Shanghai Dragons vs Ak Bars Kazan Prediction 16 October 2026

The Shanghai Dragons made a strong start to the season, but October has proven far more challenging when it comes to picking up points. Mitch Love’s side suffered just two defeats throughout September, but they have already matched that tally in only four games this month. The Dragons currently sit sixth in the Western Conference with 17 points from 13 matches. Recent fixtures have highlighted their struggles at the start of games: they lost in overtime to Severstal (1-2) and couldn’t complete a comeback against Dinamo Minsk (2-3). Notably, four of the five goals in those clashes with the Minsk and Moscow Dinamos came in the third period. While the team shows an ability to rally as the game progresses, they too often find themselves forced to recover from early mistakes.

The meeting with Traktor (2-6) was nothing short of disastrous for the Dragons right from the opening minutes. By the fifth minute, the hosts were down 0-3, conceding twice on penalties to Sam Petan and Dylan Ottenbreit just 22 seconds apart. Amir Miftakhov was pulled, making way for Dmitry Khomchenko in goal. The second period almost saw a dramatic turnaround as Dmitrij Jaskin and Borna Chen capitalized on back-to-back power plays, cutting the deficit to one in just 48 seconds. But instead of finding an equalizer, the Dragons were caught on the counter and conceded again. In the final period, the hosts pressed hard-racking up 40 shots on goal-but couldn’t add to their tally. Traktor sealed the win with an empty-netter. After a game like this, Love has plenty to ponder: his team created enough chances, but ultimately paid the price for a disastrous start.

Ak Bars continue to struggle, unable to halt their slide in form. Four consecutive defeats in Kazan have been particularly painful, especially with Sochi among their recent opponents. In each of those games, Anvar Gatiyatullin’s side managed no more than two goals. Their defensive issues are just as concerning. Severstal scored four times, despite not peppering the net with shots, and Sochi also needed few chances to come away with a win. Against this backdrop, a trip to Saint Petersburg looks like a major test. The Kazan club have yet to win on the road in regulation this season, and their home woes have only increased the pressure on the squad.

Against Sochi (2-3), Ak Bars conceded as early as the sixth minute when Timur Khafizov finished off a quick counter from the visitors. Shortly before the first intermission, Artur Gizdatullin doubled the lead. Kazan struggled to find a response until the 39th minute, when Semyon Terekhov converted a feed from Grigory Denisenko. But instead of building momentum, the hosts were hit by a five-minute major to Kirill Semyonov. Sochi capitalized on the power play, restoring their two-goal cushion. In the 54th minute, Andrei Stas intercepted a poor pass and netted his first goal for Ak Bars, finally snapping the team’s power play drought. That was as close as the hosts came, despite outshooting Sochi 32-22. Kazan once again generated more chances but were undone by an opponent who made theirs count.