KHL Returns on Wednesday

Ufa currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 57 points to their name. Comparatively HC SLOVAN have 50 points, but have games in hand. Salavat were the victors of the Gagarin Cup in 2010/2011, but have flattered to deceive since then. Salavat’s most productive player so far this season is Igor Mirnov, who has 27 points from 31 games. Filatov and Chylstov are the next top scorers as both have 19 points. The best defenceman on the scoresheet for Salavat so far is Viltali Proshkin, who has five goals and thirteen assists in 33 matches. Irro Tarrki is the starting netminder for the team from Bashkortostan, and he has so far stopped 91.7% of shots faced.

This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams, as HC SLOVAN travelled to Ufa in mid-October, coming away with a point in a 2:3 shootout loss. The goal scorers in that game for HC SLOVAN were Bakoš and Višňovský. In the overtime period, HC SLOVAN had the better of the chances, but in the shootout the away side failed to find the net with any of their attempts, and Chylstov netted to give Salavat the victory.

Last five games:

Salavat Yulaev Ufa - Metallurg Novokuznetsk 3:2
Salavat Yulaev Ufa - Amur Khabarovsk 6:4
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod - Salavat Yulaev Ufa 1:3
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl - Salavat Yulaev Ufa 3:2
Atlant Mytishchi - Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2:0