Lokomotiv seeks eigth straight win in a home game against Severstal
A new week kicks off with a three-game matchday. In the Eastern Conference, Avangard faces Sibir in another Siberian derby. In the West, Dynamo Moscow takes on Dinamo Minsk, while Lokomotiv seeks its seventh straight win as Severstal pays a visit to Yaroslavl.
The matchday starts with the fourth Siberian derby of the season between Avangard and Sibir. The Hawks hold the lead in the series, with two wins so far. Both teams enter today’ game following a recent defeat. After three straight wins, Avangard sensationally lost to HC Sochi on Friday, but the team had enough of a cushion over Ak Bars to remain in second place in the Eastern Conference’s standings. Sibir is now battling with Amur for the eighth spot in the East. Currently, the Novosibirsk side has a three-point advantage, and getting a win today would be critical for its playoff chances. Today’s opponents met lastly not long ago, on Feb. 2, with Avangard claiming an extra time win (2:1 SO).
14:00: Avangard (43-16-4, 2nd E) vs Sibir (26-29-8, 8th E)
About the game
Avangard starts a three-game home series following a loss to HC Sochi on Friday (1:3).
Sibir wraps up a six-game road trip following a loss to Ak Bars on Saturday (3:6).
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (2:4, 5:2, 2:1 SO).
Avangard’s goalie Nikita Serebryakov is on a 63:01 shutout streak.
Injury list
Avangard: Alexander Volkov.
Sibir: Arkhip Nekolenko.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov may reach 300 KHL points (currently at 298).
The action then switches to the West for a couple of matches. In Moscow, Dynamo faces Dinamo Minsk. It will be the fourth meeting between the two sides in the current campaign, with the Belarusian currently sweeping the series. However, both teams lost their last couple of matches. The Muscovites suffered home defeats to Avtomobilist (0:4) and SKA (1:2 OT), while the Belarusians fell to Metallurg (0:3) and SKA (1:2 OT). Today’s game may be an excellent chance to turn the tide and return to victory, other than accumulate points to guarantee a better positioning in the upcoming elimination stage. In the standings, Dynamo Moscow is in seventh place, while the Bison trail only Lokomotiv in the Western Conference’s table.
17:00: Dynamo Moscow (34-23-5, 7th W) vs Dinamo Minsk (37-17-9, 2nd W)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow enters the fourth game of a five-match home series on a two-game losing streak.
Dinamo Minsk starts a two-game road trip equally on a two-match losing streak.
The season series between the two sides is 0-3 (1:7, 3:5, 2:3).
Injury list
Dynamo Moscow: Fredrik Claesson, Kirill Gotovets, Artyom Mikheyev.
Dinamo Minsk: Vadim Moroz, Ryan Spooner.
Disqualifications
Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Artyom Sergeyev serves the second game of a three-match ban.
Milestone alert
Dynamo Moscow’s goalie Maxim Motorygin may record his 10th KHL shutout, while his Dinamo Minsk colleague Vasily Demchenko may reach 30.
In Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv hosts Severstal eyeing a seventh straight win. The Railwaymen proved to be in excellent shape with six consecutive victories, with the last victim being HC Sochi on Wednesday. Today’s opposition met last week, on March 2, with Lokomotiv claiming an extra time victory (3:2 SO). After that game, Severstal did not play other games, while the Railwaymen collected their sixth straight win over Sochi. The Yaroslavl franchise is the undisputed leader of the Western Conference’s standings with 91 points, while Severstal is in third place, ten points below. It will be the last game of the season series between the two Western rivals, with the Railwaymen being up in the score.
17:00: Lokomotiv (43-15-5, 1st W) vs Severstal (38-20-5, 3rd W)
About the game
Lokomotiv plays the lone home game of the series on a six-match winning streak.
Severstal kicks off a three-game road trip following a loss to Lokomotiv on March 2 (2:3 SO).
The season series between the two teams is 3-2 (4:1, 2:1, 3:4, 0:2, 3:2 SO).
Severstal’s defenseman Ioannis Kaldis is on a six-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that stretch.
Severstal’s forward Adam Liska is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s forward Pavel Kraskovsky may record his 200th career point (currently at 198).
Severstal’s forward Adam Liska may reach 100 KHL assists (currently at 99).
