Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk vs Sochi Prediction 12 February 2026
🔊 Sochi, after conceding ten goals in Novosibirsk, have reaffirmed their status as one of the KHL's weakest road teams. Can the "Leopards" redeem themselves from their Siberian nightmare in the matchup against Neftekhimik? We break down this regular season clash in the Kontinental Hockey League and offer a prediction for the game on February 12.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past five seasons, Neftekhimik and Sochi have clashed 11 times: Nizhnekamsk have claimed victory in 5 encounters, while Sochi have emerged triumphant in 6. In the 2025/26 season, the teams faced off on the "Leopards'" ice, where the hosts pulled off a comeback victory (2-1), turning the game around with two goals midway through the match.
Head-to-head statistics Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk - Sochi
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk Team Overview
Igor Grishin's team, following a January streak of seven victories, have managed just one win in their last four attempts. In Neftekhimik's 1100th KHL game, they suffered a heavy defeat to SKA (1-5), despite leading after Damir Zhafyarov scored from the penalty box.
This third loss in ten days has knocked Nizhnekamsk out of the contenders for a top-four spot in the East. However, the "Wolves" (fifth place, 59 points) still aim for a strong seeding to avoid facing Metallurg or Avangard in the first playoff round. At home, Neftekhimik are the KHL's most conceding team (89 goals, averaging 2.97 per game).
After the break for the KHL All-Star Game, Igor Grishin made some roster changes for the Tatarstan club-defenseman Nikita Khlystov was left out in favor of Maxim Fedotov, who hadn't played since mid-January. Additionally, 13th forward Nikolai Krivolapov was replaced by Sevastyan Sokolov.
Match Results: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
Sochi Team Overview
The "Leopards" continue their road tour, suffering another heavy defeat in Novosibirsk as Sochi lost to Sibir for the second time this season by a nine-goal margin (1-10). Their already poor defensive stats took another hit, adding the title of the most conceding team on the road in the KHL (113 goals) to their status as the least scoring team (49 goals).
The defeat in Novosibirsk dropped Sochi to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Dmitry Mikhaylov's squad has 37 points but has played three fewer games than their sole competitor for the penultimate spot, Lada. Over their last 13 games, the Leopards have only managed two victories, both in Saint Petersburg, where they first overcame SKA (2-1) and then the Shanghai Dragons (2-1).
Defenseman Ilya Khokhlov missed the game in Novosibirsk, but top scorer Max Ellis returned to action, immediately joining the first forward line. Goalie Maxim Tretyak and forward Denis Vengryzhanovsky remain on the injury list for the visitors. However, goalie Ilya Samsonov and defenseman Anton Malyshev were cleared from it recently but did not feature at the "Sibir Arena."
Match Results: Sochi
⚡️ Key Players
The driving force behind Neftekhimik's offense is Andrey Belozyorov, who ranks among the top five KHL scorers with 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists). While the 29-year-old forward is likely to clinch the club's goal-scoring race, his assist tally could face competition from Yevgeny Mityakin, who also has 19 assists. Ilya Pastukhov and Artem Serikov are among the KHL leaders in blocked shots.
Returning after a three-game absence, Max Ellis recorded a season-first "-3" against Sibir without contributing offensively. However, the American maintains his position as the club's leading scorer and goal-getter with 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists). The top playmaker for the team is Cameron Lee, who has 17 assists.
🥅 Goaltenders
A pivotal figure for Neftekhimik this season is goaltender Philipp Dolganov. He ranks eighth in the league with a save percentage of 92.8%. Since returning from injury, Dolganov has played three games, making 80 saves and winning the All-Star Game with the Russian team.
Pavel Khomchenko from Sochi had another shaky performance for the third time in six games, conceding six goals against Sibir over two periods (76% save percentage). Alexey Schetilin also struggled, letting in four goals from 12 shots. Over the past two weeks, Khomchenko has allowed 20 goals across six games with an 87.2% save percentage.
Editorial Prediction
The defeat in Novosibirsk marked Sochi's ninth loss by a margin of four or more goals this season. Interestingly, in six out of eight instances following a heavy defeat, the "Leopards" have won their next game, and in seven out of eight, they have scored at least twice. Furthermore, in head-to-head clashes, Sochi have netted at least two goals in five of their last six encounters. We believe the return of Max Ellis and the right adjustments will pay off, so we are backing Sochi's individual total of over 2 goals.
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Betting Tips: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk - Sochi
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