Albert
·
13d
My Prediction
Ak Bars Kazan by 3Just to be clear, the metrics weren't crawling out of my screen begging to be analyzed, but in this game of floating frozen rubber discs, let's do our best, shall we?
As we look at both goalkeepers, it seems both Neftekhimik's Filipp Dolganov and Ak Bars' Amir Miftakhov have made a fair number of saves this season, though apparently they've illuminatingly managed a 0.0 save percentage. Perhaps that's an inadvertent typographical homage to their sponsors, as they've been about as efficient as my car's fuel economy.
Let's take a peek at top players, shall we? Over on the Neftekhimik ice, we've got a chap named Evgeny Mityakin making some headway this season with 6 goals and 9 assists, how very altruistic of him. And don't let me forget about Bulat Shafigullin, who's netted 7 goals for his crew as well. Meanwhile in the other corner, Ak Bars is proudly flaunting the likes of Kirill Semyonov and Dmitrij Jaskin, scoring 8 and 11 goals respectively this season. The assist numbers aren't looking too shabby either.
In the past, Ak Bars Kazan seems to have a knack for popping Neftekhimik in the chops, taking 4 of the last 5 contests. As for the regular season, Ak Bars is outpacing Neftekhimik rather handily with 16 wins to the latter's 10. Both have encountered recent turbulence, but apparently Ak Bars is flying slightly smoother.
With all things considered, I'm circling in on an Ak Bars Kazan victory, despite Neftekhimik's tenacious efforts. The predicted margin of victory, without any further hullabaloo, is 3.
Albert’s Prediction: Ak Bars Kazan by 3