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Severstal hosts Spartak in a high-octane KHL Thursday
Five games feature on Thursday’s KHL schedule, headlined by Severstal against Spartak in Cherepovets. Lokomotiv hosts HC Sochi, which arrives on a three-game winning streak, Sibir welcomes Metallurg, and Neftekhimik entertains Admiral. Also on the schedule, Avtomobilist faces Torpedo in a First Teams’ Cup game.
The matchday starts in Novosibirsk, where the Eastern Conference leader meets the conference’s last-placed team. Metallurg has 34 points, exactly twice Sibir’s 17. Magnitka has taken points in eight straight games, including Tuesday’s 3–2 OT win at Neftekhimik. Sibir lost 1–5 at Metallurg on Saturday, the middle game of three straight regulation defeats in which it was outscored 13–5. The Novosibirsk side has won just one of its seven home games, a 2–0 victory over Amur back on Sept. 10, and is winless in its last six there. There’s a lot at skate in Novosibirsk, with the home side looking for a much-awaited home win and to improve its record.
The action continues in Yekaterinburg. Avtomobilist is the only team with a perfect record in the First Teams’ Cup, the six-team tournament held within the regular season, having won all four of its games. Today’s meeting with Torpedo, their first this season, is the 20th of the tournament’s 30 games, with the final day set for Dec. 22. The visitors are level with Avtomobilist on eight points after winning four of their six Cup games, including Tuesday’s 4–3 at SKA, while CSKA leads the table with 12 points from nine games. Avtomobilist has won its last three games by a combined 12–3 after losing the three before that as it’s now battling with other three teams, Admiral, Traktor, and Avangard, for the seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings. Torpedo is instead looking for a spot in the West’s top four.
In Yaroslavl, Lomotiv hosts HC Sochi. The Railwaymen’s goalie Daniil Isayev has gone 72:27 without conceding, a run that includes a 24-save shutout of Severstal on Sunday, and his team enters today’s game among the top two in the Western Conference with 28 points. HC Sochi is now on a three-game winning streak, its first of the season, and the six points it has earned in those games equal the total from its first 16 games. In goal for the first two wins was Pyotr Andreyanov, who is now on the injury list, and Damir Shaimardanov stopped 30 of 31 shots in the 2–1 victory at Salavat Yulaev on Tuesday. Nikita Gusev has 10 assists in nine games, eight of them in a six-game scoring streak. Lokomotiv, which won 6–3 in Sochi on Oct. 17, will be without Alexander Radulov. Sochi remains seven points behind SKA, one of the teams contending for the last Western Conference playoff places, and a win today would cut that gap to five.
The day’s central battle is in Cherepovets, where fifth-place Spartak visits sixth-place Severstal, which is a point behind with a game more played, and the teams will meet again on Friday. Spartak has gone almost a month without a regulation loss, the last one a 0–2 home defeat to Metallurg on Oct. 2, and has taken points in all eight games since, winning six in regulation and losing the other two in shootouts, including 3–4 against the Shanghai Dragons on Sunday. The Red-and-Whites have also won seven of its eight road games and have not conceded more than four goals in any game. Spartak has outscored Severstal 11–1 in their two meetings this season, including an 8–0 win on Sept. 12 that remains the biggest margin of victory in the KHL this season. Severstal enters today’s game after three straight regulation defeats in which it scored two goals, after having won seven in a row between Oct. 3 and Oct. 19.
The matchday closes in Nizhnekamsk, where two offenses have been moving in opposite directions. The Wolves remain second in the East with 25 points and have lost only once in regulation at home in ten games, 0–1 to Avangard on Oct. 8, and they won both meetings with Admiral this season, 2–1 on Sept. 13 and 5–3 in Vladivostok two weeks later. They rallied from a 0–2 deficit with two goals in the third period on Tuesday before losing 2–3 in OT to Metallurg. Admiral bounced back from a 0–3 loss at Amur on Sunday with a 3–1 win at Lada on Tuesday and is part of a very tight Eastern Conference race for playoff places.
15:30: Sibir (7-11-3, 11th E) vs Metallurg (16-3-2, 1st E)
About the game
Sibir starts a three-game home series on a three-match losing streak.
