Set for second Dynamo duel

SKA and Dynamo Moscow will face each other for the second time in the space of a week, albeit with this battle set to be contested in the capital.

SIX ON THE BOUNCE FOR IN-FORM MUSCOVITES

Following their initial struggles this season, Dynamo have well and truly found their groove. In fine form, the Moscow-based outfit have already risen to fourth spot of the Western Conference on the back of six consecutive wins, a streak which included a thumping 5:0 triumph over capital rivals Spartak and two slender victories against CSKA and SKA.

Nonetheless, SKA matched Dynamo for the vast majority of Tuesday's showdown in Saint Petersburg, suffering an avoidable 1:2 loss with familiar face Artyom Shvets-Rogovoi grabbing a late winner for the away side.

It’s no surprise to see who’s leading the way for Alexei Kudashov’s troops. Dylan Sikura, Jordan Weal and Nikita Gusev have already acquired a combined total of 50 points in their top line, with the potent trio boasting an array of quality, ruthlessness and pure skill. If SKA are to have any chance in this game, a tight grip of Dynamo’s first line simply has to be had.

Their second line consisting of Maxim Mamin, Cedric Paquette and Maxime Comtois isn’t bad either. Comtois, who stood out for an all manner of reasons during last season’s Gagarin Cup series between these two teams, has been a consistent performer for his employers in the current campaign so far, racking up 14 points from 21 matches. Paquette hasn’t had so much joy with only nine points on the board, but his intimidating presence on the crease is a crucial component of Dynamo’s game.

Ex-SKA pair Daniil Pylenkov and Igor Ozhiganov have been productive from the blue line, sharing a large total of 29 points between them. 33-year-old Ozhiganov, now into his third season with Dynamo since transferring from SKA, also possesses his team’s best plus/minus rating with an impressive statistic of +15.

Fellow former SKA representative Vladislav Podyapolsky has enjoyed a solid campaign in Dynamo’s net to date, gaining strong numbers and two shutouts. Maxim Motorygin has been reliable too, though, and with the pair having both made 11 appearances, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod tonight.

Special teams could prove to be a decisive factor. Admittedly, Dynamo are languishing in 12^th position of the powerplay standings at this moment in time, but their sheer firepower and creativity means that you cannot afford to compete with ill-discipline.

LEADERS

GOALKEEPERS

Vladislav Podyapolsky: 11 matches, 9 wins, 93.8% save percentage, 1.71 GAA, 2 shutouts

Maxim Motorygin: 11 matches, 6 wins, 90.7% save percentage, 2.75 GAA

Vladimir Selivanov: 1 match, 100% save percentage, 0.00 GAA

DEFENSEMEN

Daniil Pylenkov: 15 (3+12) points, +7

Igor Ozhiganov: 14 (3+11) points, +15

Artyom Sergeyev: 9 (1+8) points, +2

FORWARDS

Jordan Weal: 19 (5+14) points, +7

Nikita Gusev: 17 (6+11) points, +11

Dylan Sikura: 14 (6+8) points, +8

SPECIAL TEAMS

PP

72 attempts, 15 goals, 20.8% conversion rate, 12th place

PK

71 penalties, 78.9% success rate, 1 shorthanded goal, 13th place

WHERE TO WATCH

Puck-drop is scheduled for 19:30 local time. You can purchase a live video broadcast on the KHL’s official website, whereas text updates are available on our official X account.