Preview: SKA Saint Petersburg at Dinamo Minsk

MINSK, Belarus (Interstat) — Dinamo Minsk looks to solidify its playoff positioning while SKA Saint Petersburg seeks to halt a prolonged slump when the Kontinental Hockey League teams meet Tuesday at Minsk-Arena.

The home side enters with a clear advantage in the standings and recent form. Dinamo Minsk (27-20-0) sits seven points ahead of SKA (20-22-1) in the Western Conference. However, the season series is split, with each team winning on the other’s ice. Dinamo earned a 4-3 victory in Saint Petersburg on Jan. 19, while SKA posted a 4-1 win in Minsk on Dec. 26.

SKA arrives mired in a severe downturn, having lost seven of its last eight games (1-6-1). The team is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Red Star Kunlun on Oct. 1, 2025, its most recent result according to available records, and has been outscored 28-9 during its current six-game losing streak in KHL play. Generating offense has been a critical issue, as SKA has been shut out twice in that span.

A bright spot for SKA has been forward Ross Grimaldi. He has points in two of his last three games, including a goal in a 3-2 loss to CSKA Moscow on Feb. 1. He also had a two-goal, one-assist performance in a 5-4 win over Lada Togliatti on Jan. 7. The club will need him to ignite a struggling attack.

Dinamo Minsk has also faced recent struggles, dropping its last two contests, including a 5-4 defeat to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Jan. 31. In that game, forwards Vitaly Pinchuk and Stanislav Galiyev each scored twice. Defenseman Pavel Voronov, a player to watch for Dinamo, logged two penalty minutes in the loss.

The game marks the start of a crucial stretch for both clubs. SKA begins a three-game road trip before returning home, while Dinamo Minsk plays two of its next three at Minsk-Arena, where it has been strong this season.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. local time.