Obidin may reach 100 career points (currently at 99).
Then, in the Western Conference, Torpedo hosts Dinamo Minsk. Earlier this season, the Nizhny Novgorod side lost all three head-to-head meetings with Minsk. Heading into the rematch, the hosts are coming off back-to-back wins beyond regulation, defeating the Shanghai Dragons (4:3 OT) and Ak Bars (3:2 SO). With 74 points, Aleksey Isakov’s team sits inside the top four of the Western Conference and remains in contention for a top-three finish, trailing Minsk by just two points—though Dinamo has one game in hand. The Bisons arrive in Nizhny Novgorod from Yaroslavl, where they were edged by Lokomotiv (4:5 SO). That setback was their second loss in the last three games. Dinamo will again be without forward Vitaly Pinchuk, one of the league’s top scorers, who misses the road trip for medical reasons after scoring 27 goals in 57 games.
17:00: Torpedo (34-19-6, 4th W) vs Dinamo Minsk (34-16-8, 3rd W)
About the game
Torpedo wraps up a four-game home series on a two-match winning streak.
Dinamo Minsk enters the second game of a four-match road trip following a loss to Lokomotiv on Saturday (4:5 SO).
The season series between the two sides is 0-3 (2:3, 1:7, 1:2).
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Sam Anas is on a six-game scoring streak, with 14 (4+10) points over that stretch.
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Alex Limoges is also on a six-game scoring streak, but with 10 (3+7) points.
Dinamo Minsk’s defenseman Xavier Ouellet is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Dinamo Minsk’s defenseman Ty Smith is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Injury list
Torpedo: Nikita Rozhkov.
Dinamo Minsk: Joshua Brook.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s forward Dmitry Shevchenko and Yegor Vinogradov may reach 100 KHL points (currently both at 99).
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Vadim Shipachyov may record his 700th KHL assist (currently at 698).
Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Vasily Demchenko may record his 30th league shutout.
The matchday closes out with injury-plagued HC Sochi hosting CSKA. Earlier this season, the teams have already traded wins. The hosts are mired in a three-game losing streak, scoring just two total goals during that stretch against Lokomotiv (1:2 OT), Avtomobilist (1:4), and Dynamo Moscow (0:4). The Black Sea franchise remains last in the Western Conference, narrowly trailing Lada with three games in hand. CSKA have faced similar scoring issues of late. Igor Nikitin’s team has not won since Feb. 15, suffering losses to Lada (1:2) and SKA (0:3). Can the Red-and-Blues, currently fifth in the standings and who have just booked a playoff ticket, find a sharper and more effective offensive performance on the Black Sea coast?
17:00: HC Sochi (16-32-8, 11th W) vs CSKA (31-19-8, 5th W)
About the game
HC Sochi kicks off a six-game home series on a three-match losing streak.
CSKA wraps up a six-game road trip following two straight defeats.
The season series between the two sides is 1-1 (2:0, 1:3).
Injury list
HC Sochi: Dmitry Kagarlitsky, Vasily Machulin, Ilya Nikolayev, Alexei Shchetilin, Denis Vengryzhanovsky.
CSKA: Denis Guryanov, Danila Moiseyev, Vladislav Provolnev.
Disqualifications
CSKA’s forward Pavel Karnaukhov serves a one-game ban.
Milestone alert
CSKA’s forward Ivan Drozdov lines up for his 400th league appearance.
CSKA’s forward Sergei Kalinin may reach 100 KHL goals (currently at 99).
