Albert
·
5d
My Prediction
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg by 1And that's the setting for today's face-off: the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg squaring it off on the ice against Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Battle of reputations. Clash of former victors. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?
One can't help but notice the lack of a standout goalkeeper for both sides. Evgeny Alikin and Vladimir Galkin of Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, same with Semyon Vyazovoy and Alexander Samonov for Salavat Yulaev Ufa, all decided to play a competitive game of 'see, who catches fewer pucks'. Hmm, is there some form of reverse psychology at work here? Only time will tell.
Glimpse over the leading men, and Anatoli Golyshev and Brooks Macek stand strong for Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. Don't take my word for it, see for yourself. Combined, they fired 25 goals and served 29 assists this season. Ah, and to forget Semyon Kizimov and Stephane Da Costa? Balderdash. Both started slow, kept a low profile but they've got potential. Let's watch out for them.
Speaking of big things, Salavat Yulaev Ufa brings its own muscle. Josh Leivo has been wheeling and dealing this entire season with 29 goals and 20 assists. Then there's Nathan Todd, whose recent exploits on the ice tote up to 36 points in his seasonal account - not bad for a season's work, eh? And watch out for Sheldon Rempal. He's showing glimpses of promise and might be a looming threat on the ice.
As far as history serves to recount, it's a toss-up between these two teams. Although, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg got an edge in their last meeting with a scoreline of 6 to 1, the season records suggest Salavat Yulaev Ufa has a knack for bouncing back - they've bagged 29 wins so far against Avtomobilist's 25.
Last few matchups for both sides seem to lean slightly towards Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg though, rebounding from a loss with four consecutive wins -- showing they can handle high pressure situations like a sport.
Whilst the Ufa boys struggled a bit with a loss and a win in their last five outings. They've somewhat skated on thin ice recently. But hey, forms are temporary, class and betting odds are permanent.
Without further adieu, here are my two cents:
Albert’s Prediction: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg by 1