Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs Avtomobilist Prediction 6 March 2026
🔊 Just three weeks have passed since the encounter in Yekaterinburg, where the league leaders suffered a crushing 1-8 defeat, a record loss for them. Metallurg are clearly eager to exact full revenge - tournament standings take a backseat here. What will the next clash between the Ural clubs look like? We bring you the latest news and analyze the prospects ahead of this regular season KHL game. For more details, visit KHL.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past three seasons, Metallurg and Avtomobilist have clashed 12 times in the regular season: nine victories have gone to the team from Magnitogorsk, while the Yekaterinburg side claimed three wins. Notably, on home ice during the regular season, "Magnitka" have defeated their opponents in five consecutive meetings. In 2024, the teams faced off in the playoffs, with the "Foxes" taking the seven-game series 4-3.
Head-to-head statistics Metallurg Magnitogorsk - Avtomobilist
Metallurg Magnitogorsk Team Overview
Heading into the clash with Avtomobilist, the league leaders are coming off an away victory over Dinamo Minsk (3-0). Interestingly, this was only the second time this season that the KHL's top team kept a clean sheet, a feat unmatched by any other team in the league. This win in Minsk snapped a three-game losing streak, yet even with that skid, Andrei Razin's squad remains firmly at the top with 97 points, holding a seven-point lead over Avangard.
On home ice, Magnitogorsk have secured points in seven consecutive games, maintaining their status as the league's best home team with an 83.2% points success rate. Additionally, at the "Arena Metallurg," Andrei Razin's side has already netted 126 goals (averaging 4.06 per game), the best in the league.
Match Results: Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Team Overview
The team from Yekaterinburg heads into their away game riding one of their longest winning streaks of the season, with five consecutive victories. The only longer streak was back in September-October when the Urals side clinched six wins. Nikolai Zavarukhin's squad secured shutout victories in their last two matches, defeating CSKA 1-0 and Dynamo Moscow 4-0. This string of triumphs has nearly cemented Avtomobilist's spot in the top four of the Eastern Conference.
For the first time this season, Avtomobilist managed back-to-back shutouts in away games, ranking fifth in the KHL for the number of clean sheets on the road. The team has maintained a clean sheet for 136 minutes and 44 seconds. Their average goals conceded on the road stands at a moderate 2.6 per game.
Match Results: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Latest news
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
💬 Andrey Razin on the importance of breaking a three-game losing streak: "The victory in Minsk was crucial for us psychologically. Tolchinsky stopped playing after a heavy hit. We decided not to take any risks. Heading into the playoffs, we don't need victories at any cost through sheer willpower."
❌ Dmitry Silantyev (20 goals, 25 assists in 53 games) remains on the injured list, but even without him, the top forward line is delivering results. The line of Roman Kanzerov, Vladimir Tkachev, and Nikita Korotkov/Andrey Kozlov has contributed to at least one goal in each of the three games without Silantyev. Sergei Tolchinsky missed part of the last game due to an injury.
↔️ In Minsk, defensemen Valery Orekhov and Igor Nechayev did not play, but Alexander Siryatsky was included in the lineup. The coaches moved Kozlov to the top line instead of Korotkov. Egor Korobkin returned to the roster.
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
💬 A two-game shutout streak has Nikolay Zavarukhin contemplating his choice for the starting goalie: "On one hand, having both goalies in great form is a good problem to have, but it makes the decision tough. We will discuss with the goaltending coach and make a decision closer to the playoffs. We'll assess our opponents and choose the goalie who will start the first game."
❌ Avtomobilist's injury list still includes defenseman Dmitry Yudin (1 goal, 7 assists in 35 games). His last appearance on the ice was on January 12.
↔️ After a shutout victory over CSKA, the coaching staff replaced Vladimir Galkin with Yevgeny Alikin in goal, and he also kept a clean sheet. Minor adjustments in the defensive pairings and the inclusion of Yury Pautov contributed as well. In the attack, Yegor Chernikov and Artem Kashtanov were left out, with Nikita Shashkov and Ilya Ovchinnikov taking their places.
⚡️ Key Players
Vladimir Tkachev, with 67 points (12 goals, 55 assists), remains both the top scorer and primary playmaker for Metallurg. The leading goal scorer for Magnitogorsk is Roman Kantserov, who has netted 33 goals-no other player in the KHL has surpassed the 30-goal mark yet. Kantserov has registered points in five of his last six games. Andrey Kozlov scored his first KHL double.
Daniel Sprong ranks among the top ten scorers in the championship with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists). The Dutch forward from Avtomobilist is on an eight-game point streak. Semyon Kizimov has tallied 2 goals and 5 assists in his last six games, while Nikita Tryamkin has contributed 1 goal and 3 assists in five games.
🥅 Goalkeepers
Both teams are gradually preparing their goaltending units for the playoffs. Metallurg has given playing time to both Ilya Nabokov and Alexander Smolin in February and March. Nabokov posted a save percentage of 91.0% with a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.55, while Smolin recorded a 91.2% save percentage, a GAA of 2.70, and a shutout in Minsk with 44 saves.
Avtomobilist's goalkeepers have also delivered impressive stats. Vladimir Galkin stopped 96.6% of shots in February and March, boasting an incredible GAA of 1.08. Evgeny Alikin is not far behind with a 92.9% save percentage and a GAA of 2.19.
Editorial Prediction
As we mentioned earlier, the heavy defeat in February is likely to linger in the minds of Metallurg's players. However, Avtomobilist have only grown stronger since then, making a revenge win a challenging task. Especially considering Yekaterinburg have scored at least two goals in seven of their last eight games.
Following a shutout victory, Magnitogorsk have struggled to deliver consistent hockey, conceding at least twice in each of their last seven games after keeping a clean sheet. The goalkeepers will face immense pressure in this match, but the offense cannot be overlooked either, which is why we pick Avtomobilist's individual total to be over 2 goals.
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Betting Tips: Metallurg Magnitogorsk - Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
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