Traktor and SKA take center stage on an eventful KHL matchday
As the last week of the regular season just kicked off, seven games on the schedule today, most of them being with playoff implications. In the East, Traktor takes on SKA in a high-stakes battle, with the hosts chasing first place and the visitors fighting for home-ice advantage. Avtomobilist and Salavat Yulaev clash for top-four positioning, while Lada and Amur aim to close their seasons on a high note. In the West, Dinamo Minsk and HC Sochi both seek to snap losing streaks, Dynamo Moscow hosts Avangard in a classic showdown, and Spartak faces Neftekhimik in a critical matchup. The day ends with Kunlun Red Star battling Severstal in their final season meeting.
At the start of the season, many had marked March 18 on their calendars as the day Evgeny Kuznetsov would play in his hometown for the first time since returning to the KHL. Now, however, he’s sitting on the Injury List. Even without his presence, the clash between Traktor and SKA remains one of the week’s biggest matchups. For Traktor, a win over the St. Petersburg side could be a crucial step toward securing first place in the East. Meanwhile, SKA desperately needs points to break back into the top four and secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. On top of that, SKA is surely out for revenge—back on Sept. 12 in St. Petersburg, Traktor shut them out with a 3:0 victory, courtesy of a double by Maxim Shabanov and 38 saves by Zach Fucale. On top of that, Traktor lost its last seven home games to SKA, with the most recent win dated Aug. 23, 2016 (2:1 OT).
In the meantime, Avtomobilist faces Salavat Yulaev in another important game. Both teams won their last contest, with the Motormen downing HC Sochi (6:3) and the Ufa team emerging victoriously in a close game against Dinamo Minsk (4:3 SO). Today’s game will be key for the Eastern Conference’s positioning, with both sides eyeing a win to consolidate their placement in the conference’s top-four spots.
In Togliatti, Lada faces Amur in the matchday’s last Eastern Conference. Both sides won their last match and will look to win again to finish the season on a high note and, for the hosts, to please the home crowd. Earlier in the season, the two teams faced off on separate occasions, with each side managing to secure one victory, effectively splitting the results and proving that neither had a clear upper hand in their head-to-head battles.
The action then moves to the Western Conference, where the battle for positioning is as fierce as never. In Belarus, Dinamo Minsk faces HC Sochi. The Bison lost its previous three matches and will want to return celebrating victories in front of their home crowd. With this setback, Dinamo Minsk lost its spot in the top four, slipping down to fifth place. A win today is imperative for the Belarusians. HC Sochi, on its hand, lost its last nine matches and sits at the bottom of the conference’s standings.
Another classic matchup scheduled for today is Dynamo Moscow facing Avangard, a game that also carries significant playoff implications, especially for the Hawks. Dynamo sits comfortably in second place with a cushion over its closest rivals, while Avangard starts the new week in sixth place in the East but has a real chance to climb into the top three. The teams first met this season in November, with Dynamo claiming a 5:3 victory in Omsk. However, it’s important to note that Avangard has undergone truly revolutionary changes since then. Moreover, Avangard’s last win in Moscow against the Blue-and-Whites is dated Sept. 04, 2018 (5:1).
In Moscow there will be another key matchup, between Spartak and Neftekhimik. The Wolves had an excellent chance to re-enter the playoff race but suffered a shocking 1:7 loss to Lada, leaving them five points behind eighth-placed Sibir—a steep mountain to climb with so few games remaining in the regular season. Spartak is now riding a three-game winning streak, but Neftekhimik defeated them earlier in the season. The Red-and-Whites are currently the third seed in the Western Conference.
A showdown between Kunlun Red Star and Severstal closes an intense KHL matchday. It will be the sixth and last game of the season between the two Western Conference’s teams, with Severstal currently leading the series 4-1. However, both sides lost their most recent game, with Kunlun Red Star falling to Metallurg and the Steelers losing to Spartak.
17:00: Traktor (43-17-6, 1st E) vs SKA (37-23-5, 6th W)
About the game
Traktor, who defeated SKA earlier this season (3:0), starts a two-game home series fresh off a win over Avangard on Friday (5:4).
SKA starts a three-game road trip on a four-match winning streak.
Traktor’s goalie Sergei Mylnikov is on a 69:09 shutout streak.
Traktor’s forward Andrei Svetlakov is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 10 (2+8) points over that span.
Traktor’s forward Nikita Korostelyov is on a six-game scoring streak, with 9 (4+5) points.
Traktor’s forward Maxim Shabanov is also on a six-game scoring streak, with 14 (4+10) points.
Traktor’s forward Vitaly Kravtsov is on a five-game scoring streak, with 6 (4+2) points.
SKA’s goalie Yegor Zavragin is on a 68:11 shutout streak.
SKA’s forward Arseny Gritsyuk is on a six-game scoring streak, with 9 (4+5) points over that stretch.
