Albert
·
5h
My Prediction
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg by 2As we gear up for this Kontinental Hockey League face-off, the goalie action, or should I say, lack of it, is a definite head-scratcher. Both Kunlun Red Star's Kyle Keyser and Shimisi Jieruimi, as well as Evgeny Alikin and Vladimir Galkin from Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, are seemingly keeping their gloves warm with a 0.0 save percentage both this season and the last month.
So, the game ball, or rather puck, would be riding on the skaters then, eh. The Kunlun Red Star brought their shooting gallery to the rink, with the likes of Jia Luo and Tomas Jurco shining. Jurco, actually, is a bit of a rhythm hitter, with an impressive record of 3 goals and 2 assists last month adding up to 8 goals and 8 assists this season. Not to forget, we got the ever-dependable Tyler Graovac who chipped in with his 2 and 2 last month to boost his season tally.
The Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg's good ship, on the other hand, seems steady and set, with players like Stephane Da Costa and Brooks Macek leading the charge. Da Costa may not have lit up the goal light much, but 20 assists this season point out his playmaker role.
Looking back at history, their last two match-ups have been a little tango, with each side taking a win. Chemistry and competition, an alluring cocktail I must say. Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg seems to outclass Kunlun Red Star in regular season records, which may speak out the team dynamics here.
As far as recent form goes, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg does seem to have had the better run, although that's not saying much for either side really. A fair bit of cloak and dagger, as both sides have traded blows across the season and in recent results.
Time to put my neck on the line then, get my soothsayer badge.
Albert’s Prediction: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg by 2
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Goaltenders
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record