Sochi vs Shanghai Dragons Prediction 26 January 2026
📣 This Monday marks the second installment of this season's "New Derby." HC Sochi will host the Shanghai Dragons at the Bolshoy Ice Dome. As two of the league's youngest teams, they often deliver high-scoring hockey in their head-to-head clashes, consistently thrilling fans. How will their encounter unfold this time? Find out in our prediction.
Head-to-Head
Last season, Sochi and the Dragons clashed sticks six times, each team securing three wins. The most thrilling encounter took place on November 15 at Sirius, yielding an impressive 11 goals. Former Kunlun excelled in special teams but ultimately fell short against the Leopards, losing 6-5 in overtime. Forward Timur Khafizov was named the standout player of the match, marking his best KHL season with 16 goals and 10 assists. This regular season, the teams have already met on Sochi's ice, where the hosts claimed a 4-2 victory. Yes, this was the very game where Max Ellis scored two points shortly after being traded from Shanghai.
Head-to-head statistics Sochi - Shanghai Dragons
Sochi Team Overview
Sochi sit at the bottom of the Western Conference, with just 14 wins since the start of the season. In their last five games, Dmitry Mikhailov's team managed only one victory, but what a win it was! They edged out SKA St. Petersburg on the road by the slimmest of margins, despite taking almost half as many shots on goal as the "Army Men." The southern team's average scoring rate is around 2 goals per game, while they concede nearly 3.5 goals per match. These stats currently keep the "Leopards" from even contending for the eighth spot in the West. Before the trade deadline, Sochi parted ways with defenseman Ibragimov and forward Avershin, while adding Petukhov and Khokhlov to the roster. Currently, Volkov and Vengryzhanovsky are on the injury list-significant losses for the team.
Match Results: Sochi
Shanghai Dragons Team Overview
The Shanghai Dragons are struggling to break their losing streak. Another defeat, this time against Minsk's Dinamo (1-6), raises serious concerns. While their scoring isn't too shabby, averaging 2.48 goals per game, the defense led by Clendening is a different story, conceding an average of 3.44 goals. Their away games are even more troubling, with the Dragons allowing nearly four goals per game. However, it's too early to completely write off the Chinese team. Ahead of the transfer deadline, the club's management managed to retain all their key players. Moreover, they brought in the experienced Dmitry Shikin to support Andrey Kareyev. The defensive line was previously bolstered by Vladislav Leontyev. New head coach Mitch Love is still finding his feet in the league, and in the upcoming three matches against Sochi, Mitch will aim to meet the expectations of fans and management alike.
Match Results: Shanghai Dragons
🏒 Probable Lineups
Sochi: Khomchenko - Heffernan, Machulin - Ellis, Khafizov, Popov
Shanghai Dragons: Kareev - Bischoff, Reilly - P.Fu, S.Fu, Sutter
🥅 Goalkeepers
Currently, Sochi's goaltending duo consists of Pavel Khomchenko and Ilya Samsonov. We expect the 31-year-old Khomchenko to start, as he has maintained a save percentage above 90% in three of his last four games. Over the course of 31 games, Khomchenko's goals against average stands at 2.80.
Patrick Rybar is sidelined with a significant injury, and Andrey Tikhomirov had a disappointing performance against Dynamo. It seems we'll be seeing more of the Kareev-Shikin tandem in the near future. Kareev hasn't been in top form often and has a less-than-stellar goals against average of 3.30 over 20 games.
⭐ Editorial Prediction
There is a strong likelihood that neither team will advance to the playoffs. Nevertheless, both are in search of a victory following a series of setbacks. Sochi have demonstrated their ability to challenge strong opponents, evidenced by their January victories over SKA and Moscow's Dynamo. In contrast, the Shanghai team cannot boast such achievements (since the start of the year, they have only managed to defeat the modest Amur and Lada). Dragons' head coach Mitch Love is still finding his footing in the league, and it's unlikely his team will significantly alter their on-ice strategy in the next couple of games. Given this context, a bet on Sochi's double chance (1X) seems reasonable. The fact is, the Shanghai side have failed to win in regulation time for nine consecutive away matches.No comments
Betting Tips: Sochi - Shanghai Dragons
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