MOSCOW (Interstat) — Spartak Moscow will host Barys Astana on Sunday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Luzhniki Minor Arena. Spartak enters with a 5-6 record, while Barys is 6-5. The matchup gives both clubs a chance to build momentum in a tight early-season schedule. Spartak is the home team, and Barys is the visiting team.

Barys arrives after a 5-4 overtime win at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in its most recent game. Semyon Simonov recorded a goal and an assist in that victory, while Tyce Thompson scored and Logan Day added two assists. Simonov is the player to watch for Barys. He has been one of the club’s most consistent offensive threats, with goals in several recent games and assists in others. His recent performances include a goal and an assist against Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk and points in games against Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Barys has shown it can score in bursts, including a six-goal effort at Lada Togliatti and an eight-goal home win over Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Barys’s other recent results include a 7-1 home win over Sibir Novosibirsk, a 6-0 road win at Lada Togliatti and a 5-0 road win at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Spartak is coming off a 0-2 loss to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in its most recent game at Luzhniki Minor Arena. Mikhail Maltsev is the player to watch for Spartak. He led the team with four shots on goal and added a hit in that defeat. Maltsev has been involved offensively throughout the early schedule, including a goal and an assist against Traktor Chelyabinsk, a goal against Salavat Yulaev Ufa, and goals in wins over Severstal Cherepovets and SKA Saint Petersburg. Sergei Lukyantsev and Alexander Galchenyuk also recorded shots in the most recent game. Spartak has earned wins against Traktor Chelyabinsk, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Severstal Cherepovets, SKA Saint Petersburg and CSKA Moscow. The club has dropped recent home games to Metallurg, Traktor, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Avangard Omsk. Spartak’s other recent results include a 3-1 road win at Traktor Chelyabinsk, a 3-2 road win at Metallurg Magnitogorsk and a 3-2 road win at CSKA Moscow.

The game will be played at Luzhniki Minor Arena in Moscow. Barys will look to Simonov and its recent road success, while Spartak will rely on Maltsev and its home ice. After this game, Barys is scheduled to return home to face Avangard Omsk and Sibir Novosibirsk. Spartak is set to travel to HC Sochi for a pair of games before continuing its road schedule.

Interstat’s game simulator is projecting a final score of Spartak 3, Barys 2.