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CSKA seeks return to winning ways against SKA; six games on tap
Six games feature on the KHL schedule, with CSKA looking to bounce back against SKA after two straight losses ended its remarkable 12-game winning streak. SKA, meanwhile, has just claimed its first victory under Andrei Razin. Elsewhere, Amur and Admiral renew their Far East rivalry, Lada takes on HC Sochi, Salavat Yulaev and Ak Bars contest the second Green Derby, Spartak hosts the Shanghai Dragons, and Lokomotiv faces Severstal.
The matchday starts with the first Far East derby of the season between Amur and Admiral. Last year, the teams split last season’s series, winning three games apiece. The teams enter today’s confrontation in different situations. The Tigers suffered two straight home losses, to Spartak (1–2), and Salavat Yulaev (3–4), before returning to winning ways on Monday at Barys’ expense (5–2). Admiral, meanwhile, has won two straight games, over Salavat Yulaev (2–0) and Barys (5–4 OT). Amur is in sixth place in the East, while the Sailors are currently the ninth seed in the conference. With the local rivalry renewing, the fans at the Platinum Arena in Khabarovsk will be treated to an exciting game. The teams will meet again on Nov. 1, this time in Vladivostok.
Next up is a showdown between the last two teams in the Western Conference’s standings, Lada and HC Sochi. It will be the first meeting between the two sides this season. Both teams are struggling in the standings, with Lada celebrating only two wins so far, including a 1–0 victory over SKA in Togliatti on Oct. 15. After that game, Lada lost to Dynamo Moscow (1–2 SO) and the Shanghai Dragons (0–2). HC Sochi has four wins, but suffered more regulation losses, which explains its lower position in the standings. With that being said, HC Sochi enters today’s game after a hard-fought home win over Dinamo Minsk on Thursday (3–2 OT). If today’s opponents are still looking for a playoff spot, a victory against a direct win would be a good place to start.
In Ufa, Salavat Yulaev hosts Ak Bars for the second Green Derby of the season. The first meeting, also held in Ufa, went Ak Bars’ way. It was a dramatic game: Kazan trailed by three after two periods, but rallied to tie the score in the third, force overtime, and complete a comeback victory. Can Ufa avenge such a painful home defeat in front of their fans? Salavat Yulaev enters the game after a win in Magnitogorsk (5–4 SO), and currently has one point more than Ak Bars in the Eastern Conference standings. The Kazan side lost its previous couple of matches, to Torpedo (1–2) and Traktor (1–3), respectively. However, this derby is a fresh start for both teams, and both will be eager to claim a valuable win.
In Moscow, Spartak hosts the Shanghai Dragons. The Red-and-Whites are now riding a six-game winning streak. Their last win came against Severstal on Friday, whom the Muscovites defeated 3–1. Spartak and the Dragons are currently tied on 24 points in the Western Conference standings, but the Red-and-Whites’ eleven regulation wins give them the upper hand in the table. The Chinese franchise also showed good form recently, with three straight wins, over HC Sochi (5–2), Severstal (5–1), and Lada (2–0), respectively. As the teams enter today’s clash in good form, it’s going to be a closely contested game in Moscow with the teams battling for a spot in the conference’s top four.
Not less interesting is the second meeting between SKA and CSKA this season, a game that will count for the First Teams’ Cup standings. The two sides first met on Sept. 29, and that was during CSKA’s sensational twelve-win streak, as the Muscovites claimed an incredible 6–5 win, with Pavel Karnaukhov leading the way with a hat-trick. However, after an Oct. 18 home win over Neftekhimik (4–1), CSKA hit the wall as the team lost twice in a row, to Spartak (0–2) and then to Avtomobilist (1–5). As a result, Lokomotiv reclaimed first place in the West, but the race remains wide open, with both teams in action today. The St. Petersburg franchise returned to winning ways on Thursday, celebrating its first win under new coach Andrei Razin as SKA defeated Sibir 6–3 with Vasily Glotov scoring twice. As usual, the clash of Western titans will be an unpredictable game with plenty at stake, and with both teams looking for a win over their rivals.
Closing out an exciting KHL matchday is a showdown between Lokomotiv and Severstal. It will be the third time the two teams face each other this season. First, Yegor Surin scored in OT as Lokomotiv downed Severstal 2–1 on Sept. 10. The Steelers then got their revenge when they handed Yaroslavl a 5–2 defeat on Oct. 15. After a hard-fought home win over Dynamo Moscow, however, with Artur Kayumov finding the back of the net in the last second of extra time (2–1), Lokomotiv returned to the top of the Western Conference standings, while Severstal follows in fourth place as the Steelers lost their last couple of matches. To add an extra layer of intensity to this game, today Lokomotiv’s bench boss Dmitry Kvartalnov may hit a milestone.
