OMSK, Russia (Interstat) — HC Sochi will look to avoid a second straight loss to open the Kontinental Hockey League season Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, when it visits Avangard Omsk at Omsk Arena.

Both teams enter at 0-1-0. Sochi opened with a 5-1 loss at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Avangard dropped its opener 4-0 to visiting Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Monday, Sept. 7.

Sochi forward Denis Vengryzhanovsky is the player to watch. He scored in the opener, registered five shots on goal and delivered two hits. Timur Khafizov added two shots and one hit, while Gage Quinney had three shots and one hit in the loss.

Avangard defenseman Kirill Adamchuk is the player to watch for the home side. He recorded two penalty minutes and two hits in the loss to Salavat Yulaev. Michael McLeod was also active, while Andrew Poturalski produced five shots on goal.

The matchup features two teams still searching for their first points of the young season. Sochi will try to generate more offense after being held to one goal. Avangard will aim to bounce back after being shut out at home.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Avangard to win 4-1. The projection favors Avangard’s home-ice advantage and its ability to apply pressure, though Sochi will look to Vengryzhanovsky to spark an early attack.

Sochi will need a stronger defensive effort after allowing five goals in its opener. Avangard will seek more traffic in front of the net after failing to score in its first game. Special teams also could play a key role if the game remains close early.

Following Thursday’s game, Sochi returns home to face SKA Saint Petersburg on Saturday, Sept. 12. CSKA Moscow visits on Wednesday, Sept. 16, Ak Bars Kazan comes in Friday, Sept. 18, and Sibir Novosibirsk visits Sunday, Sept. 20. Sochi then travels to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday, Sept. 24, and Severstal Cherepovets on Saturday, Sept. 26, before hosting Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Wednesday, Sept. 30 and Torpedo on Saturday, Oct. 3. Spartak Moscow visits Sochi on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and again Friday, Oct. 9.

Avangard hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Sunday, Sept. 13, and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The team then plays at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Friday, Sept. 18, at Traktor Chelyabinsk on Sunday, Sept. 20, at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and at Spartak Moscow on Thursday, Sept. 24. Avangard returns home to face Metallurg on Monday, Sept. 28, and Lada Togliatti on Friday, Oct. 2. It closes the listed stretch at Avtomobilist on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Thursday, Oct. 8.

Puck drop is scheduled for Thursday at Omsk Arena in Omsk, Russia.