Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs Amur Khabarovsk Prediction 20 February 2026
🔊 Metallurg faced back-to-back defeats for the first time this season at the end of last week. However, it's too soon to call this a crisis for Andrey Razin's squad, especially with the schedule in their favor: three consecutive games against Eastern Conference underdogs. Can Amur break their nine-year drought against the Magnitogorsk side in the regular season of the KHL? We analyze the February 20 matchup and offer our prediction.
Head-to-Head
📊 Over the past three seasons, Metallurg and Amur have faced off 11 times in the regular season: the Ural side have claimed victory in eight games, while the Far Eastern team have won three. "Magnitka" are on a three-game winning streak against the "Tigers," and Khabarovsk have been unable to secure an away win in regulation time since 2017-spanning 11 regular-season encounters.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
Metallurg Magnitogorsk Team Overview
Following their first losing streak of the season, albeit just two games, Metallurg quickly bounced back with a victory over Barys (3-2 OT). The Magnitogorsk side have long secured their playoff spot, and their success in Kazakhstan has now guaranteed them home-ice advantage in the first-round series. "Magnitka" remain the highest-scoring team in the KHL, netting 221 goals with an average of 4.02 goals per game.
On their home ice, Metallurg have only lost four games in the 2025/26 season-all against teams from the Eastern Conference playoff zone. The Khabarovsk team are not yet in the top eight. At home, the "Foxes" also lead in scoring, averaging 4.14 goals per game at the "Arena Metallurg".
After a heavy defeat in Yekaterinburg (1-8), Andrey Razin had to make adjustments in Astana. He made several changes: defenseman Danila Palivko was left out and replaced by Alexander Siryatsky, while 19-year-olds Mikhail Fyodorov and Igor Nechayev were rested. Derek Barach and Daniil Vovchenko were added to the line with Sergey Tolchinsky.
Match Results: Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Amur Khabarovsk Team Overview
After defeating Admiral 3-0 and Sibir 2-1 in overtime, Khabarovsk recorded back-to-back away victories for the first time since late November. Their success in Novosibirsk keeps Alexander Andrievsky's team in the playoff race, although they still trail the top eight by a significant seven points.
Interestingly, the "Tigers" have won both of their away games in February, despite not securing a single victory in five matches in January. Amur's away games are among the highest-scoring in the East, averaging 5.2 goals per game, although their matches, regardless of location, are the least high-scoring, with an average of 4.9.
The Amur coaching staff made no changes following their shutout win in Vladivostok, and the current lineups continue to deliver results. Defenseman Roman Abrosimov remains sidelined due to injury.
Match Results: Amur Khabarovsk
⚡️ Leaders
Among the top ten scorers of the KHL season, Metallurg boasts two standout players. Roman Kantserov (55 points, 30+25) leads the goal-scoring race, being the first in the league to hit the 30-goal mark this season. Vladimir Tkachev (59, 11+48) tops the tournament's assist chart. Alexander Petunin has scored in seven of his last eight games (1+7), while Ruslan Iskhakov has registered points in five of seven matches (5+3).
In Novosibirsk, Amur's leading scorer Yaroslav Likhachev (32 points, 19+13) saw his scoring streak come to an end-prior to facing Sibir, he had been on a seven-game point streak. Danil Yurtaikin, with 23 assists, is Amur's top playmaker this season, although he has only managed three points in 11 games since joining the team. Alex Broadhurst has found the net in two consecutive games.
🥅 Goalies
Despite conceding eight goals against Avtomobilist, Magnitka's coaching staff once again entrusted Alexander Smolin with the starting role in Astana. The 22-year-old goalie did not disappoint, making 36 saves with a 94.7% save percentage and even assisting on the overtime winner. Ilya Nabokov, his peer, is always ready to step in if needed.
Maxim Dorozhko delivered a shutout against the "Sailors" and stopped 96.6% of shots against the "Snowmen" in his last two outings. For the first time since early December, the goalie recorded back-to-back games with a save percentage over 95. Thanks to these performances, Dorozhko is closing in on the top 10 in terms of saves.
Editor's Prediction
In the past two seasons, Amur have only managed to win three or more consecutive games on three occasions. Interestingly, every third game in such a winning streak ended with at least six goals scored. This season, Metallurg have hosted seven matches in Magnitogorsk against KHL underdogs-teams outside the top eight in each conference-and have secured victories in all seven (six in regulation time), with each game featuring at least six goals scored. It's a tough challenge for the league's weaker teams in the Urals, so we are opting for total goals over 5.5 in the match.
Betting Tips: Metallurg Magnitogorsk - Amur Khabarovsk
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