A busy nine-game day with high stakes across the league
A nine-game KHL matchday features crucial battles across both conferences. Barys seeks a fourth straight win in Vladivostok, while Sibir eyes a potential playoff-clinching result against regular-season champion Metallurg. Avangard hosts the struggling Shanghai Dragons, and Traktor looks to halt a skid versus Torpedo. Salavat Yulaev meets Dynamo Moscow in a tight cross-conference clash, as Lokomotiv visits Lada. Later, Ak Bars targets a perfect homestand against Sochi, Spartak faces desperate Amur, and SKA hosts Severstal.
The matchday starts with a rematch between Admiral and Barys. Yesterday, the Kazakhs celebrated a 2:1 win as today they will try to get a fourth straight victory – it would be the first time in the current campaign. Other than defeating the Sailors, Barys also collected wins over Amur (3:0) and the Shanghai Dragons (8:4). The Kazakhs remain in tenth place in the Eastern Conference, at 53 points, four less than Amur. The Sailors suffered their second straight loss after a defeat to Neftekhimik on Saturday (3:4) and remained the last team in the East’s table, at 46 points.
12:30: Admiral (17-35-12, 11th E) vs Barys (21-33-11, 10th E)
About the game
Admiral wraps up a six-game home series on a two-match losing streak.
Barys ends a six-game road trip on a three-match winning streak.
The season series between the two sides is 1-3 (0:3, 5:2, 1:4, 1:2).
Admiral’s defenseman Libor Sulak is on a nine-game scoring streak, with 13 (4+9) points over that stretch.
Admiral’s forward Stepan Starkov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points.
Admiral’s forward Nikita Tertyshny is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points.
Barys’ forward Tyce Thompson is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Barys’ defenseman Jake Massie had at least an assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling four helpers.
Injury list
Admiral: Alexander Daryin, Mario Grman, Vladislav Kara, Ivan Muranov, Semyon Ruchkin.
Barys: Ansar Shaikhmeddenov.
Milestone alert
Sibir’s forward Vyacheslav Osnovin may reach 100 career assists (currently at 99).
Then, in Novosibirsk, Sibir hosts Metallurg. This game can give the Novosibirsk side an early ticket for the elimination stage, should the team collect a win today and Amur fails to get points in today’s game against Spartak. It will be the fourth meeting between the two sides in the current season, with Metallurg celebrating two wins over Sibir’s one. The hosts return home after an inspiring win in the Siberian derby against Avangard on Monday, when the team got two key points in post-game shootouts. Sibir is currently the eighth seed in the East, with 62 points – a five-point cushion over Amur. Metallurg travels to Novosibirsk after a win in Ufa (2:1 OT) – the second straight win for the Steelers after defeating Traktor at home on Sunday (3:2 SO) as the team grabbed the Continental Cup for the regular season winners for the first time in KHL history. After today’s game, Metallurg will return home for its last home game of the season against Avtomobilist on March 16 – it will be the team’s last game in Magnitogorsk before the elimination stage.
15:30: Sibir (27-29-8, 8th E) vs Metallurg (47-10-7, 1st E)
About the game
Sibir kicks off a four-game home series following a win over Avangard on Monday (2:1 SO).
Metallurg ends a two-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
The season series between the two sides is 1-2 (3:4, 1:2 ОТ, 2:1).
Injury list
Sibir: Arkhip Nekolenko.
Metallurg: Dmitry Silantyev.
In Omsk, Avangard hosts the Shanghai Dragons after bouncing back after their loss in the Siberian derby with a home win over Torpedo on Wednesday (4:1). With the win, the Hawks retained the second place in the Eastern Conference’s table, five points above Ak Bars. The Shanghai Dragons are in a much worse position. Not only did they loss any playoff hope as they are in ninth place in the West at twenty points from Spartak, but they also lost their last three matches. Two in China for the 2026 KHL World Games to Sibir (1:2) and Barys (4:8), and in Moscow to Dynamo (2:4). The home crowd will hope for an Avangard win, but no game is won before the last minute of action.
16:30: Avangard (44-16-5, 2nd E) vs Shanghai Dragons (21-31-12, 9th W)
About the game
Avangard, who defeated the Shanghai Dragons earlier in the season (5:3), ends a three-game home series following a win over Torpedo on Wednesday (4:1).
The Shanghai Dragons are in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost their previous three matches.
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Spencer Foo is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (5+2) points over that stretch.
