NIZHNEIMERETINSKAYA BUKHTA, Russia (Interstat) — Spartak Moscow will visit HC Sochi on Friday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Bolshoy Ice Dome. The teams will meet after Spartak won the most recent head-to-head matchup 5-2 at Sochi.

Spartak enters with a 6-7 record. Sochi is 2-10. The teams met earlier this month, and Spartak skated away with a 5-2 victory at Sochi. Mikhail Maltsev scored and recorded seven shots on goal with two hits in that game. Ivan Fedotov made 18 saves on 20 shots, and Christian Jaros added two assists and two shots on goal. Nikita Gusev had two assists and three shots on goal for Sochi in the loss. Matvei Guskov and Alexander Khokhlachyov each scored.

Maltsev is a player to watch for Spartak. He has been active around the net throughout the early season, including a goal and seven shots on goal in the most recent meeting with Sochi. He also had a goal and an assist against Traktor Chelyabinsk and scored against Severstal Cherepovets and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Maltsev has recorded at least one shot on goal in each of his listed appearances.

Gusev is a player to watch for Sochi. He recorded two assists and three shots on goal against Spartak in the previous matchup and followed with six shots on goal against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. Gusev has recorded three shots on goal or more in each of his past two games.

Spartak’s recent results include a 4-3 shootout loss to Barys Astana, a 2-0 loss to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a 4-2 loss to Traktor Chelyabinsk and a 4-2 loss to Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. The club also has wins over Traktor Chelyabinsk, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Severstal Cherepovets and SKA Saint Petersburg. Sochi’s recent schedule includes a 6-0 loss to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, a 6-3 win over Salavat Yulaev Ufa, a 4-1 loss at Shanghai Dragons and a 3-2 home win over Ak Bars Kazan. Sochi has allowed five goals or more in two of its past three games. Spartak scored five goals in its most recent game and eight goals in a win over Severstal Cherepovets.

After Friday’s game, Spartak is scheduled to begin a two-game road trip at Amur Khabarovsk before playing at Admiral Vladivostok. The club then returns home later in the month. Sochi’s next game is at Ak Bars Kazan, followed by a home game against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Spartak 2, HC Sochi 1. No point spread, betting line or over-under information was provided.