ASTANA, Kazakhstan (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Tuesday when the Kontinental Hockey League’s top team visits its cellar dweller as Metallurg Magnitogorsk faces Barys Astana at Barys Arena.

Metallurg (41-13-0) arrives as the league’s dominant force but is looking to rebound from its most lopsided defeat of the season, an 8-1 road thrashing by Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg on Sunday. That loss snapped a run where Metallurg had won seven of its previous eight games. Defenseman Yegor Yakovlev scored the lone goal in the defeat.

The visiting side has dominated the recent series, outscoring Barys 14-4 over three victories this season, including a 5-2 win in Magnitogorsk on Nov. 29 and a 4-1 win in Astana on Nov. 9.

Barys (18-38-0), entrenched near the bottom of the standings, is coming off a rare bright spot — a 5-3 home victory over Lada Togliatti on Saturday. Forward Tyce Thompson scored a goal in that win and has goals in two of his last four games, providing a spark for the league’s lowest-scoring offense.

For Metallurg, defenseman Alexei Maklyukov is a player to watch, contributing steady play from the blue line with two assists in his last five games. His physical presence will be key against a Barys team playing for pride.

The schedule ahead underscores the teams’ divergent paths. Metallurg embarks on a crucial stretch against playoff contenders, while Barys faces a string of games against teams clustered in the lower half of the table.

Despite the massive gap in the standings, Barys will look to build on its recent home victory and exploit any potential hangover from Metallurg’s historic defeat. Metallurg, however, is expected to use the game as a necessary corrective, aiming to reassert its commanding form before returning home for a key homestand.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT).