SKA St. Petersburg vs Sibir Novosibirsk Prediction 22 October 2026
🔊 Andrei Razin’s tenure at SKA began with a defeat. The St. Petersburg side fell to Avtomobilist, despite keeping their hopes alive until the closing minutes. The coaching change has yet to spark a turnaround for the Red Army club: they have now lost six straight games, and their goalless drought has become the longest in the club’s KHL history. Up next are Sibir, who have also struggled to convert chances but have shown significant improvement at the back. Novosibirsk rarely win in St. Petersburg, but this time they have a real opportunity to capitalise on the hosts’ ongoing problems.
Each side claimed victory on home turf.
📊 Last regular season, the teams traded home wins-SKA triumphed in Saint Petersburg, while Sibir responded with a victory in Novosibirsk. Despite splitting the games, Sibir edged the overall goal tally 6-4. Historically, though, trips to Saint Petersburg have rarely gone Sibir's way: since 2021, the Novosibirsk side have picked up two points here just once. There's another intriguing stat: over their last six head-to-head clashes, SKA have failed to win the opening period even once. For a team desperate to snap a rough patch, that’s a worrying trend.
Head-to-head statistics SKA St. Petersburg - Sibir Novosibirsk
Razin has yet to find the right words.
St. Petersburg opted for a coaching change after suffering their fifth straight defeat, appointing Andrei Razin as head coach. However, Razin’s debut also ended in disappointment. The team’s finishing, in particular, remains a pressing issue. Despite ranking among the Western Conference’s top five teams in expected goals (2.77 xG), SKA have struggled to convert their chances in recent outings. Their goalless drought has now stretched to 160 minutes and 53 seconds-a new club anti-record in the KHL, surpassing the previous mark of 140 minutes and 3 seconds. Razin’s first game saw new line combinations and, for the first time this season, four complete forward units listed on the game sheet. Artem Vilchinsky and German Suzdorf made their KHL debuts, but the coaching staff had to make do without Bardakov, Weissbach, Goldobin, Larionov, and Murphy.
The clash with Avtomobilist proved challenging from the start for SKA. The visitors controlled play in the opening period and broke the deadlock early in the second through Alexander Kadeykin. SKA responded by seizing the initiative and hemming their opponents in for extended stretches. Vladislav Syomin finally ended the team’s lengthy scoring drought with a powerful shot to level the score. In the third period, St. Petersburg created several chances to take the lead: Vasily Atanasov threatened while shorthanded, Nikita Dishkovsky came close to scoring, and Vasily Glotov struck the post. But with just 73 seconds remaining, Semyon Tarasov finished off a counterattack for Avtomobilist, who then sealed the win with an empty-netter-1:3 the final score. SKA led in offensive zone time (16:30 to 11:05) and faceoffs (30:20), but trailed in shots on goal (28:34). Despite numerous opportunities, it was the visitors who ultimately claimed victory once again.
Match Results: SKA St. Petersburg
The defense keeps the team afloat
Sibir remain in the hunt for a playoff spot, although their October schedule has yet to pit Yaroslav Lyuzenkov’s side against the league’s elite. Even so, goals have been hard to come by for the Novosibirsk club. At home against Barys, Sibir fired 31 shots on target and had five power play opportunities, but failed to find the net, falling 0-1. Tellingly, defenseman Darren Dietz still leads the team in goals with five. On the defensive end, however, things look more solid: Sibir have conceded no more than two goals in each of their last five games, averaging just 1.6 goals against over that stretch. Injuries remain an issue as well-Abramov, Valitov, Vorobyov, and Osipov are all sidelined, while Beck and Gordeev have been placed on waivers.
Sibir opened their four-game road trip in Moscow against Dynamo. The hosts dominated in shots on goal (39-25) and were overwhelming in the faceoff circle (39-12). By the start of the third period, Sibir trailed by two, but managed to claw their way back. Alexander Yaremtchuk first converted on the power play off a pass from Maxim Kosolapov, then struck again late after Sibir pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. Overtime settled nothing, but in the shootout, Stepan Nikulin scored the only successful attempt. Anton Krasotkin turned aside 37 shots to help Sibir escape Moscow with two points (3-2). The visitors withstood heavy pressure, spending most of the game playing catch-up.
Match Results: Sibir Novosibirsk
Prediction for the 1st period
SKA have struggled to take early leads for quite some time. In seven of their last eight outings, the Army Men have failed to win the opening period, and at home, this trend has held in eight of their previous nine games. Sibir have also proven adept at containing the St. Petersburg side early on: in their last six head-to-head clashes, SKA have never gone into the first intermission ahead. Given the hosts’ current issues converting chances, it’s hard to expect this pattern to change quickly. The bet - Sibir to avoid defeat in the first period at odds of 1.60.
Match Result Prediction
Even a change of head coach has yet to halt SKA’s poor run of form. The St. Petersburg side have now gone eight consecutive games without a regulation-time win, losing each of their last six outings. In contrast, Sibir are coming off a dramatic victory over Dynamo Moscow, having rallied from a two-goal deficit. While the head-to-head record in Saint Petersburg certainly favours the hosts, SKA’s recent performances raise serious doubts about their ability to get the job done inside 60 minutes. The bet: Sibir to avoid defeat in regulation at odds of 2.10.
⭐️ Editorial Prediction
SKA are creating chances, but converting them into goals remains a challenge. Even after appointing Andrei Razin, the St. Petersburg side managed just one goal against Avtomobilist. This isn’t an isolated issue: SKA have scored fewer than four goals in each of their last six games. That trend has also held up in their head-to-head clashes with Sibir, with seven of the past eight meetings featuring SKA netting under four times. Meanwhile, Sibir are looking solid at the back. Over their previous five outings, they have conceded just 1.6 goals per game on average, never allowing more than two in a single match. In Moscow, Sibir faced 39 shots on target but still came away with the win. SKA will surely try to be more aggressive under their new coach, but there’s little reason to expect a sudden surge in scoring. My pick: SKA individual total under 3.5 goals.
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Betting Tips: SKA St. Petersburg - Sibir Novosibirsk
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