VLADIVOSTOK (Interstat) — Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk will visit Admiral Vladivostok on Sunday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Fetisov Arena in Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai. Neftekhimik enters with a 6-3 record. Admiral enters with a 2-6 record.

Neftekhimik is coming off a 6-3 win at Barys Astana. Damir Zhafyarov had one goal and one assist in that game, Sevastyan Sokolov had one goal and one assist, and Yaroslav Ozolin stopped 25 of 28 shots. Zhafyarov has five goals and four assists in his past nine games. He had two goals, one assist and three shots on goal in a 7-3 win against Lada Togliatti. He had one goal, two shots on goal and one hit in a 2-1 win against Admiral earlier this season. He also had one assist, four shots on goal and two penalty minutes in a 3-1 win against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, and one goal, three shots on goal and two penalty minutes in a 5-1 win against HC Sochi. He recorded five shots on goal, two penalty minutes and one hit in a 3-0 win at Sibir Novosibirsk.

Admiral is coming off a 2-1 loss to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Semyon Ibragimov scored in that game. Daniel Usmanov had an assist, and Libor Sulak had four shots on goal and two penalty minutes. Ibragimov has one goal in his past five games. He had two shots on goal in a 4-2 win at CSKA Moscow. He had one hit in a game at Dynamo Moscow and two penalty minutes and one hit in a game at Ak Bars Kazan. Admiral’s wins this season came against Severstal Cherepovets and at CSKA Moscow. Admiral has scored two goals or fewer in six of its eight games.

Neftekhimik has scored at least three goals in six of its nine games. Neftekhimik won the most recent meeting between the teams, 2-1 at home. Zhafyarov scored in that game and added two shots on goal and one hit. Neftekhimik also has wins this season against Lada Togliatti, Sibir Novosibirsk, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and HC Sochi. Neftekhimik has lost at Metallurg Magnitogorsk 6-2, at Salavat Yulaev Ufa 2-0, and at home to Shanghai Dragons 5-4 in overtime. Admiral has lost at home to CSKA Moscow 4-3 in a shootout, at home to Dynamo Moscow 3-2, at Neftekhimik 2-1, at Dynamo Moscow 2-1 in a shootout, and at Ak Bars Kazan 2-0. Admiral also lost at home to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 2-1. Neftekhimik will remain on the road to face Amur Khabarovsk next. Admiral will travel to face Severstal Cherepovets next.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Neftekhimik 3, Admiral 2.