Ak Bars Kazan vs Torpedo Prediction 21 October 2026

Kazan continue to struggle with consistency on home ice, unable to string together a series of strong performances in front of their fans. In October, Anvar Gatiyatullin’s side dropped four out of six games at home, including another stumble against Sochi (2-3). However, things have looked brighter on the road: Ak Bars first edged out the Shanghai Dragons in overtime (3-2), then convincingly dispatched Dinamo Minsk. That win lifted the team to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, with 19 points from 17 games. Still, offensive production remains a concern-Kazan are averaging just 2.4 goals per game, tallying 41 times all season. The attack could get a boost from Denis Zernov, who has already registered three points (1+2) since joining the club. Artem Galimov will be sidelined due to injury.

In Minsk, Ak Bars conceded first-Dinamo needed just 31 seconds of power play time to open the scoring. The visitors responded before the midway point of the opening period, with Albert Yarullin jumping into the rush to finish off a feed from Kirill Semyonov. Shortly before the break, Zernov netted his first goal for Kazan after Grigory Denisenko’s battle behind the net. In the second period, Alexei Byvaltsev broke away on the counter and fooled the goaltender with a fake pass to the far post. Mitchell Miller sealed the 4-1 win with an empty-netter. Despite scoring four times, Ak Bars managed just 25 shots on target and posted an expected goals mark of 2.2-outperforming their underlying numbers. Replicating that kind of finishing at home will be a tough ask.

Torpedo remain among the Western Conference frontrunners, currently sitting fourth with 21 points from 16 games. Under Alexei Isakov, the team rarely endures prolonged slumps-this season, they've only lost back-to-back games once. Recently, the Nizhny Novgorod side nearly halted Metallurg’s run, falling short only in overtime (2-3), before edging past Dynamo Moscow in a high-scoring affair (5-4). Torpedo’s real strength lies not so much in attack, but in their defensive discipline. Allowing just 2.1 goals per game on average, they are one of the most reliable teams in the West. However, that defensive record offered little comfort in Cherepovets. Kostin’s availability for the upcoming fixture remains uncertain.

Severstal struck early, taking the lead just 25 seconds after the opening faceoff and building a two-goal cushion by the first intermission. Torpedo tried to respond with attacking play, but the hosts proved more clinical when it mattered. In the second period, Nizhny Novgorod increased the tempo, yet a turnover in the offensive zone led to a swift counter and Severstal’s third goal. The home side added another before the break. After conceding four goals, Dmitry Shugaev was replaced by Dmitry Dagestansky between the pipes. In the final frame, Bogdan Konyushkov converted Torpedo’s only power play opportunity with a shot under the bar, but that was as close as the visitors would get (1-4). Even as Torpedo pushed forward late on, they couldn’t turn the tide. Now, they head into their second straight road game.