Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk vs Lada Prediction 23 September 2026
🔊 Neftekhimik made an impressive start to the season, but a tough schedule quickly pitted them against two of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders. The result? Back-to-back defeats, snapping a five-game points streak. Lada, meanwhile, are facing far bigger issues: the Togliatti side have dropped six of their last seven games, though they finally showed some real improvement in their performance in Kazan. One positive for the visitors: they’ve come out on top in each of their last three head-to-head clashes with Neftekhimik.
The opening goal in this matchup is especially crucial.
📊 In each of the last five head-to-head clashes, the team that scored first went on to win. Recently, Lada have made the most of this advantage-Tolyatti’s side are riding a three-game winning streak. The teams met twice last season, with the automakers coming out on top both times-4-1 and 2-1. On average, their matchups have produced 5.8 goals per game.
Head-to-head statistics Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk - Lada
Neftekhimik falter during a challenging stretch
Igor Grishin’s side went unbeaten in regulation through their opening five games. Even their sole setback in that stretch was a tough pill to swallow: against the Shanghai Dragons, Neftekhimik raced out to a 3-0 lead, only to fall in overtime, 4-5. That run also featured a solid win over Avtomobilist (3-1), with Neftekhimik edging their opponents on expected goals (2.8 to 2.6). However, the schedule soon took a turn for the worse. First, Salavat Yulaev shut out the Wolves (0-2), and then Neftekhimik left Magnitogorsk empty-handed.
Yet their most recent match actually started brightly for Neftekhimik. Matvey Zaseda found the net inside the opening minute of his first appearance this season, and after Metallurg equalized, German Tochilkin restored the visitors’ lead. The momentum shifted after the break: Magnitogorsk ramped up the tempo and struck three times in the second period. Igor Grishin admitted that after conceding two quick goals, his team lost confidence, struggled to control possession, and spent much of the game on the back foot. Injuries forced significant lineup changes as well: Yaroslav Ozolin, Nikita Khoruzhev, Ilya Pastukhov, Timur Khayrullin, and Artur Tyanyulin all missed the previous game, and heading into the matchup with Lada, Pastukhov, Khoruzhev, Tyanyulin, and Khayrullin remain on the injury list.
Match Results: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
Lada have finally shown signs of life
Six defeats in seven games have left Togliatti in a tough spot, with their offense struggling in particular. Over this opening stretch, Lada have managed to score just 12 goals. Things looked even bleaker before the trip to Kazan: Barys routed the team 6-0, allowing them only seven shots on target. Against that backdrop, the clash with Ak Bars marked real progress-Lada twice came from behind to level the score and earned a point, falling short only in overtime (2-3).
The improvement was evident in their performance on the ice. Togliatti matched Ak Bars shot-for-shot-31 apiece-and even edged their hosts in attacking time (16:27 versus 14:26). Evgeny Groshev opened his account for the season in his first game for Lada, while Nikita Mikhailov tied it up just nine seconds into the third period after a steal and assist from Nikita Setdikov. After the game, Pavel Zubov highlighted the team’s response to the 0-6 defeat and just seven shots on goal against Barys, insisting his players deserved both points in Kazan. Still, victory slipped away yet again-this marks Lada’s third overtime loss of the season.
Match Results: Lada
⚡️ Key Players
Andrei Belozerov leads Neftekhimik in scoring with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 7 games and boasts a +2 plus-minus rating. Close behind is Rafael Bikmullin, who has tallied 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) and sits at +1. Artur Tianulin has also recorded 5 points in 6 appearances, leading this trio in goals with 3, along with 2 assists.
Lada have two forwards tied at the top of their scoring chart with 7 points each. Riley Sawchuk has found the net 5 times and added 2 assists in 7 games, while Nikita Mikhailov has posted the same total but with a reverse split-1 goal and 6 assists. Nikita Setdikov has contributed 6 points (1 goal, 5 assists) across 7 outings. In Kazan, it was the Setdikov-Mikhailov connection that delivered Lada’s second goal.
🥅 Goaltenders
Yaroslav Ozolin kicked off the campaign with three straight wins for Neftekhimik. Over 180 minutes, he allowed just 3 goals on 97 shots, posting a stellar .969 save percentage and a goals-against average of 1.00. Filipp Dolganov has featured in four games, picking up one win against three losses, with a .901 save percentage and a 3.25 GAA. He also registered one shutout.
For Lada, Nikita Podskrebalin has started five games, recording one win and three losses. His numbers: an .893 save percentage and a 3.24 GAA. Andrei Mishurov has played four games without a win and three defeats, turning aside .872 of shots faced for a 3.96 GAA. Mishurov was between the pipes in the recent clash against Ak Bars, stopping 28 of 31 shots.
⭐️ Editor’s Prediction
It’s tough to expect consistent offensive output from Lada at this stage. Over seven games, they’ve managed just 12 goals, and after being shut out by Barys, they only found the net twice against Ak Bars. In their last two outings, no more than five goals have been scored in total.
Neftekhimik have also been involved in low-scoring affairs, with four of their last five games finishing under the total. After back-to-back defeats, Neftekhimik’s priority will be to rediscover the disciplined hockey that helped them pick up points early in the campaign, while Lada’s attack still gives little reason to expect a goal fest. Several statistical trends point in the same direction here. My pick is under 6 goals.
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Betting Tips: Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk - Lada
in 8 of last 9 home games against Lada (KHL).in 13 of last 15 home games (KHL).in 7 of last 8 games (KHL).in 17 of last 18 away games (KHL).
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