Salavat Yulaev Ufa vs Avtomobilist Prediction
🔊 Avtomobilist managed to take the series back to Ufa, snapping a three-game losing streak. Surprisingly, in what was expected to be a tight series by fans and experts, the teams have netted 21 goals in the last three games. What will game six of the first-round series in the Gagarin Cup 2026 bring? Let's delve into the statistical trends and team news ahead of the matchup on April 2.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past three seasons, Salavat Yulaev and Avtomobilist have clashed 17 times: the Ufa team secured seven victories, while the Yekaterinburg side claimed ten. The current series stands at 3-2 in favor of the Bashkir club. Salavat Yulaev took the second (1-0), third (4-3), and fourth (5-2) games of the series, while Avtomobilist won the first (2-0) and fifth (5-2) encounters.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Salavat Yulaev Ufa Team Overview
Salavat Yulaev's average scoring in the series stands at 2.4 goals per game, with the same number conceded. The Ufa team performs best in the third period, having not lost a single final segment. Their shot conversion rate is 7.36%, placing them tenth among all tournament teams.
Only one team has played more power plays than Salavat Yulaev (18) - Metallurg Magnitogorsk (19). However, Ufa's power play conversion struggles at just 11.1% with two goals scored. Only Avtomobilist and Sibir have worse records. On the flip side, Viktor Kozlov's squad boasts an almost perfect penalty kill, sitting at 90.0%, the second-best in the tournament.
Match Results: Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Team Overview
Thanks to their most prolific game of the current playoffs, Avtomobilist have caught up with their opponents in terms of average scoring, now at 2.4 goals per game. Before the match in Yekaterinburg, this figure was significantly lower at 1.75. Both Avtomobilist and Salavat Yulaev rank among the top five teams in terms of shots in the Gagarin Cup. However, their conversion rates are modest, standing at 7.59% for the Ural team as well as their rivals.
The "Drivers" have managed just one power-play goal with a 10.0% conversion rate in the series, placing them near the bottom of the tournament standings. Their penalty kill has been a saving grace, neutralizing 88.9% of penalties, which ranks third in the league. Both the team from Yekaterinburg and the Ufa side have scored shorthanded once and conceded shorthanded once.
Match Results: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Latest news
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
💬 Salavat Yulaev's head coach Viktor Kozlov remarked, "You're expecting a lot from Zharovsky. He's born in 2007, had a solid season, and this is a challenge for him too. A year ago, teams played against him differently, and he's moving in the right direction."
❌ On Salavat Yulaev's injury list, defensemen Alexander Komarov and Evgeny Kulik remain sidelined, with forward Evgeny Kuznetsov joining them, missing another game in the series against the Ural club.
↔️ Denis Alalykin once again took Evgeny Kuznetsov's spot on the second line. Denis Yan returned to the vacant position on the third line-these were the combinations Salavat Yulaev used in the third game of the series.
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
💬 Avtomobilist's head coach Nikolai Zavarukhin: "The players listened to us and played correctly, with freedom at the start of the match. We didn't change much in our play without the puck. For two periods, the team executed the plan well, preventing Salavat Yulaev's fast forwards from breaking away and playing tightly against them in pressing and defense formation."
❌ In the previous match, defenseman Jesse Blacker missed out due to an injury. However, Kirill Vorobyov returned to action, having missed the games in Ufa.
↔️ After two defeats in Ufa, Nikolai Zavarukhin made significant changes: for the first time in this playoff, goaltender Evgeny Alikin started, while forwards Yegor Chernikov and Artyom Kashtanov were left out of the lineup, replaced by Maxim Denezhkin and Alexei Byvaltsev.
⚡️ Leaders
The top scorers for Salavat Yulaev are their leading sniper Maxim Kuznetsov (3+1), Sheldon Rempal (2+2), and Vladislav Yefremov (1+3). The Canadian has been impressive, contributing in the last four games of the series.
Returning to the top three in the Gagarin Cup scoring race is Avtomobilist forward Daniel Sprong (5+2). The Dutch forward has registered points in four out of five games in the series. Alexander Sharov (2+3) has an identical streak, while Stepan Khripunov climbed into the top three with a hat-trick in the fifth game.
🥅 Goalies
By the fifth game of the series, Salavat Yulaev's coaches finally opted to use their second goaltender. Semyon Vyazovoy, after conceding four goals, was given a rest in the third period-likely in preparation for game six. In this playoff, he boasts a 92.8% save percentage with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.37. Ilya Konovalov handled all four shots he faced in his 18 minutes of play.
For the first time in the series, Avtomobilist started Evgeny Alikin instead of Vladimir Galkin. Alikin had appeared in the previous game but started from the first minute for the first time. The Ural team’s goalie has managed a 96.1% save percentage over 75 minutes in the playoffs (GAA 1.58). Galkin's numbers are understandably lower over a longer stretch, with a 91.9% save percentage and a GAA of 2.45.
Editorial Prediction
Avtomobilist netted five goals in their last game, a rare feat for the Ural club. Prior to that match, they had only scored more than five goals in playoff games five times, and in four of the next five Gagarin Cup encounters, they failed to score more than two goals.
Salavat Yulaev tends to bounce back after conceding five goals. This season, they have allowed five or more goals in a regular season game eight times, and in seven of those instances, they tightened up significantly in the following match, conceding no more than two goals. Semyon Vyazovoy has had a bit more rest and observed the opponent's play from the sidelines, which could be crucial. Our pick for the sixth match is Avtomobilist's individual total under 2.5 goals.
Betting Tips: Salavat Yulaev Ufa - Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
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