ASTANA (Interstat) — Barys will host Avtomobilist on Wednesday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Barys enters the matchup with an 8-6 record. Avtomobilist is 6-7. The home side has won three of its past five games, including a 5-1 victory over Avangard Omsk and a 4-3 shootout win at Spartak Moscow. Barys also earned a 5-4 overtime win at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk before falling to Ak Bars Kazan and Sibir Novosibirsk. In its most recent outing, Barys dropped a 3-2 decision to Sibir Novosibirsk. Mason Morelli scored in that game and recorded three shots and one hit. Morelli also had a goal and an assist in the win over Avangard Omsk. He has been among Barys’ most productive forwards, adding assists in recent games against Spartak Moscow and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Justin Bailey and Kirill Savitsky also contributed in the latest game, with Bailey recording an assist and six shots and Savitsky scoring once. Barys has also posted a 6-0 win at Lada Togliatti and a 5-0 win at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl this season.

Avtomobilist arrives after a 4-0 home win over Avangard Omsk. Vladimir Galkin stopped all 22 shots he faced in that victory. Galkin has been busy in net, making 22 saves in a loss to Amur Khabarovsk and 16 saves at Dinamo Minsk. Alexander Kadeikin scored and Alexander Barabanov added two assists in the win over Avangard Omsk. Avtomobilist has shown an up-and-down form, beating Amur Khabarovsk 3-0 and Lada Togliatti 3-1 while also losing to Amur Khabarovsk and Severstal Cherepovets. The club will look to Galkin to provide stability in net against a Barys offense that has produced several high-scoring efforts this season. Avtomobilist has also earned a 4-2 win at Spartak Moscow and a 5-2 win at Sibir Novosibirsk.

Barys has been strong at times on home ice, posting wins over Avangard Omsk and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in Astana. Avtomobilist will need to manage that pressure and generate chances around Kadeikin and Barabanov. The matchup features two clubs separated by two wins in the early standings. Barys holds the better record, while Avtomobilist has shown the ability to win low-scoring games when Galkin is sharp. Morelli remains the key forward to watch for the home side, while Galkin is the central figure for the visitors. Barys will also count on Bailey and Savitsky for secondary scoring, and Avtomobilist will seek balanced production behind Galkin. The clubs are scheduled to meet again later in the season, and both teams will continue their schedules after Wednesday.

Interstat’s game simulator projects Barys to defeat Avtomobilist 3-2.