Traktor Chelyabinsk vs Sibir Novosibirsk Prediction 26 October 2026

Chelyabinsk have now picked up points in four consecutive games, though their wins have come in different fashions. On the road against Neftekhimik and Avangard, they needed extra time, but Scott Gordon’s side kicked off their home stand with a confident victory over Ak Bars. That result was especially important for Traktor, as their offense had been struggling throughout October-scoring more than two goals in just two of their previous seven outings. Against Kazan, however, they broke through that barrier, with Nathan Légaré snapping his goal drought dating back to October 2. The addition of Andrei Chivilyov, acquired from Lada in exchange for Alexei Rykmanov, should also bolster their finishing. The newcomer has already taken part in his first training session and says he’s ready to face Sibir, though his involvement remains uncertain. Kravtsov and Rykov remain sidelined through injury.

In their clash with Ak Bars, Traktor put Maxim Arefyev under pressure from the opening faceoff but couldn’t find the net in the first period. The breakthrough came in the second frame, as the hosts struck twice in four and a half minutes-first Légaré muscled his way through the crease before Ivan Vydrenkov rifled one home from the blue line. Chelyabinsk missed a golden opportunity to extend their lead, failing to capitalize on a five-on-three power play, leaving the outcome still in question. Ak Bars narrowed the deficit early in the third after winning an offensive-zone faceoff, but Légaré sealed the win with an empty-netter to complete his brace (3-1). Traktor dominated the shot count by a wide margin-41 to 20-and also led on faceoffs (28 to 21). Gordon’s men delivered one of their most convincing home performances in recent memory.

Sibir have found themselves repeatedly forced to chase games after early mistakes. In the five matches leading up to their clash with Metallurg, the Novosibirsk side conceded 13 goals-eight of which came in the opening periods. The game against SKA was a prime example: by the eighth minute, the visitors were already ahead 3-1, but Sibir still managed to head into the first intermission trailing 4-3. The issues go beyond just shaky starts. In terms of average expected goals allowed, Yaroslav Lyuzhenkov’s team rank among the bottom three in the East-conceding an average of 2.93 per game. Ahead of the Metallurg fixture, the coaching staff managed to address some of these problems, with Sibir keeping a clean sheet in the first period. However, defensive frailties resurfaced as the game progressed. The squad situation remains difficult as well: Abramov, Valitov, Vorobyov, and Osipov are all sidelined with injuries, while Beck is on waivers.

In Magnitogorsk, Sibir held out until the second period and even took the lead in the 23rd minute. But from there, the hosts took control. Metallurg fired 37 shots on target compared to Sibir’s 21 and ultimately cruised to a 5-1 victory. The previous meeting with SKA further exposed just how quickly Sibir can lose their grip on a match. In St. Petersburg, after conceding an early goal, Sibir responded with three strikes from Egor Korshkov, Sergei Popov, and Anton Kosolapov. Yet before the first intermission, SKA not only drew level but also moved ahead. The hosts added another goal in each of the next two periods to seal a 6-3 win. While SKA only held a slight edge in shots on goal-32 to 28-Sibir’s defensive lapses translated into six goals conceded. During the game, Mikhail Berdin was replaced by Anton Krasotkin in net. With such defensive inconsistency, Sibir will struggle to contain Traktor, who just registered 41 shots on target against Ak Bars.