Preview: CSKA Moscow at Barys Astana

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (Interstat) — Two Kontinental Hockey League teams heading in opposite directions meet Saturday when CSKA Moscow visits Barys Astana at Barys Arena.

CSKA (22-24-0) arrives looking to rebound from a narrow 2-1 road loss to Avangard Omsk on Thursday. Despite that defeat, the Moscow-based army club has won six of its last nine games. Forward Prokhor Poltapov has been a driving force, recording five goals and three assists in his last six contests. He scored CSKA’s lone goal in the loss to Avangard.

Barys (15-31-0) is mired in a prolonged slump, having lost eight consecutive games. The Kazakh club was last victorious on Dec. 30, a 4-2 win over Avangard Omsk. Its most recent outing was a 1-0 home loss to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Thursday, extending a concerning offensive drought. Forward Mason Morelli, a key offensive contributor, has been held without a point during the current eight-game skid after notching a goal and an assist in that Dec. 30 victory.

The statistical service Interstat projects a 3-1 victory for the visiting CSKA squad.

This matchup opens a home-and-home series between the clubs, who will meet again in Moscow on Jan. 22. For Barys, the game kicks off a three-game homestand before a lengthy road trip. CSKA continues a stretch of road games before returning home next week.

While CSKA holds the superior record, Barys will look to leverage home ice in an attempt to snap its losing streak. The focus for the hosts will be generating offense against a CSKA team that has found a more consistent form in recent weeks, largely behind the hot hand of Poltapov.