Home-ice race intensifies as CSKA welcomes Avangard on four-game slate
An action-packed all-Western matchday features crucial battles in Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, and Moscow, with playoff positioning and personal milestones on the line. Torpedo hosts Traktor, while league leaders Lokomotiv face HC Sochi. In Moscow, CSKA meets Avangard, and Dynamo takes on Avtomobilist in a clash of in-form contenders.
The all-Western matchday starts in Nizhny Novgorod, where Torpedo takes on Traktor as the teams collide for the first time this season. Both sides will be looking to bounce back after recent losses. The Ural side currently sits on a two-game losing streak after defeats to Salavat Yulaev (2:3 SO) and Ak Bars (0:1). With 63 points, the visitors remain among the top seven teams in the Eastern Conference. Adding to Chelyabinsk’s concerns is the loss of goaltender Sergei Mylnikov, who will miss the remainder of the season. Three days ago, Torpedo suffered an unexpected heavy road defeat to HC Sochi (1:5). That loss was the second in the last three games for the team, yet the Nizhny Novgorod side remains in the Western Conference’s top four, holding a two-point edge over CSKA, although the Muscovites have a game in hand. Will Alexei Isakov’s team manage to stay in their current position and secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs?
19:00: Torpedo (35-21-6, 4th W) vs Traktor (28-25-7, 4th E)
About the game
Torpedo starts a two-game home series following a loss to HC Sochi on Sunday (1:5).
Traktor kicks off a four-match road trip on a two-game losing streak.
Injury list
Torpedo: Nikita Rozhkov.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s forwards Dmitry Shevchenko and Yegor Vinogradov may reach 100 KHL points (currently both at 99).
Torpedo’s forward Shane Prince may net his 100th league tally (currently at 99).
Due to force majeure circumstances and by mutual agreement between HC Sochi and Lokomotiv, it was decided that the venue for today’s game would be changed — the match will now take place in Yaroslavl. Bob Hartley’s side is currently riding a six-game winning streak. They have not lost since Feb. 12 and, in their most recent outing, defeated direct Western Conference rivals Severstal (3:2 SO). With 89 points, the Railwaymen are confidently heading toward the end of the regular season in first place in the West. Earlier this season, Lokomotiv won all three head-to-head meetings against HC Sochi, who remains at the bottom of the standings. However, Dmitry Mikhailov’s team has repeatedly shown it is capable of pulling off surprises, most notably three days ago with a dominant 5:1 victory over Torpedo. Will they be able to deliver another positive result this evening?
19:30: HC Sochi (17-34-8, 11th W) vs Lokomotiv (42-15-5, 1st W)
About the game
HC Sochi enters the fifth game of a six-match home series following a win over Torpedo on Sunday (5:1).
Lokomotiv ends a three-game road trip on a six-match winning streak.
The season series between the two sides is 0-3 (0:5, 0:3, 1:2 ОТ).
Injury list
HC Sochi: Jean-Christophe Beaudin, Cameron Lee, Ilya Nikolayev, Denis Vengryzhanovsky.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s forward Pavel Kraskovsky may reach 200 KHL points (currently at 198).
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his 10th league shutout.
Then, CSKA and Avangard will take center stage in Moscow. The first meeting between the teams this season took place on Jan. 15 in Omsk, where the Hawks came out on top by the narrowest of margins. The visitors are currently riding a two-game winning streak, having defeated Metallurg (3:2 OT) and Spartak (4:1). With 88 points, Guy Boucher’s team is confidently approaching the end of the regular season in second place in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, CSKA sits fifth in the West, just two points behind Torpedo, although the Muscovites have one game in hand. After a wild comeback win over the Shanghai Dragons (6:5 OT), Igor Nikitin’s side was unable to find the net in a 0:1 loss to Avtomobilist.
19:30: CSKA (33-20-8, 5th W) vs Avangard (42-15-4, 2nd E)
About the game
CSKA is in the middle of a seven-game home series and lost to Avtomobilist on Sunday (0:1).
Avangard, who defeated Avangard earlier in the season (2:1), is in the middle of a three-game road trip and won its previous couple of matches.
Injury list
CSKA: Denis Guryanov, Klim Kostin, Danila Moiseyev, Vladislav Provolnev.
Avangard: Alexander Volkov.
Milestone alert
CSKA’s forward Sergei Kalinin may reach 100 KHL goals (currently at 99).
CSKA’s goalie Dmitry Gamzin may record his 10th career shutout.
Avangard’s defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov may score his 300th point in the KHL (currently at 298).
In the second Moscow game, Dynamo faces Avtomobilist. The Motormen continue a three-game road trip that began with a 1:0 victory over CSKA. That win marked the Ural side’s fourth in a row, with Nikolai Zavarukhin’s team unbeaten since Feb. 20. The first meeting between the sides this season took place on Feb. 13 in Yekaterinburg, when the Blue-and-Whites edged a narrow 2:1 win. Dynamo enters the rematch on the back of consecutive 4:1 victories over SKA and Metallurg. With 72 points, the hosts sit sixth in the Western Conference, narrowly ahead of SKA with a game in hand. The visitors are comfortably fourth in the East with 76 points.
19:30: Dynamo Moscow (34-22-4, 6th W) vs Avtomobilist (36-21-4, 4th E)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow, who defeated Avtomobilist earlier in the season (2:1), enters the second game of a five-match home series on a two-game winning streak.
Avtomobilist is in the middle of a three-game road trip and won its previous four matches.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Nikita Gusev is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points over that stretch.
Avtomobilist’s goalie Vladimir Galkin is on an 85:17 shutout streak.
Avtomobilist’s forward Daniel Sprong is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 11 (6+5) points over that span.
Avtomobilist’s defenseman Nikita Tryamkin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Fredrik Claesson, Kirill Gotovets, Artyom Mikheyev.
Avtomobilist: Dmitry Yudin.
Milestone alert
Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Artyom Sergeyev may reach 100 KHL assists (currently at 99).
Dynamo Moscow’s goalie Maxim Motorygin and Avtomobilist’s goalie Vladimir Galkin may record their 10th respective career shutout.
