Before the Barys vs. Neftekhimik match

In the second game of their home series, Barys will face Neftekhimik. The team from Nizhnekamsk will play in Astana following three consecutive losses. On Friday, Neftekhimik fell to Avtomobilist in Yekaterinburg (2:3), with Vyacheslav Leshchenko and Evgeny Mityakin scoring the goals. Goalkeepers Philipp Dolganov and Artem Zagidullin combined for 17 saves. Coach Oleg Leontyev noted that although the first period did not go well for his team, the players fought until the end.

In 23 games, Neftekhimik has earned 21 points. Andrei Belozerov (5+7) is the team’s top scorer from Tatarstan. Philipp Dolganov ranks in the top seven goalkeepers in the league for save percentage (93.2%). The injured list includes defenseman Roman Abrosimov and forwards Vladimir Bryukvin, Alexander Dergachyov, and Jean-Sebastien Dea.

In their last game, Barys failed to score against Jeremy Smith and lost to Kunlun (0:2). The Astana team managed only 19 shots on target, while Nikita Boyarkin made 29 saves, allowing only one goal for the third consecutive game. The second goal was scored into an empty net. Galym Mambetaliev mentioned that the team was under pressure, and in some situations, his players lacked composure.

The Kazakh team has 11 points after 20 games. Alikhan Omirbekov remains Barys' top scorer (3+4). Nikita Boyarkin, with a 92.7% save percentage, ranks eighth among goalkeepers in the league. Roman Starchenko and Viktor Antipin are still recovering from injuries, while Maxim Mukhametov has left the injured list. Andrei Shutov, who recently signed a three-year contract, has joined the team.

The teams have already met once this season. Two months ago, Neftekhimik won in Astana (2:1 in overtime).

The Barys vs. Neftekhimik game will start at 17:00 Astana time.

Tickets for the tournament games can be purchased at the Barys Arena box office and on our website hcbarys.kz/tickets.

The match will be broadcast live on KHL TV.

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