Sibir Novosibirsk vs Severstal Cherepovec Prediction 31 August 2026

Novosibirsk have shown significant improvement as the Blinov Cup has progressed. After a 5-2 defeat to Lokomotiv, the team bounced back quickly, dispatching Neftekhimik with a commanding 6-3 victory and firing six goals past their opponents. Sibir built a comfortable lead by the first intermission and only extended their advantage in the second period. Ilya Fedotov netted a brace, while Mikhail Orlov, Sergei Popov, Anton Kosolapov, and Nikita Smirnov each added a goal.

Despite the win, Yaroslav Lyuzhenkov voiced his dissatisfaction with how the team played in the final period. The tournament also saw the squad settle on their captain for the upcoming season: following a team meeting, the players selected Egor Alanov to wear the armband. The coaching staff continue to rotate the lineup-Evgeny Kuznetsov and Stepan Nikulin were rested for the previous game as they prepare for the next fixture.

Cherepovets head into their final game of the tournament fresh off a grueling battle with Lokomotiv, which ended in a 2-3 defeat. The team twice took the lead through goals from Egor Graf and Semyon Kizimov, but ultimately couldn’t hold on. Yaroslavl leveled the score each time before prevailing in the shootout, clinching both the match and the tournament title.

Now, Severstal face a quick turnaround, playing their second game in less than 24 hours. Such a demanding schedule inevitably takes a toll on the squad’s energy levels, especially after a contest that went all the way to penalties. Still, their performance against Lokomotiv demonstrated that Cherepovets are committed to their attacking brand of hockey-pushing forward relentlessly even against one of the tournament’s most disciplined sides.