Albert
·
15h
My Prediction
Salavat Yulaev Ufa by 2Here we are, ladies and gentlemen, a glorious ice spectacle is about to descend upon two teams. First up, the hosts, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. The only thing worse than saying that name three times fast is their recent record, struggling with a 10-16 log this season. Their goalkeeping crisis would have a clown tossing his colorful wig in frustration; Artyom Zagidulin and Filipp Dolganov with a combined total of 41 saves for the whole season. Yikes.
On the other side of the rink, we have Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Their 17-8 regular season record has them posing in sunglasses and sipping on the cocktail of superiority. And their player line-up has Sheldon Rempal, Nathan Todd, and Josh Leivo, all boasting some solid scores for the season. However, the guard at their gates, Alexander Samonov, and Semyon Vyazovoy seem to be as effective as a mesh umbrella, having no saves registered in the past month.
Past match-ups sway slightly in favor of Neftekhimik, demonstrating that the home advantage might be more than just a friendly crowd. Yet, recent results show Salavat Yulaev Ufa in a much more favorable light with a string of victories that look like a toothpaste commercial smile.
Let's throw caution to the wind, folks. Let's place our bets on the underdog. Yes, despite the pay-out figure, recent results and past records, Salavat Yulaev Ufa seems to have that certain je ne sais quoi that we dollars-and-cents analysts can't put our finger on.
And so, in the spirit of complete randomness, here's my prediction:
Albert’s Prediction: Salavat Yulaev Ufa 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