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Six games in an action-packed KHL Monday
The weeks starts with a busy matchday, featuring six games across the league, with Torpedo hosting league-leading Metallurg in the Western Conference’s standout clash. The Shanghai Dragons face Dinamo Minsk in a rematch of two earlier meetings, while Ak Bars looks to end its losing streak against HC Sochi. In the East, Barys and Sibir renew acquaintances, Salavat Yulaev takes on Neftekhimik, and Amur aims to extend its winning run against struggling Lada.
A busy matchday starts in the Far East again, this time with Amur hosting Lada. The Tigers are doing great lately, with four wins in the last five matches, including three consecutive triumphs, over Avtomobilist (3-0) and Traktor (twice, 2-1, 2-0). Amur is currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, with a scheduled game against struggling Lada today. The Togliatti side just lost its ninth straight match, but fought until the end in Vladivostok, surrendering only in extra time (2-3 OT). Lada will try to return to victory today in its second Far East game, but it will be a real challenge for a team that has only won once since the start of the 2026-2027 campaign and is already at its second head coach in the season. At the moment, Lada sits in the penultimate spot in the Western Conference’s table.
Then, in Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Neftekhimik. The hosts lost some momentum, and have now four losses in the last five matches. The Bashkortostan franchise met Sibir twice, trading wins with the Novosibirsk side (2-4, 5-4 OT), and lost to HC Sochi (3-6), CSKA (1-3), and Metallurg (1-7). Salavat Yulaev has consequently slipped down to fifth place in the East. Earlier in the season, however, the team defeated Neftekhimik on home ice (2-0), but it was almost one month ago. Salavat Yulaev will try to bounce back in today’s game, just like the Wolves, who have three defeats in the last four games. Despite the setback, however, Neftekhimik remains in the second spot in the Eastern Conference’s standings.
The action continues in Kazakhstan, with Barys taking on Sibir. The Astana club has already celebrated a large win over Sibir at the start of the season (7-1), and will try to unleash its strong offensive potential in this home game. The Kazakhs have have now won three straight games, over Neftekhimik (5-4 OT), Spartak (4-3 SO), and Avangard (5-1), and are currently the third team in the East. They also boast the best offense in the entire league, with 52 goals scored so far. Sibir’s season has been a roller coaster so far, but they just had a solid showing in Chelyabinsk, defeating Traktor in regulation on Saturday (2-1). Sibir is now in tenth position in a very tight Eastern table.
In the last Eastern game of the matchday, Ak Bars hosts HC Sochi. Despite the teams’ very different positions in the standings, earlier in the season the Black Sea franchise celebrated a 3-2 home win over the Kazan side as it was one of two wins Sochi had in the current campaign. The Sochi team has now three straight defeats, having lost to Spartak (twice, 2-5, 0-2) and to Torpedo (0-6). For now, signing Nikita Gusev wasn’t enough for Sochi to start improving its record. Yesterday, the team announced that it signed former Gagarin Cup champion Pavel Alkozin to a one-year contract. The move should add size and a 200-foot game to the team, struggling at both ends of the ice. Ak Bars is also on a skid, equally with three straight losses, to Traktor (2-3), Lokomotiv (0-2), and Severstal (1-4). The Kazan side will try to please the home crowd in its last game in the home stand and return to winning ways and climb up the Eastern standings after slipping down to sixth place.
The action then moves to the Western Conference for two matches. In St. Petersburg, the Shanghai Dragons take on Dinamo Minsk for the third time in the season. Previously, the Dragons defeated the Belarusians both times (4-3 OT, 2-1), and today they will be looking for a third straight win. Dinamo Minsk has lacked consistency, and has just suffered a heavy loss to Lokomotiv (1-6) after celebrating a nice win over SKA at home (4:2). The Bison’s ups and downs have translated into a rather disappointing eighth place in the Western table. The Dragons have instead two wins in a row, over Lada in Togliatti (5-0) and at Dynamo Moscow (3-2). The Chinese franchise will try to build on these wins to return to the West’s top four.
In the last game of an action-packed matchday, Torpedo hosts Metallurg. After three straight wins, Torpedo suffered a 2-3 home loss to Severstal, who consequently surpassed the Nizhny Novgorod franchise in third place in the West. That means that Torpedo is still in the conference’s top four, a good result for now for the team after last year’s second-round qualification (after defeating Severstal in the opening round). However, today’s challenge will be even tougher, with Metallurg coming to town. Magnitka currently leads the league with 23 points and is yet to lose a game since Andrei Razin’s suspension at the helm of the team. Vladimir Vorobyov led Metallurg to three straight wins, and today, Metallurg will be eyeing a fourth consecutive triumph to tighten its grip on the standings.
