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Leading Eastern Conference team displaying their skills on the ice.

Home-bound SKA of St. Petersburg concludes its initial week of the year by hosting Metallurg. Can the Ural squad halt the winning streak of the triumphant Arlington team? Insights from the IronWin experts' predictions are available for perusal.

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3 min read
Home match for Saint Petersburg's SKA against Metallurg to wrap up the initial week of the year....
Home match for Saint Petersburg's SKA against Metallurg to wrap up the initial week of the year. Can Ural's team halt the winning run of the Army Men? Check out the forecast from the pros at IronWin.

Leading Eastern Conference team displaying their skills on the ice.

Sunday Showdown in the KHL's Ice Palace

Gear up for an intense clash, as the St. Petersburg Ice Palace hosts SKA and Eastern Conference powerhouse Magnitogorsk Metallurg on Sunday at 17:00 Moscow time.

  1. SKA - The Army Men
  2. Metallurg - The Steel Kings
  3. Recent Stats
  4. Betting Odds
  5. Predictions

SKA - The Army Men

The current season for SKA can be divided into two phases. In the initial two months, the team struggled with poor performance both offensively and defensively. However, it became clear that these issues were temporary, as injured players returned, newcomers adapted, and the team began to climb up the rankings.

SKA had a remarkable eleven-game winning streak in November, which ended in a shootout loss in Yekaterinburg. Following that defeat, they went on to win 7 out of 8 games, with their 2024 starting off with a dominant 6-1 victory against Vityaz. Currently, SKA stands third in the Western Conference with 63 points, just three points behind the leading Spartak. Over the last 20 games, SKA has been the most dominant team in the league, earning 37 out of 40 possible points.

Metallurg - The Consistent Steelworkers

Metallurg has showed a more consistent performance throughout the regular season, managing to avoid prolonged losing streaks. The team's only major setback came at the end of October with a five-game losing streak. Notably, Head Coach Andrei Razin successfully eradicated the academicism that had troubled the team in the previous season. Currently, Metallurg ranks third in the league in terms of scoring, just one goal behind SKA and Spartak. There isn't a standout leader in the team, with nine players boasting over 20 points in productivity. The most prolific player in Metallurg's lineup is 20-year-old Daniil Yurov, with 32 points, ranking him 25th in the overall championship scoring table.**

Road Warriors

Metallurg managed to score a crucial away victory against the Sochi Metallurg during 2024's first game, after trailing 0-2 in the first period. Goals from Yurov and Eremenko sent the game into overtime, where Denis Zernov sealed the win with the decisive goal. This road victory, combined with Avangard's defeat, strengthened Metallurg's lead in the Eastern Conference.

Statistics

Since the 2016/17 season, Metallurg hasn't lost in St. Petersburg for eight consecutive games, winning by more than one goal each time. A Metallurg victory with a (+1.5) handicap is currently priced at 1.72. The last season's game in St. Petersburg finished 4-3, highlighting the intense rivalry between these teams. In their single head-to-head match during the current season on December 3 in Magnitogorsk, the game ended 2-2 in a shootout, favoring the visiting team.

Betting Odds

The bookmakers have taken note of SKA's stunning form, particularly in home games, leading to a seemingly fair coefficient of 1.88 for SKA's victory in regular time. Metallurg's chances of success are much slimmer, with a coefficient of 3.5 for their win. A repeat of the last match's overtime scenario can be wagered with a coefficient of 4.1. Ligastavok forecasts a high-scoring game, with O4.5 available at a coefficient of 1.68, and U4.5 available at 2.44.**

Predictions

The Army Men have been unstoppable at home following the winter break, winning all four matches with a resounding 23-5 goal difference. Metallurg barely managed to defeat a weaker opponent in Sochi. Based on these stats, our prediction is a SKA victory in regular time with a coefficient of 1.88.

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  1. Despite SKA's impressive home record, Metallurg has remained undefeated in St. Petersburg for eight consecutive games, wining by more than one goal each time.
  2. In the NHL, one might compare the intensity of Sunday's KHL match between SKA and Metallurg to that of a hockey game between two powerhouse teams.

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