CSKA vs SKA St. Petersburg Prediction
📣 The "Army Derby" rolls on. With CSKA leading the series 3-1, the action shifts to Moscow. Can SKA turn the tide in this matchup? Let's dive into the details.
Head-to-Head
During the regular season, the "Army Men" faced off four times, exchanging two victories each. The edge, however, went to the team from St. Petersburg, as both of their wins came in regulation time. In playoff encounters, CSKA hold the upper hand; the last time Moscow fell to the "Army Men from Neva" in the postseason was during the 2014/2015 campaign. Overall, the victories are perfectly balanced: 57 wins for the hosts and 57 for the visitors. On Sunday, St. Petersburg failed twice to contain Denis Gurianov in the second period, and in the final stretch of the game, they conceded a five-minute penalty. Igor Larionov's squad couldn't break through Dmitry Gamzin late in the third period and fell in a crucial match with a 2-4 scoreline.
H2H Stats Matches and Previous Teams Results
CSKA Moscow Team Overview
CSKA had a solid regular season, securing home-ice advantage for the first playoff round. Igor Nikitin's team made the most of this edge, clinching two home victories to kick off the series. While Nikitin is known for his defensive style, he occasionally instructs his players to press forward and keep the opposition from controlling the puck, as was evident in Sunday's game. Statistically, Nesterov and his teammates allow just 1.97 goals per game at home. Offensively, Poltapov and company average 2.69 goals on their home ice. Notably, throughout the series, the Moscow side has not allowed SKA to score more than twice against Gamzin. Ahead of the fifth match, Provornov and Kamenev remain unavailable, and Denis Zernov's participation is uncertain.
Match Results: CSKA Moscow
SKA St. Petersburg Team Overview
SKA faced challenges in the first half of the season but managed to string together several winning streaks in February and March. These victories weren't enough to secure a top-four finish, but they did help avoid matchups with the top two teams in the West. Igor Larionov's coaching staff includes well-known KHL figures like Leonid Tambiev and Boris Mironov. Tambiev, who specializes in defensive play, has yet to find a way to counter Moscow's hockey players effectively. Goldobin and his teammates average 2.64 goals per away game, but the defense, led by Andrei Pedan, remains vulnerable, conceding an average of 2.69 goals per match on the road. Notably, SKA failed to score in the first period in seven of their last eight away games. Murphy, Zykov, Zaitsev, and Koledov remain sidelined for the visitors, complicating their comeback efforts.
Match Results: SKA St. Petersburg
🏒 Projected Lineups
CSKA: Gamzin - Nesterov, Hollowell - Guryanov, Karnaukhov, Drozdov
SKA: Pleshkov - Pedan, Zelenov - Khayrullin, Plotnikov, Goldobin
🥅 Goalkeepers
Dmitry Gamzin has been a standout for CSKA this regular season, appearing in 40 games and posting an impressive goals-against average of 1.49, along with 8 shutouts. Samonov stands ready to step in if needed. In the fourth playoff match, Gamzin turned away 20 shots from the St. Petersburg side.
Artemiy Pleshkov has shared the netminding duties with Ivanov, ensuring both are ready to support each other at any moment. After Ivanov's two starting appearances, it's likely that Artemiy will return to guard the net. In his first game against CSKA, the young goaltender faced an astonishing 43 shots from the Moscow team.
⭐ Editorial Prediction
Considering that CSKA consistently limits their opponents' scoring in the second period (in 12 of their last 13 home games), we foresee a low-scoring affair on Tuesday. We anticipate that the "Army Men" will either contain the Saint Petersburg side in their usual style or maintain puck possession in their opponent's half, denying Goldobin and his teammates opportunities against Gamzin. Based on this analysis and the current trend, we suggest betting on under 1.5 goals in the second period.
Betting Tips: CSKA Moscow - SKA St. Petersburg
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