CSKA - SKA. Introducing the opponents

CURRENT STANDINGS

8. CSKA, 26 matches, 10 regulation victories, 4 overtime victories, 2 penalty shootout victories, 9 regulation defeats, 1 overtime defeat, goal difference 58-55, 33 points

3. SKA, 26 matches, 13 regulation victories, 1 overtime victory, 3 penalty shootout victories, 4 regulation defeats, 2 overtime defeats, 3 penalty shootout victories, goal difference 87-56, 39 points

FORM

This is a blockbuster match-up which requires no introduction. Last season, SKA almost completed a dramatic comeback after initially going 0-3 down in the Western Conference final, but CSKA did eventually secure their progression in the sixth match. This will be the first meeting between these two teams in the 2021/2022 regular season.

CSKA have struggled for consistency throughout the first couple of months of the campaign. With Sergei Fyodorov having surprisingly replaced Igor Nikitin as their head coach in the summer, the Muscovites have required time to get used to their new system, and they are indeed currently six points behind leaders SKA in fourth spot of the conference. Their lack of goals (58 in 26 games in comparison to SKA’s 87 markers) particularly stands out.

Nevertheless, to their credit, CSKA have been pretty watertight in defence, only conceding 55 goals.

CSKA have won four of their past five games, defeating Admiral Vladivostok (away, 2:1), Amur Khabarovsk (away, 4:3 SO), Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (1:0) and Vityaz Podolsk (away, 6:5 SO) while conceding a slender 0:1 defeat to Sibir in Novosibirsk. 27-year-old forward Mikhail Grigorenko scored a hat-trick on Friday as CSKA edged past Vityaz on the road.

Konstantin Okulov (5+14) is CSKA’s leading scorer among forwards, while defenseman Nikita Nesterov has been lethal at the blue line with 19 (2+17) points to his name as well. Forwards Sergei Plotnikov (10+8), Grigorenko (9+4), Anton Slepyshev (5+6) and Lucas Wallmark (4+7) are the remaining CSKA players to have reached double figures in terms of points.

Forward Danil Yurtaikin (0+1) is the only player on CSKA’s injury list.

Despite two setbacks against Metallurg Magnitogorsk (2:3 SO) and Spartak Moscow (1:2 OT) at home in Saint Petersburg during the week, SKA are continuing to lead the Western Conference with 39 points on the board. However, Jokerit Helsinki are only trailing SKA by the single point. As it stands, forward Andrei Kuzmenko is our top scorer, with the 25-year-old having recorded an impressive total of 28 (10+18) points in 24 appearances.

GOALKEEPING STATISTICS

CSKA

Ivan Fedotov: 13 matches, 7 wins, 6 defeats, 342 saves made, 24 goals conceded, save percentage 93.4%, goals against average 1.84, 1 shutout

Adam Reideborn: 13 matches, 9 wins, 4 defeats, 307 saves made, 28 goals conceded, save percentage 91.6%, goals against average 2.12, 3 shutouts

SKA

Lars Johansson: 19 matches, 12 wins, 4 defeats, 406 saves made, 25 goals conceded, save percentage 94.2%, goals against average 1.40, 7 shutouts

Alexander Samonov: 7 matches, 4 wins, 3 defeats, 105 saves made, 18 goals conceded, save percentage 85.4%, goals against average 3.87

Yaroslav Askarov: 5 matches, 2 wins, 2 defeats, 75 saves made, 8 goals conceded, save percentage 90.4%, goals against average 2.01

WHERE TO WATCH

Puck-drop at the CSKA Arena in Moscow is scheduled for 17:00 local time. KHL PRIME and Channel 78 will provide a television broadcast in Russia, whereas you can watch a purchase video on the KHL’s official website worldwide. Text updates will be available on our Twitter account.