Game Preview: Barys vs. Ak Bars

Barys opens their second home series of September with a matchup against Ak Bars.

The Kazan side is coming off a tough home loss to Avangard (1–6). The lone goal came just 30 seconds in from newcomer Vladimir Alistrov. Both goalies dressed for the game saw ice time, with Mikhail Berdin and Timur Bilyalov combining for 35 saves. Head coach Anvar Gatiyatulin noted that his team is generating chances but struggling to finish.

Through seven games, Ak Bars has earned 5 points. Their top scorer is forward Kirill Semyonov (3+3). Defenseman Albert Yarullin remains sidelined with injury. Ahead of their trip to Astana, Ak Bars made a high-profile move, acquiring Alexander Khmelevskiy from Salavat Yulaev in exchange for defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk plus financial compensation.

Barys enters this game on a three-game losing streak. On Monday, the Kazakh team fell in overtime to Dinamo Minsk (0–1). It was their first game of the season without scoring, though they still picked up a point thanks largely to a stellar 42-save performance from Andrey Shutov. Head coach Mikhail Kravets said the result was acceptable, given that the team finished the game with a shortened lineup.

Currently, Barys has 7 points through 7 games. Michael Vecchione (3+5) leads the team in scoring. However, the injury list has grown with Alikhan Asetov sidelined, while captain Kirill Savitskiy will miss this game due to illness. Emil Galimov is also unavailable because of suspension.

Barys – Ak Bars puck drop: 7:30 PM Astana time.
Tickets are available at the Barys Arena box office and online at hcbarys.kz/tickets.
The game will be broadcast on KHL, KHL Prime and Qazsport.

General partner of HC Barys – JSC “Samruk-Kazyna”
Partner of HC Barys – Tourism and Sports Industry Support Fund

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