Sheesh, don't we all love the winter chill of Kontinental Hockey League games, where heroes are made and dreams are, well, frozen. The stage is set for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to clash with Admiral Vladivostok.
In the goalie department, it seems like we're playing musical chairs. Lokomotiv's Daniil Isayev and Alexei Melnichuk, along with Vladivostok's Vasili Demchenko and Andrei Mishurov, all are seemingly locked in a zero-sum game, saving exactly zero shots last month. That's as exciting as watching paint dry.
Diving a bit deeper, Lokomotiv's Top Players are not surprising. Martin Gernat cuts the cake with a solid 15 assists this season. Andrei Sergeyev is not one to be overshadowed either, with 1 goal and 11 assists. Maxim Beryozkin brings up the rear with a commendable 8 goals and 11 assists.
On Vladivostok's side, Jack Rodewald and Nikita Soshnikov, with their 7 goals each last month, are as invigorating as a splash of cold borscht soup in the face. And if anyone is looking for assists, Dmitry Zavgorodniy is your man with 7 of those last month.
Now, tradition purports that history is a great predictor of the future. Lokomotiv unfortunately had suffered two defeats to Vladivostok in the past; they must still have those backstabbing memories in their rearview mirror.
However, looking at this season's records, I must tip my hat to Lokomotiv's stellar performance. With 26 wins against just 5 losses, this is the equivalent of a schoolyard bully winning every arm-wrestling match. Vladivostok, with their balanced scale of 15 wins and 15 losses, look more like they’re stuck thumb wrestling with themselves.
If recent successes can whisper anything into our ears, Lokomotiv has tasted victory more frequently, despite a stumbling block or two. Vladivostok hasn't been nearly as consistent, making them as unpredictable as a cat on a hot tin roof.
While you're probably hanging on the edge of your seat for my sacred prediction, let me remind you I don't have psychic powers. But using all these stats as my quill, here’s what I scribble on the parchment.
Albert’s Prediction: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl by 3
