BALASHIKHA, Russia (Interstat) — Avangard Omsk looks to halt a recent slide and avenge two decisive losses to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg when the Kontinental Hockey League rivals meet Sunday at Balashikha Arena.

Avangard (11-5-0) enters the contest seeking to rebound from a 6-2 road loss to Barys Astana on Thursday. The defeat followed an 8-5 victory over Traktor Chelyabinsk and a 5-1 win against Metallurg Magnitogorsk, highlighting the team’s recent inconsistency.

The club’s most consistent struggles this season, however, have come against this opponent. Avtomobilist (11-7-0) has dominated the recent head-to-head series, winning the last two meetings by a combined score of 7-1. This includes a 3-0 shutout in Yekaterinburg on Oct. 10 and a 4-1 victory in Omsk on Oct. 6.

Avtomobilist arrives with momentum after a 3-2 overtime win against HC Sochi on Friday. The line of Stephane Da Costa (one goal, two assists), Maxim Denezhkin (one goal, one assist) and Brooks Macek (one goal) powered the offense in that victory.

The game features two of the league’s top teams, with Avangard looking to solidify its standing and Avtomobilist aiming to continue its recent mastery in the rivalry.