SKA - Medvescak. Match day

SKA's first home match of 2016 will take place today against HC Medvescak Zagreb.

This will be the second meeting between these two teams this season, as SKA took a 4:3 victory in Zagreb back at the beginning of this campaign. Things have changed a bit for both clubs since that match, and today's fixture pits two playoff challengers against each other. After 50 games Medvescak occupy tenth place of the Western Conference with 68 points, eight points behind our team. The Croats have won two of their past five games (4:2 and 5:2 away to Neftekhimik and HC Dinamo Riga respectively), and need to improve recent form if they are going to have any real chance of making the post-season. Czech forward Tomas Mertl is their top scorer with 29 points (10+19), while Radek Smolenak, who scored a hat trick against SKA this season, is just behind on 27. First choice goaltender Danny Taylor has been impressive and boats a 92.4% saves percentage.

Our players are coming off a tough three game away series in Moscow, in which one victory was taken against HC Vityaz Podolsk 4:2. 20 year old goalkeeper Igor Shestyorkin played against Vityaz and CSKA, and now holds a 91.9% saves percentage. Vadim Shipachyov is still the team's top scorer with 43 points (12+31).

The SKA - Medvescak match will begin at 19.30 local time inside the Saint Petersburg Ice Palace. Life78 will broadcast the game live, and you can keep up to date with events by following our online matchcentre or our official Twitter account.