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Nikita Popugayev had at least an assist in each of his previous three matches, totaling four helpers.
Injury list
Shanghai Dragons: Jeremy Groleau, Ben Harpur, Andrei Kareyev, Patrik Rybar.
Milestone alert
Avangard’s defenseman Damir Sharipzyanov may reach 300 points in the KHL (currently at 298).
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Kirill Rasskazov may record his 100th career assist (currently at 99).
Shanghai Dragons’ goalie Dmitry Shikin may reach 10 KHL shutouts.
In the Urals, Traktor hosts Torpedo as the two sides collide for the second time this season after a 5:0 triumph in the Black-and-Whites’ favor last week. However, today the Chelyabinsk side enter the game on a three-game losing streak, following losses to CSKA (0:1), Metallurg (2:3 SO), and Neftekhimik (1:2 OT) after the win over Torpedo. After this setback, Traktor is now sixth in the East, tied with Neftekhimik at 67 points. The Nizhny Novgorod side is currently fifth in the West after CSKA’s wins over HC Sochi, but may recover today in case of a win over the Chelyabinsk side. Most recently, Torpedo lost to Avangard (1:4), and has only one win in the last three games.
17:00: Traktor (29-26-9, 6th E) vs Torpedo (36-23-6, 5th W)
About the game
Traktor, who defeated Torpedo earlier in the season (5:0), kicks off a four-game home series on a three-game losing streak.
Torpedo ends a two-game road trip following a loss to Avangard on Wednesday (1:4).
Injury list
Traktor: Sergei Mylnikov.
Milestone alert
Torpedo’s forward Dmitry Shevchenko may reach 100 career points (currently at 99).
Torpedo’s forward Shane Prince may net his 100th KHL goal (currently at 99).
In the meantime, Salavat Yulaev hosts Dynamo Moscow. The teams first met this season on Oct. 8 in Moscow, when the Blue-and-Whites came out on top with a 4:1 victory. At the moment, Vyacheslav Kozlov’s squad is riding a two-game winning streak after defeating Dinamo Minsk 6:4 and the Shanghai Dragons 4:2. With 77 points, the visitors sit seventh in the Western Conference, tied with SKA, who hold the spot just above them in the standings. Forward Max Comtois will not be available for the visitors in the near future due to injury. Salavat Yulaev currently ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference, four points ahead of Traktor. Two days earlier, Viktor Kozlov’s team fell 1:2 in OT to Metallurg, the leader of the regular season, following another loss to Amur (3:6).
17:00: Salavat Yulaev (33-26-5, 5th E) vs Dynamo Moscow (36-23-5, 6th W)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev enters the second game of a five-match home series on a two-game losing streak.
Dynamo Moscow, who defeated Salavat Yulaev earlier in the season (4:1), starts a two-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Jake Rodewald is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that stretch.
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Anton Slepyshev is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 4 (2+2) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Alexander Chyorny, Prokhor Korbit, Gleb Kuzmin.
Dynamo Moscow: Fredrik Claesson, Kirill Gotovets, Artyom Mikheyev.
Milestone alert
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Pyotr Khokhkryakov may reach 100 career assists (currently at 99).
Dynamo Moscow’s forward Maxim Mamin lines up for his 600th league appearance.
Dynamo Moscow’s defenseman Artyom Sergeyev may reach 100 KHL assists (currently at 99).
Dynamo Moscow’s goalie Maxim Motorygin may record his 10th career shutout.
In Togliatti, Lada hosts Lokomotiv. Earlier this season, Lokomotiv won all three head-to-head meetings against Lada, allowing a total of just four goals. Two days ago, Bob Hartley’s team fell 1:4 to Avtomobilist, though the result had no impact on the standings, as Yaroslavl had already clinched the Western Conference’s top spot with 93 points. Lada sits second-to-last in the standings, narrowly ahead of HC Sochi while having played two more games. Over their most recent stretch, the Motormen have suffered three straight losses to Spartak (1:7, 2:5) and Severstal (1:3). Will the hosts be able to pull off an upset?
18:00: Lada (19-40-7, 10th W) vs Lokomotiv (44-16-5, 1st W)
About the game
Lada enters the sixth game of a seven-match home series on a three-game losing streak.
Lokomotiv is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Avtomobilist on Wednesday (1:4).
The season series between the two teams is 0-3 (1:6, 2:3, 1:3).
Lokomotiv’s forward Maxim Beryozkin had an assist in each of his previous four matches.
