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Dinamo Minsk looks to end skid on a light KHL Tuesday
Three games make up a light KHL Tuesday, which closes in Nizhnekamsk with Neftekhimik trying for the third time to reach 500 KHL wins against Salavat Yulaev, unbeaten against the Wolves for more than a year. Dinamo Minsk, on a three-game losing streak, hosts Avangard and could hand Stephane Da Costa his debut, while Traktor, one win away from the Eastern top eight, opens the day against the Shanghai Dragons.
The matchday opens in Chelyabinsk, where Traktor and the Shanghai Dragons meet for the second time this season. The first game, in St. Petersburg on Oct. 14, ended 6–2 for Traktor. The Black-and-Whites have taken points from four straight games, including 2–1 and 5–3 home wins over Barys and Ak Bars last week and Sunday’s shootout defeat to Avtomobilist, which rallied from 0–2. Canadian forward Nathan Legare has scored in the last three and was awarded Best Forward of the Week. With 24 points, Traktor is one point behind the cluster of Eastern teams level on 25, so a win of any kind would lift it into the top eight. The Shanghai Dragons have not played since Thursday, when a 2–3 home defeat to Dynamo Moscow ended a two-game winning streak. The Chinese franchise has 14 wins from 22 games, compared with 21 in all of last season, when it finished ninth in the West, and Dmitrij Jaskin leads the team with 11 goals.
In Belarus, after three straight defeats, Dinamo Minsk looks for a return to winning ways against Avangard. The Bison lost 0–4 at home to Dynamo Moscow on Nov. 1, 3–5 at Spartak on Friday, and 2–3 in overtime at HC Sochi on Sunday, and with 23 points from 24 games they are only ninth in the Western Conference. Their last win came on Oct. 30, 3–2 over Traktor in Minsk, the same day the club announced the signing of Stephane Da Costa. The 37-year-old French forward, who has passed 600 games and 500 points in the KHL, could finally make his debut for the Belarusian side. Avangard was at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in mid-October and has since climbed to 26 points from 22 games, three behind second-placed Neftekhimik. Each of the Hawks’ last four games has gone to overtime: they lost the first two on the road, then beat CSKA and Sibir at home, the second time on a goal by Michael McLeod.
Then, Neftekhimik tries again for its 500th KHL win in the last game of the day, at home to Salavat Yulaev. The Wolves, who topped the East in September, are still second with 29 points, but they missed their first two chances at the milestone with a 1–8 defeat at Metallurg on Thursday and a 1–5 loss at home to Lokomotiv on Sunday. Neftekhimik has not beaten Salavat Yulaev since a 1–0 home win on Nov. 7, 2025, and the visitors took both meetings this season in Ufa, 2–0 on Sept. 18 and 4–3 on Oct. 12. Salavat Yulaev has won its last two games, 5–0 over Lada and 3–2 over Avtomobilist on Friday, when Vadim Shipachyov, the KHL’s all-time leading scorer, scored twice before Matthew Maggio won it in the final minute of overtime. Four points separate the teams, a gap that a regulation win would halve for Salavat Yulaev or stretch to six for Neftekhimik.
17:00: Traktor (10-10-4, 10th E) vs Shanghai Dragons (14-6-2, 5th W)
About the game
Traktor, who defeated Shanghai Dragons earlier in the season (6–2), ends a five-game home series following a loss to Avtomobilist on Sunday (2–3 SO).
The Shanghai Dragons start a three-match road trip following a loss to Dynamo Moscow on Thursday (2–3).
Traktor’s forward Nathan Legare is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points over that stretch.
Traktor’s forward Mikhail Rolgizer is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points.
Shanghai Dragons’ defenseman Brennan Menell is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (1+5) points over that span.
Injury list
Traktor: Vitaly Kravtsov, Alexander Rykov.
Shanghai Dragons: Nicolas Petan, Martin Frk.
Milestone alert
Traktor’s forward Andrei Svetlakov may reach 300 KHL points (currently at 299).
Shanghai Dragons’ goalie Amir Miftakhov may line up for his 100th league appearance.
19:10: Dinamo Minsk (8-9-7, 9th W) vs Avangard (12-8-2, 4th E)
About the game
Dinamo Minsk plays a single home game on a three-match losing streak.
Avangard starts a three-game road trip on a two-match winning streak.
Avangard’s forward Michael McLeod is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that stretch.
Injury list
Dinamo Minsk: Vasily Demchenko, Maxim Maltsev, Nicolas Meloche.
Avangard: Pavel Leuka.
19:30: Neftekhimik (13-9-3, 2nd E) vs Salavat Yulaev (12-11-1, 7th E)
About the game
Neftekhimik enters the second game of a six-match home series following two consecutive losses.
Salavat Yulaev, who defeated Neftekhimik twice earlier in the season (2–0, 4–3), plays a single road game on a two-match winning streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s goalie Ivan Bocharov is on a 66:03 shutout streak.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Matthew Maggio is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (2+4) points over that stretch.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Maxim Zagrebin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 5 (3+2) points.
Injury list
Salavat Yulaev: Alexander Alexeyev, Artyom Gorshkov, Grigory Panin, Dean Stewart, Nikita Shcherbakov.
Milestone alert
Neftekhimik may record its 500th KHL win.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Alexander Zharovsky lines up for his 100th league appearance.
