SKA St. Petersburg vs CSKA Prediction 25 October 2026

Andrei Razin’s debut in Saint Petersburg came at a challenging time for the club. SKA had suffered six consecutive defeats, only snapping that streak in their second game under the new head coach. Notably, the team’s struggles haven’t been down to a lack of scoring. The Saint Petersburg side averages 3.2 goals per game and converts on 22.7% of their power plays-the sixth-best mark in the KHL. The offense is capable of maintaining a high tempo, but the same can’t yet be said for their defensive play. Razin has also been forced to reshuffle the lineup due to injuries, with Bardakov, Weissbach, Goldobin, Larionov, and Murphy all sidelined. In recent games, the coach has actively turned to young players, giving them a chance to prove themselves at the KHL level.

SKA’s clash with Sibir got off to a near-disastrous start. Amir Nugmanov opened the scoring just three minutes in-netting his first-ever KHL goal-but by the eighth minute, the hosts found themselves trailing 1-3. Razin replaced Artemy Pleshkov with Sergei Ivanov in goal, and gradually, SKA’s skaters wrestled back momentum. Before the first intermission, Vasily Glotov struck twice and Rocco Grimaldi put SKA ahead. Seven goals in the opening 17 minutes is a rare sight, even in the high-scoring KHL. Early in the second period, Valentin Zykov extended the lead, and in the third, Vasily Atanasov sealed the final score at 6-3. SKA converted on 21.4% of their shots on target, though they allowed Sibir 32 attempts to their own 28. Still, Ivanov kept a clean sheet after coming off the bench. Late on, Razin handed 17-year-old Daniil Savin his league debut, giving the youngster his first taste of KHL action.

Not long ago, CSKA looked like the most confident team in the Western Conference. Igor Nikitin’s side had put together a 12-game winning streak, only to suffer a surprise setback in the Moscow derby against Spartak (0-2). The Army Men outshot their rivals but couldn’t find the back of the net. For a long stretch, their defense and penalty kill had been standout strengths-CSKA’s opponents have failed to convert on the power play in four straight games, while the Muscovites themselves have largely avoided unnecessary penalties. Still, recent results show that even strong discipline doesn’t guarantee victory.

In Yekaterinburg, CSKA started their matchup against Avtomobilist just as a title contender should. Dmitry Buchelnikov opened the scoring in the third minute, capitalizing on high-pressure forechecking in the offensive zone. That goal marked his 50th in the KHL. The visitors controlled the opening period but failed to capitalize on two power plays. After the break, Avtomobilist raised their game and pulled level; by the third period, the hosts had seized the initiative. By the 49th minute, CSKA were trailing 1-3. Prokhor Poltapov managed to put the puck in the net, but after video review, the goal was disallowed for a high stick. Late on, Nikitin took a gamble by pulling his goalie for an extra skater, but CSKA conceded twice into an empty net and fell 1-5. Alexander Samonov stopped just 84.2% of shots faced. Up next for CSKA is a clash with an opponent who just put six past Sibir.