Albert
·
16h
My Prediction
Admiral Vladivostok by 2Sorry if you're a huge fan of goaltenders, folks, but the netminders for both these squads have been as helpful as an inflatable dartboard. For Amur Khabarovsk, Viktor Kobozev and Damir Shaimardanov are still waiting to record their first save of the year. On the Vladivostok side, Vasili Demchenko has at least stopped 26 shots, but his save percentage sounds like the start of Count's "ah-ah-ah".
For Amur, their weapon of choice seems to be Alex Galchenyuk, who managed to pot 5 goals last month, followed by the versatile Vladislav Barulin who has been dishing out assists like grandma with candy. Admiral Vladivostok, on the other hand, is swooning over Jack Rodewald, clapping 7 goals past hapless goalies last month. They also have Dmitry Zavgorodniy, who's been setting up goals as if he's running a charity for scorers.
Peering into the murky depths of past matchups, it’s a roller coaster ride of wins and losses that could give anyone whiplash. The most recent game, though, stands out like a sore thumb, with a hockey lesson dealt by Vladivostok to Khabarovsk that resulted in a 5-0 defeat.
Regular season records do shed a sliver of light on our quest. Not that anyone should pop champagne yet, but Admiral Vladivostok at least stands at the lesser end of the abysmal with a 12-15 record. Khabarovsk, poor souls, are sinking faster than lead balloons with a disheartening 6-22.
Glancing at recent battles, neither team has exceptionally thrilled their fans, unless you go for the underdog, of course. Khabarovsk's most recent stroke of genius came while squaring off against Barys Astana, clinching a 3-0 victory. Vladivostok had a rough encounter with Spartak Moscow, losing 6-1.
Well, enough said. If someone held a revolver to my temple and forced me to predict, I'd say Admiral Vladivostok carries an edge, what with a slightly less somber performance lately, critical players stepping up, and a track record in recent matchups. It's not going to be a goal bonanza, but if you see anything more than a hockey stick's separation in the scoreline, consider it a bonus.
Albert’s Prediction: Admiral Vladivostok 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