SKA’s forward Sergei Tolchinsky is on a three-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points.
Injury list
SKA: Evgeny Kuznetsov.
17:00: Avtomobilist (39-19-7, vs Salavat Yulaev (42-20-3, 2nd E)
About the game
Avtomobilist enters the fourth game of a six-match home series on a two-game winning streak.
Salavat Yulaev starts a three-game road trip fresh off a win over Dinamo Minsk on Saturday (4:3 SO).
The season series between the two teams is 2-1 (3:5, 6:1, 4:1).
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Joshua Leivo is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 9 (4+5) points over that span.
Salavat Yulaev’s forward Sheldon Rempal is on a five-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points.
Injury list
Avtomobilist: Jesse Blacker, Anatoly Golyshev, Curtis Valk.
Salavat Yulaev: Gleb Kuzmin.
Milestone alert
Avtomobilist’s forward Nick Merkley lines up for his 200th KHL appearance and may record his 100th point in the KHL, just as his teammate, defenseman Nick Ebert.
18:00: Lada (22-35-8, 10th E) vs Amur (16-41-8, 11th E)
About the game
Lada enters the fifth game of a six-match home series following a win over Neftekhimik on Sunday (7:1).
Amur starts a three-game road trip fresh off a win over Barys on Saturday (5:2).
The season series between the two teams is 1-1 (0:2, 5:3).
Amur’s forward Oleg Li is on a four-game scoring streak, with 7 (6+1) points over that span.
Injury list
Lada: Vladislav Chervonenko, Nikolai Demidov, Maxim Groshev, Artyom Ivanyuzhenkov, Pavel Koltygin.
Amur: Alex Broadhurst, Devin Brosseau, Sergei Dubakin.
19:10: Dinamo Minsk (37-20-8, 5th W) vs HC Sochi (19-39-7, 11th W)
About the game
Dinamo Minsk plays the lone home game of the series on a three-game losing streak.
HC Sochi enters the third game of a four-match road trip on a nine-game losing streak.
The teams traded wins earlier in the season (2:3, 5:3).
Dinamo Minsk’s forward Sam Anas is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Dinamo Minsk: Nikita Pyshkaylo, Daniil Sotishvili.
HC Sochi: Sergei Ivanov.
Milestone alert
HC Sochi’s forward Artur Tyanulin may line up for his 200th KHL game, while forward Daniil Seroukh may reach 100.
19:30: Dynamo Moscow (41-19-5, 2nd W) vs Avangard (39-22-4, 6th E)
About the game
Dynamo Moscow, who defeated Avangard earlier this season (5:3), starts a two-game home series on a two-match winning streak.
Avangard starts a three-game road trip following a home loss to Traktor on Friday (4:5).
Avangard’s forward Nikolai Prokhorkin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 5 (2+3) points over that span.
Avangard’s forward Giovanni Fiore is also on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
Avangard: Sergei Boikov.
Milestone alert
Dynamo Moscow may celebrate its 700th win in the KHL.
19:30: Spartak (37-19-9, 3rd W) vs Neftekhimik (22-26-17, 9th E)
About the game
Spartak enters the third game of a four-match home series on a three-game winning streak.
Neftekhimik, who defeated Spartak earlier this season (4:3 OT), wraps up a three-game road trip and lost to Lada on Sunday (1:7).
Spartak’s forward Nikolai Goldobin is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points over that span.
Spartak’s forward Ivan Morozov is also on a three-game scoring streak, but with 6 (3+3) points.
Spartak’s forward Pavel Poryadin had at least one assist in each of his previous three games, totaling four helpers.
Injury list
Neftekhimik: Roman Abrosimov, Alexander Dergachyov, Yegor Korbit, Fyodor Kroshchinsky, Luka Profaca.
Milestone alert
Spartak’s goalies Dmitry Nikolayev and Artyom Zagidulin may each record their 10th KHL shutout.
Spartak’s defenseman Andrei Mironov may reach 200 points in the KHL (currently at 198).
Neftekhimik’s forward Andrei Belozyorov lines up for his 200th league appearance, while forward Riley Barber reaches 100.
19:30: Kunlun Red Star (28-33-5, 9th W) vs Severstal (38-26-1, 7th W).
About the game
Kunlun Red Star starts a two-game home series following a loss to Metallurg on Saturday (1:7).
Severstal is in the middle of a three-game road trip and lost to Spartak on Sunday (2:4).
The season series between the two teams is 1-4 (2:4, 3:0, 2:7, 3:4, 0:3).
Kunlun Red Star’s forward Jan Drozg is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (1+2) points over that span.
Injury list
Kunlun Red Star: Parker Foo.
Severstal: Yaroslav Dyblenko.
Milestone alert
Severstal’s forward Kirill Pilipenko may reach 100 assists in the KHL.
