NIZHNEIMERETINSKAYA BUKHTA, Russia (Interstat) — Ak Bars Kazan will aim to build on a strong start when it visits HC Sochi in a Kontinental Hockey League matchup Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Ak Bars enters with a 4-2-0 record, while Sochi is 0-4-0.

Ak Bars most recently defeated Salavat Yulaev Ufa 4-3 in overtime Wednesday, Sept. 16. Mitchell Miller scored twice and finished with three shots and one hit. Maxim Arefyev made 30 saves on 33 shots, and Grigory Denisenko contributed two assists, six shots and five hits.

Earlier in the season, Ak Bars lost 3-2 at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Monday, Sept. 14, and fell 3-2 in a shootout to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Friday, Sept. 11. Ak Bars beat Traktor Chelyabinsk 2-1 on Wednesday, Sept. 9, Admiral Vladivostok 2-0 on Monday, Sept. 7, and Sibir Novosibirsk 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday, Sept. 5.

Miller, a defenseman, is the player to watch for Ak Bars. In addition to his two-goal effort at Salavat Yulaev Ufa, he had four shots and two penalty minutes at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and two assists with three shots against Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Sochi enters after a 4-0 home loss to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Gage Quinney recorded two shots in the defeat. Goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov stopped 43 of 47 shots, and Timur Akhiyarov had one hit. Sochi has been outscored 14-2 during its four-game losing streak.

Sochi also lost 1-0 to SKA Saint Petersburg on Saturday, Sept. 12, 4-1 at Avangard Omsk on Thursday, Sept. 10, and 5-1 at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Quinney had two shots and two hits against SKA Saint Petersburg and three shots and one hit at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.

Sochi will host Sibir Novosibirsk on Sunday, Sept. 20. Ak Bars will host Lada Togliatti on Monday, Sept. 21. The teams are scheduled to meet again Oct. 12 in Kazan. Ak Bars’ upcoming schedule also includes a trip to Sibir Novosibirsk on Sept. 24, a visit to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Sept. 26 and home games against Barys Astana on Sept. 30 and Traktor Chelyabinsk on Oct. 2. Sochi will travel to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Sept. 24, Severstal Cherepovets on Sept. 26 and Shanghai Dragons on Sept. 28 before hosting Salavat Yulaev Ufa on Sept. 30. Sochi’s later schedule includes home games against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod on Oct. 3, Spartak Moscow on Oct. 7 and Oct. 9, and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Oct. 17. Ak Bars also visits Dinamo Minsk on Oct. 18.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Ak Bars 3, Sochi 1.