The Chelyabinsk side won its previous seven games – will it make eight in a row? Two games are on tap on a light KHL Wednesday.
Traktor is currently topping the league with 73 points and is on a tight battle for the Continental Cup as the KHL regular season’s winner with Metallurg. If things go on like that, it would be Traktor’s second win after 2011-2012, when they then lost to Avangard in the conference finals. However, tonight they will have to face Neftekhimik – the Nizhnekamsk side is in a hunt for a postseason spot, and they will battle hard to gain precious points for the standings.
In the other game of the KHL matchday, Admiral faces Sibir. Both teams are on a two-match winning streak – what side will prevail?
12:30: Admiral (13-29-5, 11th E) vs Sibir (26-17-5, 6th E)
About the game
- Admiral is at its eight of a nine-game home series and is on a two-match winning streak.
- Sibir enters the third of a four-game road trip with two straight wins.
- Admiral’s defenseman Dinar Khamidullin is on a four-game scoring streak, with 4 (3+1) points over that span.
- Sibir’s goalie Harri Sateri is on an 86:10 shutout streak.
Injury list
- Admiral: Rihards Bukarts, Evgeny Grachyov, Andrei Yermakov.
- Sibir: Maxim Goncharov, Trevor Murphy.
Milestone alert
- Admiral’s forward Dmitry Lugin may reach 100 KHL assists (currently at 99).
19:00: Neftekhimik (21-19-8, 7th E) vs Traktor (35-11-3, 1st E)
About the game
- Neftekhimik plays its lone home game of the series fresh off a victory over Dynamo Moscow on Monday.
- Traktor ends a three-game road trip and is on a seven-match winning streak.
- Both teams have already defeated each other this season (1:0, 1:3).
- Traktor’s goalie Roman Will is on a 61:59 shutout series.
- Traktor’s forward Lukas Sedlak is on a seven-game scoring streak, with 9 (3+6) points over that span.
- Traktor’s forward Tomas Hyka is also on a seven-game scoring streak, with 9 (4+5) points.
- Traktor’s forward Alexei Byvaltsev is on a three-game scoring streak, with 3 (2+1) points.
Injury list
- Neftekhimik: Alexei Puzanov, Kirill Vorobyov.
- Traktor: Sergei Kalinin.
Milestone alert
- Traktor’s defenseman Nick Bailen may score his 250th KHL point (currently at 247).