MOSCOW (Interstat) — Two historic rivals heading in opposite directions will meet Sunday when CSKA Moscow hosts SKA Saint Petersburg in a Kontinental Hockey League matchup at CSKA Ice Palace.

The home side enters with momentum, having won two straight and four of its last five to level its overall record at 25-25-0. CSKA is coming off a 4-2 victory over Dynamo Moscow on Wednesday, powered by multi-point nights from forwards Nikolai Kovalenko and Ivan Drozdov.

In contrast, SKA is mired in a deep slump. The team from Saint Petersburg has lost six consecutive games and eight of its last nine, plummeting to 20-21-1. Its most recent outing was a 4-0 shutout loss at Spartak Moscow on Friday. Over its last three games, SKA has been outscored 13-1.

The season series is split, with each team winning on the other’s ice. CSKA took a 4-3 decision in Saint Petersburg on Oct. 22, 2025, before SKA responded with a 4-1 win in Moscow on Nov. 24, 2025.

A key player to watch for CSKA is defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko, who logged four penalty minutes in the win over Dynamo. For SKA, forward Pavel Koledov will be relied upon to help spark a listless offense; he managed just one shot on goal and two hits over the last two losses.

The scheduling quirks add another layer, as this begins a critical home-and-home set. These same teams will meet again in Saint Petersburg on Saturday, Feb. 21.

CSKA will look to capitalize on home ice and solidify its playoff positioning, while SKA is in desperate need of a turnaround to stop its season from slipping away. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. local time.