On September 25th, the KHL Fonbet Championship features three exciting matchups: CSKA faces Amur in Khabarovsk, Avangard seeks its seventh consecutive victory, and Ak Bars visits Barys.
Amur vs. CSKA: Will Amur break a five-year home losing streak against the Army Men? (12:15 MSK)
Amur enters the game against CSKA on a three-game losing streak. In their last two outings, the Khabarovsk team managed only one goal combined against Sibir (0:1) and Dynamo Moscow (1:3). With six points this season, the “Tigers” are hovering at the edge of the Eastern Conference playoff zone. CSKA boasts three more points and is vying for a leading position in the West. The Army Men began their Far East road trip in Vladivostok, where they overcame local Admiral with a 5:4 victory. Forward Yaroslav Likhachev, who previously played for the Far East team, has been acquired on loan from Lokomotiv and might make an appearance for the hosts soon.
Team Leaders in Last Five KHL Matches:
- Amur: Oleg Li (4 points, 2 goals + 2 assists), Alexander Galchenyuk (4 points, 2 goals + 2 assists), Ivan Mishchenko (3 points, 1 goal + 2 assists).
- CSKA: Daniel Sprong (7 points, 3 goals + 4 assists), Nikolai Kovalenko (6 points, 3 goals + 3 assists), Denis Guryanov (4 points, 3 goals + 1 assist).
Oleg Li (4+2) is Amur`s top scorer this season. CSKA forward Daniel Sprong is on a five-game point streak (3+4), while Denis Guryanov has recorded points in four consecutive games (3+1). For Nikolai Kovalenko, the next assist will be his 100th career KHL assist. Kirill Dolzhenkov is set to play his 100th KHL game if he steps onto the ice in Khabarovsk.
Head-to-Head:
CSKA holds a significant advantage in direct confrontations, with 24 wins against Amur`s 9 in KHL history. Amur last defeated CSKA on home ice more than five years ago, on January 31, 2020 (4:3).
Benoit Groulx vs. Guy Boucher: A Coaching Battle in Chelyabinsk (17:00 MSK)
Traktor will face Avangard after a 3:5 home loss to Spartak, which marked their first defeat in four games. Overall this season, Benoit Groulx`s team has accumulated ten points in eight games, placing them among the Eastern Conference leaders. Avangard, having played one fewer game, is two points ahead of the Urals team. Their 4:2 victory over SKA in St. Petersburg two days prior was the “Hawks`” sixth consecutive win. The question remains: will they achieve their seventh in Chelyabinsk, or will Traktor halt their momentum? Traktor defender Fyodor Kroshchinsky will be unavailable for the upcoming match due to disqualification.
Team Leaders in Last Five KHL Matches:
- Traktor: Joshua Leivo (5 points, 1 goal + 4 assists), Grigory Dronov (4 points, 3 goals + 1 assist), Alexander Kadeikin (4 points, 2 goals + 2 assists).
- Avangard: Andrew Poturalski (10 points, 3 goals + 7 assists), Nikolai Prokhorkin (6 points, 3 goals + 3 assists), Konstantin Okulov (6 points, 3 goals + 3 assists).
Traktor forward Joshua Leivo is among the league`s top scorers and assist leaders with 2 goals and 7 assists in six games. For Chelyabinsk defenseman Grigory Dronov, his next assist will be his 100th in the KHL. He is also among the top-5 scoring defensemen with three goals in eight games and leads in blocked shots (23). Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is nearing 100 career points in the league, currently at 99. Avangard forward Andrew Poturalski is on a five-game point streak (3+7), and Nikolai Prokhorkin has scored a point in three consecutive games (0+3). Avangard goaltender Nikita Serebryakov is one appearance away from his 300th career KHL game and is also close to his 20th career shutout. Forward Konstantin Okulov is nearing a milestone with 449 career points in the league and was the first player this season to score three game-winning goals. Avangard defenseman Artyom Blazhiyevsky is among the top-5 in the regular season for hits (26 in seven games).
Head-to-Head:
Traktor has won 28 out of 51 direct encounters against Omsk teams in KHL history.
Barys vs. Ak Bars: Will Ak Bars secure a tenth consecutive win against Astana? (17:30 MSK)
Barys is set to begin a four-game home series, while Ak Bars will embark on a three-game road trip. Astana suffered three consecutive road losses, earning only one point in an overtime defeat against Dynamo Minsk (0:1 OT). With seven points, the hosts are fighting to maintain a playoff spot in the East. Ak Bars has two fewer points and has suffered five losses in their last seven matches. Ak Bars head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin is one victory away from his 250th KHL win. The question is whether he will achieve this milestone in Astana, or if the guests` challenging spell will continue.
Neville Woodall