Four exciting matchups are scheduled for today in the Fonbet KHL Championship. Neftekhimik will host Sibir, Avangard will attempt to halt Metallurg`s impressive six-game winning streak, Barys and Torpedo will battle to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat, and CSKA will face Ak Bars on home ice.
Neftekhimik vs Sibir: Can Neftekhimik Avoid a Fifth Straight Home Loss?
Neftekhimik concludes a challenging five-game home stand, which has been catastrophic for coach Igor Grishin`s squad. They have suffered defeats in all four previous home games, managing to score only five goals against Lada (1:4), Avtomobilist (2:5), and Amur (1:2, 1:4) during this period. Their point cushion, accumulated in September, is rapidly diminishing. They currently sit sixth in the Eastern Conference, but only two points separate them from the ninth position, outside the playoff zone. Sibir is tenth in the conference with ten points. Following a coaching change, the visitors, under Vyacheslav Butsaev, secured a shootout victory against Barys (1:0 SO) but began their current road trip with a loss to Lada (2:4).
Neftekhimik forward Damir Zhafyarov, who previously played for the Novosibirsk club, is on a three-game scoring streak (1 goal, 2 assists). Nizhnekamsk defender Luka Profaka is among the top five in the regular season for hits (52 in 14 games), while his defensive partner Artyom Serikov leads in blocked shots (38 in 14 games). Sibir`s goaltender Anton Krasotkin, who last played on September 24th and is now returning from injury, remains a league leader in save percentage (95.0%) and goals-against average (1.40). For the visitors, forwards Scott Wilson (3 goals, 1 assist) and Vladimir Tkachyov (1 goal, 3 assists) have shown the best offensive performance in their last five games.
Historically, Sibir has won 25 of 46 head-to-head matches against Neftekhimik in KHL history.
Metallurg vs Avangard: Can Omsk Prevent Metallurg`s Sixth Consecutive Victory?
This marks the first meeting of the season between these two rivals, who faced each other in the first round of last year`s playoffs, where Omsk triumphed 4-2 in the series. Currently, Metallurg confidently leads the regular season with 24 points from 11 wins in 14 games. Coach Andrei Razin`s team has been undefeated since September 27th, with their recent 4:1 victory over Torpedo being their fifth consecutive win and 10th in their last 11 outings. Avangard travels to Magnitogorsk from Yekaterinburg, where they suffered two consecutive losses to Avtomobilist (1:4, 0:3). With 18 points, the visitors are currently third in the Eastern Conference. The “Hawks” will be without forward Nikolay Prokhorin due to injury for the foreseeable future. The debut of Michael McLeod, who recently signed with Omsk, is unlikely in the upcoming match, as head coach Guy Boucher advises against rushing him.
Vladimir Tkachyov, Metallurg`s top assist-man in the regular season, extends his personal scoring streak to nine games (0 goals, 12 assists), bringing his season total to 15 assists. For Magnitogorsk, Daniil Vovchenko (2 goals, 1 assist), Yegor Yakovlev (2 goals, 3 assists), and Valery Orekhov (1 goal, 2 assists) have each recorded points in three consecutive games. Metallurg forward Dmitry Silantyev maintains his lead in the season`s scoring race (7 goals, 11 assists in 14 games). Robin Press is among the top five defensemen in both scoring and assists (0 goals, 11 assists in 13 games). Roman Kantserov is in the top four for goal scorers with eight goals in 14 games.
Avangard forward Andrew Poturalski rounds out the top five scorers (4 goals, 10 assists in 13 games). Semyon Chistyakov is fourth among defensemen-scorers with three goals in 11 matches. “Hawks” forward Konstantin Okulov is the only player this season to have scored four game-winning goals (in 13 appearances). For Omsk goaltender Nikita Serebryakov, the next shutout will be his 20th career shutout in the KHL.
Avangard has won 50 of 89 head-to-head matches against Metallurg in KHL history.
Barys vs Torpedo: Who Will Avoid a Fifth Consecutive Defeat?
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