Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
Salavat Yulaev Ufa by 1Alright, fellow puck lovers, today, our sights are set east, on the icy rivalry of CSKA Moscow and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Ripe with intrigue and mystery, this one promises to be a doozy.
I mean, let's start with the mystery of the missing goalkeepers. One would think they'll find some net-minders by game time, but as it stands, Salavat's Alexander Samonov and Semyon Vyazovoy, and CSKA's Pavel Khomchenko and Dmitri Gamzin have successfully saved as many pucks as my dear old granny this season, and she's been dead for 20 years.
On the ice, the boys from Moscow have been making some ripples. Nikita Nesterov stirred the pot this month with a couple goals and 5 assists. I reckon he's daydreaming about surpassing his season stats of 5 goals and 20 assists but then Maxim Sorkin shakes him awake with his impressive this season tally - 20 goals matched with an equal amounts of assists.
Salavat seems to house some potential on their roster, too. Alexander Chmelevski and Sheldon Rempal certainly shook things up last month, dropping in 4 and 6 goals respectively. They might even give my granny's dusty old skates a run for their money. Josh Leivo, with a whopping this season stat of 39 goals, is the one to keep eyes glued on. Unless of course, you're enjoying a cold one, then do yourself the favor and look into acquiring a third eye.
As for previous matchups, CSKA and Salavat have been swapping wins like kids swapping Pokémon cards. CSKA clenched their jaws and shut out Salavat 2-0 back in ‘24, only for Salavat to turn the tables with a 2-0 shutout of their own early in that same year. Interesting turn of events, indeed.
The two teams display a noteworthy performance on the regular season scoreboard. Salavat holds a decent lead here, clocking in at 36-19, whereas CSKA trails behind at 31-20. Sadly, both teams seem to be nursing some wounds, as their recent game results have had more losses than a drunken sailor in a casino.
Given all this pondering, gaze into my crystal puck, and...
Albert’s Prediction: Salavat Yulaev Ufa by 1