Ak Bars and Metallurg headline four-game matchday

Four games are on tap as Lada host Torpedo in Togliatti, while Neftekhimik welcome Avtomobilist in Nizhnekamsk. In Kazan, Ak Bars and Metallurg meet for the first time this season in a clash between two undefeated teams, while CSKA face Admiral in Moscow.

The matchday starts in Togliatti, with Lada still seeking its first win in a home game against Torpedo. The Volga side lost to SKA twice, both in extra time (3:4, 1:2) and to Severstal (0:1). The game against the St. Petersburg franchise demonstrated some defensive solidity, but Lada must improve its offensive game, with only four goals scored in three games. Torpedo had a nice start with two straight wins, but lost to CSKA on Wednesday (0:3). The Nizhny Novgorod side will try to bounce back with a return to win today in Togliatti. After today’s game, Torpedo will return home as the team will play its first game at the brand new Volga Arena, the club’s new home, with a capacity of 12,000 seats.

The action then continues in Nizhnekamsk for a game between Neftekhimik and Avtomobilist. After losing their opener to the Shanghai Dragons, the Wolves bounced back with a home win over HC Sochi (5:1) with usual suspect Andrei Belozyorov scoring two points for Neftekhimik. Similarly, Avtomobilist has one win and one loss so far, and will try to improve its positioning in the Eastern Conference standings as the team starts a long road trip that will see Avto playing the next seven games far from home. Avtomobilist’s next game in Yekaterinburg is scheduled for Oct. 2, against Amur.

In the meantime, Tatarstan hosts another game as Ak Bars welcomes Metallurg in a Russian hockey classic. Ak Bars and Metallurg, who met in last season’s semifinal series, will face each other for the first time this season. In the Gagarin Cup playoffs, Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team defeated Magnitogorsk in five games. Now, however, everything starts from scratch. The game in Kazan will be Andrei Razin’s team’s first road game of the season, while Ak Bars will close out its home series. Both teams are currently undefeated, setting the stage for an exciting battle between two sides determined to keep their perfect records intact. Ak Bars celebrated wins over Sibir (4:3 SO), Admiral (2:0), and Traktor (2:1), while Metallurg defeated Amur twice (4:2, 2:1).

The matchday rounds out with a Western Conference clash between CSKA and Admiral. Injury-plagued Sailors will look for their first win of the season, after conceding games to Ak Bars (0:2) and Dynamo Moscow (1:2 SO). The Muscovites collected one win and one loss, and will be trying to celebrate their second win this season to gear up before a highly-anticipated match against Lokomotiv on Sunday. It will be an exciting end for an interesting matchday with four games on tap.

18:00: Lada (0-1-2) vs Torpedo (2-1-0).

About the game

Lada starts a three-game home series and lost its previous three matches.

Torpedo ends a four-game road trip before returning home to start playing at the new Volga Arena.

Injury list

Torpedo: Nikita Shavin.

Milestone alert

Torpedo’s forward Amir Garayev lines up for his 300^th KHL game. He may celebrate scoring his 100^th league point (currently at 99).

19:00: Neftekhimik (1-0-1) vs Avtomobilist (1-0-1).

About the game

Neftekhimik enters the third game of a four-match home series, while Avtomobilist starts a long, seven-game road trip.

Milestone alert

Neftekhimik’s head coach Igor Grishin may celebrate his 50^th win in the KHL.

19:00: Ak Bars (3-0-0) vs Metallurg (2-0-0).

About the game

Ak Bars rounds out a four-game home series and won three straight matches.

Metallurg starts a two-match road trip after two consecutive wins.

Ak Bars’ forward Kirill Semyonov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points accumulated over that stretch.

19:30: CSKA (1-1-0) vs Admiral (0-1-1).

About the game

CSKA enters the third game of a four-match home series, while Admiral is at its third of a four-game road trip.

Injury list

Admiral: Mario Grman, Kyle Olson, Artyom Pimenov, Vladislav Tsitsyura.

Milestone alert

CSKA’s forward Nikolai Kovalenko may reach 200 KHL points (currently at 199).

Admiral’s defenseman Fyodor Kroshchinsky lines up for his 200^th league appearance.