12:00: Amur (7-5-1, 4th E) vs Lada (1-9-4, 10th W)
About the game
Amur starts a five-game home series on a three-match winning streak.
Lada ends a two-game road trip on a nine-match losing streak.
Amur’s goalie Maxim Dorozhko is on an 89:57 shutout streak.
Amur’s goalie Alexander Trushkov is on a 62:62 shutout streak.
Injury list
Amur: Alexander Dergachyov, Danila Galenyuk, Andrei Krutov, Vasily Machulin, Yegor Rykov.
Lada: Ivan Romanov.
Milestone alert
Amur’s goalie Maxim Dorozhko may line up for his 200th league appearance and record his 20th career shutout.
14:30: Salavat Yulaev (7-6-1, 5th E) vs Neftekhimik (8-4-2, 2nd E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev, who defeated Neftekhimik earlier in the season (2-0), starts a two-game home series following a loss to Metallurg on Friday (1-7).
Neftekhimik plays the lone road game of the series and lost to Avangard on Thursday (0-1).
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Artyom Gorshkov, Gleb Kuzmin.
Milestone alert
Neftekhimik’s forward German Tochilkin lines up for his 200th league appearance.
Neftekhimik’s forwards Andrei Belozyorov and Ivan Nikolishin may each record their 100th league assist (currently both at 99).
17:30: Barys (8-5-0, 3rd E) vs Sibir (4-7-3, 10th E)
About the game
Barys, who defeated Sibir earlier in the season (7-1), is in the middle of a three-game home series and enters today’s match in a three-game winning streak.
Sibir is in the middle of a three-game road trip and defeated Traktor on Saturday (2-1).
Barys’ defenseman Logan Day had at least an assist in each of his previous five games, totaling nine helpers.
Barys’ forward Mason Morelli is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (+3) points over that stretch.
Barys’ forward Tyce Thompson scored at least one goal in each of his previous three matches, totaling four tallies.
Sibir’s forward Arkhip Nekolenko is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Barys: Madi Dikhanbek.
Sibir: Mikhail Abramov, Maxim Osipov, Daniil Valitov.
Milestone alert
Barys’ defenseman Samat Daniyar lines up for his 300th league appearance.
Sibir’s forward Yegor Korshkov lines up for his 600th career game.
Sibir’s defenseman Darren Dietz may record his 100th goal in the KHL (currently at 99).
19:00: Ak Bars (7-6-1, 6th E) vs HC Sochi (2-11-0, 11th W)
About the game
Ak Bars wraps up a five-game home series on a three-match losing streak.
HC Sochi, who defeated Ak Bars earlier in the season (3-2), plays the lone road game of the series also on a three-match losing streak.
Injury list
Ak Bars: Artyom Galimov.
HC Sochi: Pyotr Andreyanov, Vladislav Kara, Cam Lee, Kirill Voronin.
Milestone alert
Ak Bars’ forward Semyon Terekhov lines up for his 100th league appearance.
19:30: Shanghai Dragons (8-2-1, 5th W) vs Dinamo Minsk (5-4-5, 8th W)
About the game
The Shanghai Dragons, who defeated Dinamo Minsk twice in the season (4-3 OT, 2-1), start a three-game home series on a three-match winning streak.
Dinamo Minsk ends a two-game road trip after a loss to Lokomotiv on Saturday (1-6).
Injury list
Shanghai Dragons: Martin Frk.
Dinamo Minsk: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Sergei Kalinin, Nicolas Meloche.
Milestone alert
Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Zach Fucale may celebrate his 100th league victory.
Dinamo Minsk’s goalie Vasily Demchenko may record his 30th KHL shutout.
19:30: Torpedo (9-4-0, 4th W) vs Metallurg (11-3-1, 1st E)
About the game
Torpedo is in the middle of a three-game home series and lost to Severstal on Thursday (2-3).
Metallurg starts a two-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Torpedo’s goalie Dmitry Shugayev is on a 120:43 shutout streak.
Torpedo’s forward Vladimir Tkachyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points over that stretch.
Torpedo’s forward Sergei Vinogradov is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 4 (1+3) points.
Metallurg’s goalie Yegor Zavragin is on an 87:31 shutout streak.
Metallurg’s forward Vladimir Tkachyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points.
Milestone alert
Metallurg’s defenseman Valery Orekhov lines up for his 500th league appearance.
Metallurg’s forward Nikita Mikhailis may record his 200th career assist (currently at 199).
