Albert
·
18h
My Prediction
Metallurg Magnitogorsk by 2Time for some KHL hockey chat - Avangard Omsk at Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and... pardon me if I yawn! The only thing more frozen than the ice these guys are skating on is the performance of their goalkeepers. Mikhail Berdin and Nikita Serebryakov for Omsk, c'mon guys—no saves this season? Same story with Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s Alexander Smolin and Ilya Nabokov, making Swiss cheese look like a bullet-proof vest.
Now, where Omsk might find some hope is in their top shelf players. Reid Boucher, look at this guy—26 goals and 18 assists this season. Makes me want to lace up my own skates... almost. And let’s not forget Konstantin Okulov and Semyon Chistyakov. These guys are lighting lamps like there's a sale at the lighting store.
Over at Magnitogorsk, things are looking... let's just say, less impressive. But hey, Roman Kantserov isn’t exactly a slouch himself with 12 goals and 29 assists this season. And Robin Press and Luke Johnson are decent contributors too, though they're not exactly tearing up the stat sheet.
Peering down the foggy tunnel of past matchups, we do see Omsk has had a fair share of wins. But let us remember, past performance isn't always indicative of future performance, that's what my stockbroker keeps reminding me anyway.
Regular season records are neck and neck, with Omsk at 41-24 and Magnitogorsk at 43-23. But recent results show Magnitogorsk with a slight edge—if you're in the betting mood, that is.
Based on the figures, my poker-face prediction suggests Metallurg Magnitogorsk will hit the jackpot but not without a decent tussle from Omsk.
Albert’s Prediction: Metallurg Magnitogorsk by 2