SKA - Traktor. Match day

The second match of this home series will take place for SKA today against HC Traktor Chelyabinsk.

This will be the second match between these two teams this campaign, as a couple of months ago in Chelyabinsk Traktor defeated our team 2:1 in overtime. Traktor haven't been able to gain any confidence from that win though, and have endured a tough time recently. Head coach Andrei Nikolishin was giving his marching orders after a poor run of results, and he was replaced by interim manager Anvar Gatiyatulin. Nevertheless that hasn't had the desired effect, and the Chelyabinsk outfit have lost three of their last four matches to Neftekhimik 0:3, Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1:4 and HC Salavat Yulaev 1:3. Those results have seen Traktor drop to 12th place of the Eastern Conference, eleven points off a playoff place. Forward Alexander Rybakov is their top scorer with 19 points (6+13), while number one goaltender Pavel Francouz holds a saves percentage of 92.6% with a goals against average of 2.10.

SKA have been in great form of late, winning four matches in a row against Lada 3:2 OT, Lokomotiv 3:2, HC Sochi 3:2 OT and Spartak 5:0. That has taken our team up to seventh of the Western Conference, and things are looking a lot more positive at the moment. Captain Ilya Kovalchuk has taken eight points from the previous five games (4+4), and young goaltender Igor Shestyorkin took his first SKA shutout against Spartak.

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