Torpedo vs Shanghai Dragons Prediction 18 February 2026
📣 In their next regular season clash, Torpedo will face off against the Shanghai Dragons. Which team will be the first to break their losing streak? We'll find out on Wednesday.
Head-to-Head
This season, Western representatives have already clashed three times. The edge from these encounters goes to Torpedo, who secured two wins and earned a point from the sixty-minute regulation in the third match. It's intriguing how the scoring between the Shanghai and Nizhny Novgorod teams has ramped up over the season: in their first game, they only managed to score a single goal combined, but by their January meeting, they thrilled fans with nine goals. That January showdown in Nizhny Novgorod marked a turning point for the Dragons, as Mitch Love took the helm. Following a heavy 2-7 defeat, Mitch entered the locker room and delivered a motivational speech. Since then, the current visitors have tightened up their defense. Let's see how things unfold in the near future.
Head-to-head statistics Torpedo - Shanghai Dragons
Torpedo N. Novgorod Team Overview
Torpedo currently sit fifth in the Western Conference. Unlike the other top four teams, the Nizhny Novgorod side have yet to secure their playoff spot. Nonetheless, Alexey Isakov's squad is on the brink of clinching a top-eight finish. The head coach, who delivered impressive results with Gorky Torpedo in the VHL, has proven his mettle at this higher level. Last week, Torpedo didn't perform at their best, suffering three defeats. The absence of Denis Kostin and Vasily Atanasov due to illness likely played a role in this dip. It's worth noting that Torpedo's average scoring rate this season stands at 2.86 goals per game, with a better home record of about 3.07 goals per match. Defensively, led by Konyushkov, they occasionally falter, conceding 2.78 goals per game. With six home games remaining in the regular season, this could be an advantage for the team.
Match Results: Torpedo N. Novgorod
Shanghai Dragons Team Overview
The Shanghai Dragons find themselves in a tough spot. After a commanding victory over Sochi (5-2), the team has suffered five consecutive defeats, further complicating their playoff aspirations. In some ways, the Dragons are mirroring Kunlun's fate and are already mentally preparing for the offseason, where there's plenty of work ahead. Their average scoring on the road stands at just 2.45 goals per game, making it extremely challenging to overcome top-8 opponents. Coach Lava has managed to tighten up the defense (even with the absence of goalie Rybar and defenseman Harpur). However, sparking the offense from Labanc, Quinney, and other top-six forwards has proven elusive. The Dragons face a daunting five-game road trip ahead-can they possibly secure all 10 points on this away series? We leave that question unanswered.
Match Results: Shanghai Dragons
🏒 Projected Lineups
Torpedo: Kostin - Konyushkov, Zhuravlev - Atanasov, Tkachev, Vinogradov
Shanghai Dragons: Tikhomirov - Bischoff, Reilly - Labanc, Josephs, Sukese
🥅 Goalkeepers
Torpedo's goaltending duo last week featured Dmitry Shugaev and Dmitry Dagestansky. We anticipate that Denis Kostin will be between the pipes on Wednesday, as he hasn't been listed among the injured and likely has recovered. Kostin has been impressing fans for the second consecutive year, boasting a goals-against average of 2.06 after 37 games.
With Andrei Kareev and Patrik Rybar still on the injured list, the Dragons will rely on their Tikhomirov-Shikin tandem. The 30-year-old Tikhomirov has played 15 games for the Dragons this season, posting a somewhat average goals-against average of 2.77. In the matchup against CSKA, the goalie made 20 saves and faced minimal criticism on Sunday.
⭐ Editorial Prediction
For the upcoming match, we suggest a bet on Torpedo's individual total under 3.5 goals. Andrei Tikhomirov's performance in goal this February has been impressive, consistently maintaining a save percentage of 90%. Mitch Love has successfully tightened up the defense, with the Shanghai side effectively containing top-table opponents over the past two weeks. Considering Torpedo's slight dip in form and the fact that this bet has paid off in eight consecutive games for Nizhny Novgorod, this is a well-founded prediction.No comments
Betting Tips: Torpedo N. Novgorod - Shanghai Dragons
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