Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk by 1
Alright my friends, we have an interesting game coming up between Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and Lada Togliatti. Both teams seem to have put their goalkeepers on permanent vacation given their lack of saves this season, but let's dive into the details anyway.
Neftekhimik will be relying heavily on their top guns - Alexander Dergachyov, Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Andrei Belozyorov - all of whom have put in solid performances this season, ably supported by Artyom Serikov, Vladimir Bryukvin, Bulat Shafigullin, and Jean-Sebastien Dea.
On the other side of the puck, Lada will look to their keys, namely Andrei Altybarmakyan and Maxim Berezin. Expect Ostap Safin to chip in as well, and keep an eye out for Arkhip Nekolenko, Nikita A. Popugaev, Nikita Mikhailov, and that wily fox Vladislav Syomin - a lethal combination on any given day.
But things start to get really spicy when we consider past encounters. Neftekhimik actually have the edge here with three wins to two. But bear in mind their regular season records. Lada are at a measly 2-5, while Neftekhimik are not doing much better at 4-5.
Look at each team's recent results and sweat might start forming on your brow. Interestingly enough, both struggled recently, but there are just too many variables in play here.
So with the numbers crunched, the dice thrown, and the tea leaves read, here's my hot take on the outcome:
Albert’s Prediction: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk by 1