Lokomotiv’s forward Maxim Shalunov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Lada: Tyler Graovac, Alexei Ozhgikhin.
Milestone alert
Lada’s forwards Tomas Jurco and Andrei Obidin may score their 100th KHL point (currently both at 99).
Lokomotiv’s forward Pavel Kraskovsky may reach 200 career points (currently at 198).
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his 10th KHL shutout.
Then, in the last Eastern game of the night, Ak Bars hosts HC Sochi. Ak Bars will wrap up its three-game homestand and could finish it with a perfect record after earlier victories over Sibir (6:3) and Spartak (4:1). Over their last four games, Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team has won three times and is heading toward the end of the regular season in third place in the Eastern Conference with 88 points. HC Sochi traveled to the capital of Tatarstan after suffering two straight losses by identical 1:2 scores to CSKA. With 44 points, Sochi trail second-to-last place Lada in the Western Conference by the slimmest of margins, while still having two games in hand. Earlier this season, Dmitry Mikhailov’s team has pulled off several surprises by defeating opponents who appeared stronger on paper. Will they be able to produce another one in Kazan?
19:00: Ak Bars (40-16-8, 3rd E) vs HC Sochi (18-38-8, 11th W)
About the game
Ak Bars ends a three-game home series on a two-match winning streak.
HC Sochi plays the lone road game of the series on a three-match losing streak.
The season series between the two sides is 2-0 (5:2, 3:2).
Ak Bars’ forward Kirill Semyonov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that stretch.
Ak Bars’ forward Artyom Galimov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.
Ak Bars’ forward Nathan Todd is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 3 (1+2) points.
Injury list
HC Sochi: Noel Hoefenmayer, Timur Khafizov, Ilya Nikolayev, Igor Shvyryov, Maxim Tretyak.
Milestone alert
Ak Bars’ forward Dmitrij Jaskin may net his 200th KHL goal (currently at 199).
Ak Bars’ goalie Timur Bilyalov may record his 40th career shutout.
HC Sochi’s defenseman Cameron Lee lines up for his 200th league appearance.
In Moscow, Spartak hosts Amur. For the Tigers, the upcoming game is of crucial importance. Three days ago, they suffered a 0:3 loss to Barys, leaving them five points behind eighth-placed Sibir in the Eastern Conference. Now any misstep could effectively end the Far Eastern club’s chances of reaching the playoffs. That scenario could materialize as early as the upcoming game day if they lose to the Red-and-Whites and Sibir wins its own matchup. The hosts last played on March 10 in Kazan, where they fell 1:4 to Ak Bars, marking their second loss in four games. With 74 points, Spartak currently rounds out the top eight in the Western Conference.
19:30: Spartak (34-24-6, 8th W) vs Amur (25-32-7, 9th E)
About the game
Spartak starts a four-game home series following a loss to Ak Bars on Tuesday (1:4).
Amur, who defeated Spartak earlier in the season (4:3), starts a four-game road trip after losing to Barys also on Tuesday (0:3).
Injury list
Spartak: Brandon Biro.
Amur: Alex Broadhurst, Evgeny Svechnikov.
Milestone alert
Spartak’s forward Lucas Lockhart lines up for his 500th league appearance.
A showdown in St. Petersburg between SKA and Severstal closes out a packed matchday. Earlier this regular season, SKA won two of three meetings against Severstal. The team from Cherepovets will conclude a three-game road trip in St. Petersburg, having previously fallen to Lokomotiv (3:4 OT) and defeated Lada (3:1). With 84 points, Andrei Kozyrev’s squad sits second in the Western Conference, narrowly ahead of Dinamo Minsk. SKA currently holds sixth place with 77 points, one fewer than Torpedo. Igor Larionov’s men have not lost since Feb. 28, posting four straight victories during that stretch over Barys (7:0), Dinamo Minsk (2:1 OT, 4:3), and their Moscow namesakes (2:1 OT). Will SKA be able to extend the streak to five wins in a row?
19:30: SKA (35-22-7, 6th W) vs Severstal (39-20-6, 2nd W)
About the game
SKA ends a two-game home series on a four-match winning streak.
Severstal wraps up a three-game road trip following a win over Lada on Wednesday (3:1).
The season series between the two sides is 2-1 (6:4, 3:1, 2:3 SO).
Severstal’s forward Adam Liska is on a six-game scoring streak, with 7 (4+3) points over that stretch.
Injury list
SKA: Trevor Murphy, Nikita Zaitsev.