Metallurg, who defeated Sibir earlier in the season (5–1), enters the second game of a three-match road trip following two straight victories.
Metallurg’s forward Nathan Todd is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points over that stretch.
Metallurg’s forward Lucas Johnson is also on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points.
Metallurg’s forward Daniil Vovchenko is on a four-game scoring streak as well, with 5 (3+2) points.
Metallurg’s forward Vladimir Tkachyov is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (2+2) points.
Metallurg’s forward Sergei Tolchinsky is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (0+4) points.
Injury list
Sibir: Mikhail Abramov, Daniil Valitov, Ivan Vorobyov, Maxim Osipov.
Metallurg: Dmitry Silantyev.
Milestone alert
Sibir’s defenseman Darren Dietz may net his 100th KHL goal (currently at 99).
Sibir’s defenseman Ivan Mishchenko may record his 100th career assist (currently at 99).
17:00: Avtomobilist (9-8-2, 7th E) vs Torpedo (12-5-2, 4th W)
About the game
Avtomobilist enters the third game of its four-game homestead on a three-game winning streak.
Torpedo ends a two-match road trip following a win at SKA on Tuesday (4–3).
Avtomobilist’s defenseman Ilya Karpukhin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 7 (2+5) points over that stretch.
Avtomobilist’s forward Alexander Kadeikin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Avtomobilist’s forward Roman Gorbunov is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Vladimir Galkin, Anton Slepyshev, Nikita Shashkov.
Torpedo: Mikhail Vorobyov.
Milestone alert
Avtomobilist’s forward Alexander Sharov may reach 200 KHL assists (currently at 199).
Avtomobilist’s goalie Evgeny Alikin may record his 30th league shutout.
19:00: Lokomotiv (14-5-0, 1st W) vs HC Sochi (6-13-0, 10th W)
About the game
Lokomotiv, who defeated HC Sochi earlier in the season (6–3), enters the fourth game of its five-match homestand on a two-game winning streak.
HC Sochi ends a three-match road trip following three straight victories.
Lokomotiv’s goalie Daniil Isayev is on a 72:27 shutout streak.
HC Sochi's forward Nikita Gusev had at least one assist in each of his previous six games, totaling eight helpers.
HC Sochi’s forward Matvei Guskov is on a four-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points.
Injury list
Lokomotiv: Maxim Beryozkin, Alexander Radulov, Danil Romantsev.
HC Sochi: Pavel Akolzin, Pyotr Andreyanov, Artyom Guryev, Cameron Lee.
Milestone alert
Lokomotiv’s goalie Alexei Melnichuk may record his 10th KHL shutout.
19:00: Severstal (11-7-2, 6th W) vs Spartak (11-5-3, 5th W)
About the game
Severstal starts a two-game home series on a three-match losing streak.
Spartak, who defeated Severstal twice earlier in the season (8–0, 3–1), starts a three-match road trip following a loss to the Shanghai Dragons on Sunday (3–4 SO).
Spartak’s defenseman Joseph Keane had an assist in each of his previous three matches.
Injury list
Severstal: Nikolai Burenov, Yegor Graf, Gennady Chaly, Andrei Churkin.
Milestone alert
Severstal’s defenseman Ioannis Kaldis may reach 100 KHL points (currently at 99).
Severstal’s forward Nikita Popugayev may reach 100 points in the KHL (currently at 98).
19:30: Neftekhimik (11-6-3, 2nd E) vs Admiral (8-8-3, 8th E)
About the game
Neftekhimik, who defeated Admiral twice earlier in the season (2–1, 5–3), ends a two-game home series following a loss to Metallurg on Tuesday (2–3 OT).
Admiral ends a three-match road trip following a win at Lada on Tuesday (3–1).
Admiral’s forward Yegor Chezganov had an assist in each of his previous three matches.
Injury list
Admiral: Mario Grman, Fyodor Kroshchinsky, Artyom Pimenov.
Milestone alert
Neftekhimik’s forward Andrei Belozyorov may record his 100th KHL assist (currently at 99).
