UFA (Interstat) — Metallurg M will visit Salavat Yulaev on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, for a Kontinental Hockey League game at Ufa Arena in Ufa, Russia. Metallurg M brings a 5-2 record into the matchup, while Salavat Yulaev is 4-2. The teams are separated by one win in the early standings.

Metallurg M has won two straight and three of its past four. The club’s most recent outing was a 6-2 home win over Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk on Sept. 20. Before that, Metallurg M blanked Barys Astana 3-0 on Sept. 18. Its two losses came against Spartak Moscow, 3-2, on Sept. 16 and at Avangard Omsk, 3-2 in overtime, on Sept. 13. Metallurg M also owns wins over Ak Bars Kazan in a shootout and two against Amur Khabarovsk, including one in overtime.

Forward Igor Nechayev is a player to watch for Metallurg M. In the win over Neftekhimik, he recorded one goal, one assist and three shots on goal. He had one assist against Barys, two shots on goal against Spartak and one goal with one shot and one hit at Avangard. Nechayev has recorded points in three of his past four games. In the Neftekhimik win, Alexander S. Smolin stopped 23 of 25 shots, and Nikita A. Korotkov added a goal with two shots and two hits.

Salavat Yulaev has won two in a row after a 3-1 home victory over Spartak Moscow on Sept. 20. Semyon Vyazovoi made 19 saves on 20 shots in that game. He also stopped all 19 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over Neftekhimik on Sept. 18. Vyazovoi’s recent run includes a 34-save performance in a 4-3 overtime loss to Ak Bars on Sept. 16, a 41-save shutout at Avangard on Sept. 7 and a 24-save effort at Severstal Cherepovets on Sept. 5. Those five appearances include four wins and one overtime loss. Matthew Maggio and Nikita Shcherbakov scored in the latest win.

Salavat Yulaev’s other recent results include a 6-8 loss at Barys Astana on Sept. 9 and a 4-0 win at Avangard on Sept. 7. The club will travel to Dynamo Moscow on Sept. 26. Metallurg M will host Ak Bars Kazan on Sept. 26 before a road stretch that includes Avangard, Shanghai Dragons and Spartak Moscow.

The teams will meet again in Magnitogorsk on Oct. 9. For now, the focus is on a Ufa Arena matchup between two clubs separated by one win in the early standings.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Salavat Yulaev to edge Metallurg M 3-2.