On October 13th, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) features two exciting matchups. Lokomotiv will face Severstal, while SKA Saint Petersburg aims to halt a five-game losing streak and exact revenge on Avtomobilist for their recent defeat.
Lokomotiv vs. Severstal: A Bid for the 500th Win?
Match Time: 19:00 Moscow Time
Severstal continues its three-game home series, buoyed by a convincing 3-0 victory over HC Sochi, which marked their 499th win in KHL history. The crucial question is whether they can secure their milestone 500th victory against Lokomotiv. Goaltender Alexander Samoilov, who posted a shutout against Sochi, boasts an impressive current shutout streak of 92 minutes and 21 seconds.
Meanwhile, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl arrives from Chelyabinsk after a 3-1 loss to Traktor. The rivals have already met twice this season, both times in Yaroslavl, with Lokomotiv emerging victorious (4-1 and 2-1). In both contests, Severstal managed to score only a single goal against the “railroaders.” With 20 points, Bob Hartley`s Lokomotiv currently leads the Western Conference. Andrey Kozyrev`s Severstal, with six points less, is currently on the cusp of the playoff zone.
Team Leaders in Last Five KHL Matches
Severstal:
- Ruslan Abrosimov: 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists)
- Mikhail Ilyin: 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists)
- Vladislav Tsitsyura: 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists)
Lokomotiv:
- Nikita Kiryanov V.: 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist)
- Martin Gernat: 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist)
- Andrei Sergeev: 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists)
Ruslan Abrosimov of Severstal, who scored a double against Sochi, is among the top five scorers and snipers in the league (9 goals, 6 assists in 13 games) and ranks second in game-winning goals (3). Goaltender Samoilov is in the top five for shutouts (two in 12 games). Mikhail Ilyin is on a five-game point streak (2 goals, 4 assists), and Vladislav Tsitsyura has a three-game point streak (2 goals, 2 assists). Cherepovets defenseman Ioannis Caldis is among the top five in plus/minus rating (+11 in 13 games).
He is surpassed by Lokomotiv`s Alexei Bereglazov and Alexander Radulov (both +11 in 14 games). Radulov is also in the top five regular season snipers with eight goals. Lokomotiv`s goaltender Daniil Isaev is in the top five for goals-against average (1.92 in 13 games). For his teammate Alexei Melnichuk, the next shutout will be his 10th career KHL shutout.
Head-to-Head Record
Lokomotiv has historically dominated Severstal, winning 45 out of 64 KHL encounters.
SKA vs. Avtomobilist: A Chance for Revenge?
Match Time: 19:30 Moscow Time
SKA will face Avtomobilist for the second consecutive time. Their previous meeting on October 8th in Ekaterinburg saw Avtomobilist emerge victorious in overtime (2-1). This loss marked SKA`s fifth consecutive defeat, their last victory dating back to September 27th. With only 13 points, the St. Petersburg club currently sits ninth in the Western Conference – a situation far from the club`s ambitions. The coaching staff led by Igor Larionov is under pressure to turn things around.
Avtomobilist, on the other hand, is in a completely different position. After their win against SKA, Nikolay Zavarukhin`s team followed up with a 3-0 shutout victory over Avangard Omsk. The Ural team is currently on a six-game winning streak and ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 21 points. However, they are battling an injury crisis. For their upcoming four-game road trip, defensemen Sergey Zborovsky, Maxim Osipov, Nikita Tryamkin, and forwards Reid Boucher and Stepan Khripunov will be unavailable. Fortunately, forwards Stephane Da Costa and Brooks Macek have recovered from their injuries and have joined the team in St. Petersburg.
Team Leaders in Last Five KHL Matches
SKA:
- Valentin Zykov: 4 points (3 goals, 1 assist)
- Mikhail Vorobyov S.: 4 points (0 goals, 4 assists)
- Brennan Menell: 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist)
Avtomobilist:
- Stepan Khripunov: 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists)
- Danil Romantsev: 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists)
- Roman Gorbunov S.: 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists)
SKA`s forwards Valentin Zykov (2 goals, 1 assist) and Mikhail Vorobyov (0 goals, 3 assists) both have personal three-game point streaks. Goaltender Artemiy Pleshkov is among the top five in the regular season for save percentage (94.4%) after six games. Brennan Menell continues to lead defensemen in goals with six in 13 appearances.
For Avtomobilist, Danil Romantsev is on a six-game point streak (4 goals, 3 assists), and Stepan Khripunov has a four-game point streak (3 goals, 3 assists). Goaltender Vladimir Galkin`s shutout streak, after his performance against Avangard, has reached 116 minutes and 19 seconds. He ranks in the top five this season for both save percentage (94.6%) and goals-against average (1.74) after eight games. Defenseman Jesse Blacker leads defensemen in both points and assists (3 goals, 10 assists in 15 games). Roman Gorbunov is in the top five for game-winning goals (three in 15 games). Forward Nikita Shashkov has moved into the top five for hits (50 in 15 games), while defenseman Kirill Vorobyov leads the league in blocked shots (45 in 15 games). For Avtomobilist forward Maxim Denezhkin, his next appearance will mark his 100th KHL career game.
Head-to-Head Record
In KHL history, SKA has defeated Avtomobilist 22 times, while the Ural team has won 15 head-to-head encounters.