Plenty on the line on Rivalry Night

22 October 2025

SKA and CSKA, two clubs used to facing each other in the latter stages of the playoffs but now in the midst of a gritty battle for a post-season berth, will today aim to give their floundering KHL campaigns a well-needed kickstart.

EXPECTATIONS TOO HIGH

It certainly hasn’t been the start to the season which CSKA had expected. With championship-winning coach Igor Nikitin returning and the squad being heavily overhauled, CSKA had initially been predicted to immediately assert themselves as one of the Gagarin Cup favourites, but those expectations haven’t corresponded with reality.

Consistent at being inconsistent, CSKA are languishing in eighth spot of the Western Conference – one place above SKA – with a mere 18 points from 17 games. Defensive struggles are not normally synonymous with Nikitin, but the Moscow-based organisation have leaked goals so far, conceding 48 and regularly being let down by shaky goaltending and a lack of willingness to track back. 30-year-old Canadian Spencer Martin is a somewhat unreliable figure between the pipes, while young prospect Dmitry Gamzin has been underwhelming when given a chance.

In-team fighting and feuds haven’t helped either. Marquee signing Daniel Sprong, who has admittedly already amassed an impressive return of 16 points across 15 matches, was ostracized from the team amid reports of Nikitin being angry with his lack of enthusiasm for defensive duties. Despite the media continuing to suggest that Sprong has created a toxic atmosphere within the group, the talented Dutchman was reinstated for CSKA’s 5:3 home win against Dinamo Minsk on Monday, chipping in with two important goals. Nevertheless, it’s clear for all to see that something just isn’t quite right.

Alongside Sprong, CSKA boast an array of attacking firepower with the likes of fellow summer signings Dmitry Buchelnikov, Denis Zernov and Nikolai Kovalenko on their books. Buchelnikov, 22, has particularly stood out for the right reasons, recovering from a slow start to life in Moscow to subsequently burst into life with 12 points from his most recent eight appearances. Buchelnikov, Zernov and Kovalenko do incidentally compete in CSKA’s first line together.

Looking back towards the point, ex-Vityaz defenseman Jeremy Roy carries notable attacking threat, as do line partner Nikita Okhotyuk and veteran Nikita Nesterov. It’s worth noting that Nesterov was recently stripped of the CSKA captaincy in favour of Pavel Karnaukhov after receiving a barrage of criticism for his poor performances.

CSKA’s main weapon is their deadly powerplay. The Muscovites possess the league’s most effective PP with a superb conversion rate of 35.3%, meaning that SKA will have to keep out of the box in order to maintain realistic chances of winning. The fact that three of CSKA’s five goals against Minsk earlier this week were scored on the man advantage reinforces just how ruthless their powerplay really is.

LEADERS

GOALKEEPERS

Spencer Martin: 12 matches, 5 wins, 91.1% save percentage, 2.63 GAA, 2 shutouts

Dmitry Gamzin: 7 matches, 3 wins, 91.2% save percentage, 2.50 GAA

DEFENSEMEN

Jeremy Roy: 6 (2+4) points, +1

Nikita Okhotyuk: 4 (0+4) points, -1

Dmitry Samorukov: 3 (1+2) points, -1

FORWARDS

Daniel Sprong: 16 (7+9) points, -1

Dmitry Buchelnikov: 13 (7+6) points, +4

Nikolai Kovalenko: 12 (6+6) points, -3

SPECIAL TEAMS

51 attempts, 18 goals, 35.3% conversion rate, 1^st place

60 penalties, 15 conceded goals, 75.0% success rate, 2 shorthanded goals, 19^th place

WHERE TO WATCH

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