Dinamo vs Ak Bars Kazan Prediction
🔊 The team from Minsk suffered their first defeat in the current playoff run. The opening game of the series went to the visitors, with the final minutes proving decisive. What can we expect from the upcoming game? Let's delve into the statistical trends to offer a well-founded prediction for the second match of the second round series in the 2026 Gagarin Cup.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past three seasons, Dynamo and Ak Bars have clashed seven times: the Minsk side claimed victory in five matches, while the Kazan team won twice. The "Bars" broke their streak of ten consecutive games without a regulation-time win with a 2-1 victory yesterday.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Dinamo Minsk Team Overview
The "Zubry" completed their first-round series against Dynamo Moscow in just four games, only to face defeat in the second round immediately. Notably, Dmitry Kvartalnov's team conceded more than one goal for the first time in five playoff games. However, the second goal was an empty-netter scored by the visitors with two minutes left on the clock. In the 2026 Gagarin Cup games, Minsk's scoring average stands at 2.0 goals per game in regulation, while they concede 1.2 goals.
On home ice, the Minsk side have avoided regulation losses in 6 of their last 7 games, including regular season matchups. Their playoff encounters in Minsk have been slightly more productive, averaging 3.0 goals scored and 1.33 goals conceded per game.
In power play situations, Dynamo have scored three times with a conversion rate of 23.1%-seventh best in the tournament. However, their penalty killing leaves much to be desired, with the worst neutralization rate at 66.7%, allowing two goals from six opponent attempts. Ak Bars did not have any power play opportunities in the first match.
Match Results: Dinamo Minsk
Ak Bars Kazan Team Overview
Kazan have shown they can play a defensive style of hockey against one of the most attacking and high-scoring teams in the KHL. Their playoff scoring average stands at just 2.17 goals in regulation time, the weakest among all teams that advanced past the first round. On average, they concede 1.83 goals per game.
On the road, Kazan's performance dips further, managing only 2.0 goals in regulation during away games while conceding the same amount. However, under Anvar Gatiyatulin, they have become slightly more efficient on the road, winning 4 of their last 5 matches.
Kazan now shares identical power play stats with their opponent-scoring three goals from 13 attempts with a 23.1% conversion rate. In penalty killing, Gatiyatulin's squad has conceded three times, neutralizing only 78.6% of their opponent's power plays, ranking them 9th in the tournament.
Match Results: Ak Bars Kazan
Latest news
Dinamo Minsk
💬 Head coach of Dynamo Minsk, Dmitry Kvartalnov: “Our offense was a step below what it used to be. We told the guys that this is a completely different opponent, and we need to play differently here. Sam Anas was not himself, and Alex Limoges as well. Vitaly Pinchuk put in the effort, but we all need to understand - we are playing against a team that knows how to endure.”
❌ Forward Daniil Sotishvili remains on Minsk's injury list, having picked up an injury in the first playoff game.
↔️ Defenseman Brady Lyle was left out of the lineup against Kazan, with Christian Henkel taking the spot as the seventh defenseman. Egor Borikov returned to the squad after missing the previous match. Twenty-year-old Nikolai Salygo was not included in the lineup, as he continues to play in the Belarusian Extraliga and Junior Hockey League.
Ak Bars Kazan
💬 Ak Bars head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin: "We aimed to transition from emotional to rational. Overall, we succeeded - played strategically and pragmatically. In the regular season, there's more focus on analyzing our own games, but in the playoffs, it's a series against one opponent, requiring a deeper analysis of the opposition."
❌ Forward Mikhail Fisenko missed the first game of the series due to an injury. No timeline has been given for his return.
↔️ In Minsk, there was no spot in the lineup for defenseman Albert Yarullin, forwards Mikhail Fisenko, and Yegor Potapov, who had been the 13th forward in all previous matches. Nikita Dynyak and Denis Komkov made their playoff debuts.
⚡️ Leaders
The top offense in the West from the regular season is still struggling to make an impact, as even the head coach of Minsk openly admits. Leading the scoring race for the "Bisons" are Stanislav Galiev (2 goals, 2 assists) and Vadim Shipachyov (0 goals, 4 assists), with Sam Ennis (2 goals, 1 assist) and Vitaly Pinchuk (1 goal, 2 assists) each tallying three points.
From Ak Bars, three players feature prominently among the top scorers: Artem Galimov (4 goals, 2 assists), Mitchell Miller (2 goals, 4 assists), and Nikita Lyamkin (0 goals, 6 assists), who has been consistently scoring in each of the last five games. Miller boasts a +8 rating in terms of plus-minus. Lyamkin has emerged as a leader among playmakers.
🥅 Goalies
There are still no complaints about Minsk's goaltender Zach Fucale. The Canadian hasn't allowed more than one goal in any of his five appearances. With a save percentage of 96.2% and a goals-against average of 0.91, he ranks second among all goalies in the tournament.
Ak Bars' number one, Timur Bilyalov, stands fifth in save percentage (94.9%) and eighth in goals-against average (1.71). In the last match, Bilyalov was close to securing his first playoff shutout but conceded a goal with just two minutes remaining.
Editorial Prediction
It's uncertain whether this series will lean more towards defense than offense, but it's a shame to see talents like Enes, Limoges, Pinchuk, Galimov, Barabanov, and others having to settle for less action. The head-to-head statistics between Dynamo and Ak Bars suggest that high-scoring hockey is bound to happen eventually.
In fact, in 10 of the last 12 KHL head-to-head matchups in Minsk, fans witnessed at least five goals scored per game. Similarly, Kazan's last seven away games this season saw at least five goals in five of them. Our editorial pick for this game is over 4.5 total goals.
Betting Tips: Dinamo Minsk - Ak Bars Kazan
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