SOCHI, Russia (Interstat) — Two teams mired at the bottom of the Kontinental Hockey League standings will seek a rare victory when the Sochi Hockey Club hosts the Shanghai Dragons on Monday at Bolshoy Ice Dome.

The matchup in Nizhneimeretinskaya Bukhta features clubs with a combined 32 wins this season. Sochi (14-31-0) sits in last place in the league’s overall table, while Shanghai (18-29-0) is just four positions above.

Despite their records, both teams have shown sporadic bursts of competitiveness. Sochi stunned league powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg 8-4 on Dec. 28 and edged them again 2-1 on the road Jan. 16. Shanghai has lost eight of its last nine, but its two victories in that span were a 2-0 shutout of Amur Khabarovsk on Jan. 7 and a 3-2 win over Lada Togliatti on Jan. 5.

A key player for Shanghai is forward Nick Merkley, who has been a bright spot during the team’s slump. Merkley has recorded points in six of his last ten games, including four goals and three assists, while consistently generating shots on net.

Sochi will look to forward Daniil Seroukh, who scored the team’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Saturday. He has been a recent offensive catalyst for a club that has been shut out three times in January.

The teams last met on Nov. 15, 2025, with Sochi securing a 4-2 home victory over Shanghai, which was then listed as Red Star Kunlun. Shanghai’s most recent result was a 6-1 road loss to Dinamo Minsk on Saturday.

Following Monday’s contest, the teams will quickly meet again in a rematch in Shanghai on Friday, Jan. 30.

The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. local time start.