Sochi vs Shanghai Dragons Prediction 15 November 2025
📣 This Saturday marks the first "New Derby" of the season. HC Sochi will host the Shanghai Dragons at the Bolshoy Ice Dome. These two youngest teams in the league often deliver high-scoring hockey in their head-to-head clashes, always delighting the fans. How will Saturday's matchup conclude? Find out in our prediction.
Head-to-Head
Last season, Sochi and the "Dragons" clashed on the ice six times, each team securing three wins. The most thrilling encounter took place exactly a year ago at Sirius, delivering an 11-goal spectacle. Former Kunlun excelled in power plays but ultimately couldn't handle the "Leopards," falling 6-5 in overtime. Forward Timur Khafizov shone as the standout player of the match, marking his best KHL season with 16 goals and 10 assists. An intriguing note: the last two matchups have both ended with identical 5-2 victories for the Chinese side. Clearly, scoring isn't an issue for these players.
Head-to-head statistics Sochi - Shanghai Dragons
Sochi Team Overview
Sochi have been struggling for several seasons now, failing to bring joy to their fans. Currently, the team sits at the bottom of the Western Conference, with only 5 wins to their name (2 of which came in overtime). Their weak defense has been a major obstacle in their quest for better results. As of today, the "Leopards" have conceded 85 goals, nearly matching the tally of Lada Togliatti and Sibir Novosibirsk. In an effort to strengthen their defense, they recently signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov and defenseman Cameron Lee. Samsonov has performed admirably, but he sustained an injury in the recent matchup against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. His participation in the upcoming clash with the "Dragons" remains uncertain. Forward Max Ellis, who was recently traded from the Chinese team, is also worth watching. It's clear Max is eager to challenge Shanghai's defense.
Match Results: Sochi
Shanghai Dragons Team Overview
The Dragons currently sit in seventh place in the Western Conference, experiencing a run of inconsistent performances. Earlier this week, they managed to break a three-game losing streak with a victory. They overcame Dynamo Moscow with a score of 4-1. Kevin Labanc and Nikita Popugaev have hit a remarkable stride, consistently adding points in most games. In terms of overall statistics, the Shanghai team continues to rack up penalties and doesn't always pressure opposing goalkeepers with enough shots. Ahead lies a three-game road trip through Sochi, Novosibirsk, and Yaroslavl. The team has a great opportunity to secure four points and is ready to seize it. All key players are traveling, with only defenseman Grolow and forward Parker Foo still sidelined. Former Lada forward Ostap Safin did not make the cut during his trial, leading to the termination of his contract.
Match Results: Shanghai Dragons
🏒 Projected Lineups
Sochi: Tretiak - Heffernan, Volkov - Ellis, Bikmullin, Vengryzhanovsky
Shanghai Dragons: Kareev - Clendening, Valentsev - Merkley, Quinney, Rendulic
🥅 Goalkeepers
Sochi's primary goalie Samsonov, as previously mentioned, has suffered a minor injury. It's unlikely the coaching staff will take the risk of starting Samsonov at the end of the week. Therefore, we expect the 29-year-old Maxim Tretiak to be in goal once again, despite not achieving standout stats since 2016.
The situation is similar with the Dragons' main goalie Patrick Rybar. Given the recent injury to the Slovakian, the coaching staff is expected to rely on Andrei Kareev. Kareev performed well in a recent match against Severstal, stopping 91% of the shots from the "Steelers".
Editor's Prediction
In this season's first "New Derby," we're looking at a bet on the total over 5.5 goals. Recent head-to-head clashes between Sochi and Shanghai have showcased high scoring games. With Samsonov's injury and Tretjak's inconsistent goaltending, this bet seems justified. The "Dragons" continue to rack up penalties, which could benefit the agile Sochi offense led by Artur Tianulin. Meanwhile, Kevin Labanc and his teammates have started to find their rhythm in the KHL, improving their conversion rate.No comments
Betting Tips: Sochi - Shanghai Dragons
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