OMSK (Interstat) — Avangard Omsk will host Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg on Friday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Omsk Arena. Avangard enters with a 6-7 record, while Avtomobilist is 6-8. The teams have split their two meetings this season, with Avtomobilist taking a 4-0 home win and Avangard answering with a 3-2 overtime victory in Omsk.

Avtomobilist will look to Artyom Kashtanov for offense. The forward scored in a recent loss at Barys Astana and recorded two shots on goal in that game. He also had three shots on goal in the 4-0 win against Avangard, five shots on goal in a loss to Amur Khabarovsk, one shot on goal in a win over Amur Khabarovsk, and an assist with one shot on goal against Lada Togliatti. In Avtomobilist’s most recent game, a loss at Barys Astana, Kashtanov scored, Kale Clague had an assist and Alexander Kadeikin recorded two shots on goal.

Avangard will counter with Nail Yakupov. The forward scored and registered three shots on goal with one hit in a recent loss at Barys Astana. He had one shot on goal and two hits in a win at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Against Avtomobilist, he recorded one hit in a 4-0 loss. Yakupov also had two penalty minutes and one hit against Lada Togliatti, two hits at Traktor Chelyabinsk, and four shots on goal, two penalty minutes and one hit at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. In Avangard’s most recent game, a loss at Barys Astana, Yakupov scored, Andrew Poturalski had three shots on goal and Vasily Ponomaryov recorded one shot on goal.

Avtomobilist has had mixed results in its recent schedule. The club defeated Avangard 4-0, lost to Amur Khabarovsk 3-0, beat Amur Khabarovsk 3-0, beat Lada Togliatti 3-1, won at Spartak Moscow 4-2, lost at Severstal Cherepovets 5-2, lost at Shanghai Dragons 3-2, lost at Dinamo Minsk 5-3, lost at Avangard 3-2 in overtime and won at Sibir Novosibirsk 5-2.

Avangard’s recent form includes a win at Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, a loss at Avtomobilist, a home win over Lada Togliatti, a home loss to Metallurg Magnitogorsk, a win at Spartak Moscow in overtime, losses at Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, an overtime win over Avtomobilist and an overtime win over Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

The game simulator projects Avangard to win 3-1. The over/under is 4.5.