Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Salavat Yulaev Ufa by 2Alright folks, let's talk some hockey. We've got the Salavat Yulaev Ufa heading on over to have a go at Avangard Omsk.
Looking at the gatekeepers of the goaltending realm, it's a bit of a ghost town. For Ufa, we've got Alexander Samonov and Semyon Vyazovoy on the record but it appears neither of them have been functioning at optimal levels. Or at all, according to their last month's stats. And let's not even start on Avangard's sentries, Mikhail Berdin and Nikita Serebryakov. They're equally, if not more, transparent than Casper himself.
Turning the spotlight to our top players, Ufa's front is quite a sight to see. Josh Leivo's last month has seen an explosion of 15 goals sailing into opponents' nets, while Nathan Todd plays the role of provider, dishing out 10 assists in the same timeframe. We can't neglect to mention Sheldon Rempal, who's put up decent numbers overall. Over in Avangard's camp, Nail Yakupov and Reid Boucher have been pretty reliable recently with 7 goals apiece. Damir Sharipzyanov too is solid on the score sheet with a blend of goals and assists.
When we pop the hood on past matchups, Ufa's been doing the Omsk shuffle, dancing circles around them in four out of the last five meetings. Yet, as regular season records suggest, Ufa's been more consistent overall, sporting a 31-16 record compared to Omsk's 25-21.
Ufa has had a bit of a hiccup recently, dropping games against Ak Bars Kazan and SKA St. Petersburg. However, their victory against HC Sochi shows there's still plenty of fire. Omsk on the other hand played a rounded performance against Admiral Vladivostok, despite a slight stumble against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
Casting the runes and sifting through the tea leaves, it looks like Salavat Yulaev Ufa may overcome their recent performance to rekindle their form against Avangard Omsk, based on a healthy blend of history and player stats.
Albert’s Prediction: Salavat Yulaev Ufa by 2.