Lokomotiv look to keep perfect start alive in three-game slate

Three games are on tap as Avangard hosts Avtomobilist in Omsk, with the Hawks riding a two-game winning streak. In Chelyabinsk, Traktor welcomes unbeaten Lokomotiv after the Railwaymen claimed a 5:1 win in the season opener. The matchday then concludes with a St. Petersburg derby as SKA and the Shanghai Dragons share the SKA Arena.

The matchday kicks off in Omsk, where Avangard hosts Avtomobilist in a classic Eastern Conference matchup. All six games between Avangard and Avtomobilist last season featured at least three goals, while three of the six were decided beyond regulation. Guy Boucher has had to deal with a long list of injuries at the start of the season, so this will be a challenging game for his team. The game will also bring together several former Dynamo Moscow players: Avtomobilist forward Anton Slepyshev, Avangard defenseman Kirill Adamchuk, and forward Artyom Ilyenko. All three played for the Moscow club last season. The Hawks enter today’s game following two straight wins, over HC Sochi (4:1) and Metallurg (3:2 OT), respectively. The Motormen have instead bounced back after a loss to Neftekhimik (1:3) with a win in Novosibirsk (5:2), led by three points from top scorer Anatoly Golyshev.

In the second Eastern Game of the day, Traktor hosts Lokomotiv. The two teams already met this season, with the Railwaymen claiming the season opener with a 5:1 statement win. Lokomotiv is yet to lose a game, with consequent victories over the Shanghai Dragons (3:1), Severstal (2:1 OT), and CSKA (3:2). Dmitry Kvartalnov’s men look unstoppable now, and Traktor will face a real challenge, but this time the Chelyabinsk side will play on home ice. After the Yaroslavl clash, Traktor bounced back with a win over Avtomobilist (4:3 OT), but lost to Ak Bars (1:2). With Nathan Legare in good shape, the team will be looking for a return to victory to find a morale boost and some consistency.

The matchday ends up with a St. Petersburg derby between SKA and the Shanghai Dragons.

Last season, the Shanghai Dragons played their home games against SKA at the SKA Arena. This season, SKA returned to the arena bearing their club’s name, and the two teams now share the venue. Five of the six meetings between the teams in last season’s regular season ended in SKA’s favor. The team enters the game against Mitch Love’s squad as the favorites. Igor Larionov’s side have won four of their five games so far. The Dragons, meanwhile, have played only three games, losing only to Lokomotiv, while winning their other two games in extra time after completing comebacks, over Neftekhimik and Dinamo Minsk, respectively. A good crowd is to be expected at the SKA Arena for today’s game.

16:30: Avangard (2-1-0) vs Avtomobilist (2-1-1).

About the game

Avangard wraps up a four-game home series after two straight wins.

Avtomobilist enters the third game of a seven-match road trip after a victory over Sibir on Sunday (5:2).

Injury list

Avangard: Maxime Lajoie, Pavel Leuka, Michael MacLeod, Nikolai Prokhorkin, Damir Sharipzyanov, Alexander Volkov.

Milestone alert

Avtomobilist’s forward Adam Ruzicka may reach 100 KHL points (currently at 99).

17:00: Traktor (1-2-0) vs Lokomotiv (4-0-0).

About the game

Traktor kicks off a four-game home series following a loss to Ak Bars on Wednesday (1:2).

Lokomotiv, who defeated Traktor earlier in the season (5:1), ends a two-game road trip and is on a four-match winning streak.

Lokomotiv’s forward Yegor Surin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (4+2) points over that streak.

Lokomotiv’s forward Georgy Ivanov is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (1+3) points.

Lokomotiv’s forward Alexander Radulov is on a three-game scoring streak instead, with 6 (2+4) points.

Injury list

Traktor: Vitaly Kravtsov.

Lokomotiv: Maxim Beryozkin, Artur Kayumov.

Milestone alert

Lokomotiv’s forward Alexander Radulov may reach 300 KHL goals (currently at 299).

Lokomotiv’s goalie Daniil Isayev may record his 40^th career shutout, while his colleague Alexei Melnichuk may reach 10.

19:30: SKA (4-1-0) vs Shanghai Dragons (2-1-0).

About the game

SKA plays the lone home game of the series following a win over HC Sochi on Saturday (1:0).

The Shanghai Dragons wrap up a four-game road trip and defeated Dinamo Minsk on Thursday (4:3 OT).

SKA’s goalie Sergei Ivanov is on an 82:31 shutout streak.

Shanghai Dragons’ defenseman Brennan Menell is on a three-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points over that stretch.

Shanghai Dragons’ forward Vladimir Kuznetsov had an assist in each of his previous three matches.

Injury list

SKA: Zakhar Bardakov, Trevor Murphy, Linus Weissbach.

Shanghai Dragons: Martin Frk.

Milestone alert

SKA’s forward Daniil Aimurzin may reach 100 KHL assists (currently at 99).