10:00: Amur (9-7-1, 6th E) vs Admiral (7-7-3, 9th E)
About the game
Amur ends a five-game home series after a win over Barys on Monday (5–2).
Admiral starts a three-game road trip on a two-game winning streak.
Injury list
Amur: Raul Akmaldinov, Alexander Dergachyov, Danila Galenyuk, Andrei Krutov, Alexei Kruchinin, Yegor Rykov.
Admiral: Mario Grman, Fyodor Kroshchinsky, Artyom Pimenov.
Milestone alert
Amur’s goalie Maxim Dorozhko may record his 20th career shutout, while Alexander Trushkov may reach 10.
14:00: Lada (2-11-5, 10th W) vs HC Sochi (4-13-0, 11th W)
About the game
Lada enters the fourth game of its six-match homestand on a two-game losing streak.
HC Sochi starts a three-game road trip fresh off a win over Dinamo Minsk on Thursday (3–2 OT).
HC Sochi’s forward Nikita Gusev had at least an assist in each of his previous four matches, totaling five helpers.
HC Sochi’s defenseman Timur Akhiyarov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (1+4) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Lada: Artyom Karpov, Nikita Mikhailov, Ivan Romanov, Dylan Somerby.
HC Sochi: Cam Lee.
14:30: Salavat Yulaev (10-8-1, 4th E) vs Ak Bars (9-8-2, 5th E)
About the game
Salavat Yulaev starts a two-game home series fresh off a win over Metallurg on Wednesday (5–4 SO).
Ak Bars, who defeated Salavat Yulaev earlier in the season (4–3 OT), ends its two-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Alexander Alexeyev, Nikita Bogdanov, Artyom Gorshkov.
Ak Bars: Artyom Galimov.
Milestone alert
Ak Bars’ defenseman Nikita Lyamkin may reach 200 KHL points (currently at 198).
Ak Bars’ forward Alexei Byvaltsev may net his 100th career goal (currently at 99).
17:00: Spartak (11-5-2, 3rd W) vs Shanghai Dragons (11-4-2, 5th W)
About the game
Spartak wraps up a three-game home series on a six-match winning streak.
The Shanghai Dragons end a four-game road trip after three straight wins.
Spartak’s goalie Ivan Fedotov is on a 117:49 shutout streak.
Shanghai Dragons’ goalie Amir Miftakhov is on a 65:02 shutout streak.
Shanghai Dragons’ defenseman Calen Addison is on a six-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points over that stretch.
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Brett Murray is also on a six-game scoring streak, with 6 (4+2) points.
Shanghai Dragons’ forward Riley Sutter had an assist in each of his previous four matches.
Injury list
Spartak: Alexander Bryntsev, Demid Mansurov, German Rubtsov.
Shanghai Dragons: Martin Frk.
17:00: SKA (9-7-1, 8th W) vs CSKA (13-5-0, 2nd W)
About the game
SKA enters the third game of its four-game homestand following a win over Sibir on Thursday (6–3).
CSKA, who already defeated SKA this season (6–5), ends a three-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
Injury list
SKA: Zakhar Bardakov, Igor Larionov, Trevor Murphy, Linus Weissbach.
Milestone alert
CSKA’s forward Ivan Drozdov may reach 100 career assists (currently at 99).
CSKA’s goalie Dmitry Gamzin may line up for his 100th league appearance.
17:00: Lokomotiv (13-5-0, 1st W) vs Severstal (11-6-2, 4th W)
About the game
Lokomotiv is in the middle of a five-game home series and defeated Dynamo Moscow on Friday (2–1 OT).
Severstal ends a two-game road trip on a two-match losing streak.
The teams traded wins earlier in the season so far (2–1 OT, 2–5).
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Maxim Beryozkin, Alexander Radulov, Denis Romantsev.
Severstal: Nikolai Burenov, Gennady Chaly, Andrei Churkin, Yegor Graf.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s head coach Dmitry Kvartalnov may celebrate his 650th win in the KHL.
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his 10th KHL shutout.
Severstal’s defenseman Ioannis Kaldis may score his 100th point in the KHL (currently at 99).
