MAGNITOGORSK, Russia (Interstat) — Two of the Kontinental Hockey League’s early-season contenders will face off Thursday when Barys Astana visits Metallurg Magnitogorsk at Arena Metallurg.

The matchup pits a surging Barys squad (3-1-0) against a formidable Metallurg (3-1-1) team on its home ice. The hosts enter the contest with significant momentum after a decisive 5-2 road victory over Severstal Cherepovets on Tuesday. Yegor Korobkin, Nikita Mikhailis and Nikita A. Korotkov were key contributors in that win.

Barys is also riding high off a powerful offensive performance, having defeated Dynamo Moscow 5-2 on Monday. Forwards Dinmukhamed Kaiyrzhan, Mason Morelli and Vyacheslav Kolesnikov led the charge in that victory. Despite the win, Barys has shown a tendency for close games, with two of their three wins coming in either overtime or a shootout.

Statistical models heavily favor the home team. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 3-2 victory for Metallurg, while its ELO rating system gives Magnitogorsk an 86.2% probability of winning.

Following this contest, Metallurg will remain at home to host CSKA Moscow on Sunday. Barys continues its road trip, traveling to face Severstal Cherepovets on Saturday.