MYTISHCHI, Russia (Interstat) — The Shanghai Dragons will host Dinamo Minsk on Saturday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Municipal‘nyj Stadion Stroitel‘ in Mytishchi.

Shanghai enters with a 3-2-0 record, while Dinamo Minsk is 2-5-0. The Dragons’ most recent result was a 3-2 home win over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, powered by Brett Murray’s two goals and Riley Sutter’s two assists. Shanghai also received a 35-save performance from goaltender Pavel Khomchenko in that victory.

Dinamo Minsk’s latest outing was a 4-3 overtime loss at Dynamo Moscow. Stanislav Galiyev scored once and added an assist with four shots on goal in that game. Ty Smith also scored, and Christopher Tierney recorded two assists. The result continued a demanding stretch for Dinamo Minsk, which has dropped five of its first seven games.

Galiyev, a forward, is the player to watch for Dinamo Minsk. Over his past seven games, he has one goal and four assists, with 14 shots on goal and seven hits. He recorded a goal and an assist in the overtime loss at Dynamo Moscow, added an assist in a home win over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, and collected another assist in a home win over Sibir Novosibirsk. He also had an assist against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and logged two shots on goal in an earlier meeting with Shanghai.

Khomchenko is the player to watch for Shanghai. The goaltender has been busy and effective in his recent appearances. He made 35 saves on 37 shots in the Dragons’ win over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. In an earlier game at Dinamo Minsk, he stopped 41 of 44 shots to help Shanghai earn a 4-3 overtime victory. That result stands as the most recent head-to-head meeting between the teams.

Shanghai’s offense has shown balance. Murray’s two-goal game against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg followed a strong team effort in the overtime win at Dinamo Minsk. Sutter’s two assists in the most recent game also gave the Dragons secondary production. Dinamo Minsk, meanwhile, will look to Galiyev, Smith and Tierney to generate chances as it tries to end a run of narrow defeats.

The game marks another meeting in a busy KHL stretch for both clubs. Shanghai will aim to build on its recent home win, while Dinamo Minsk seeks to convert its recent scoring chances into a full two points. The Dragons have won three of their first five games, and Dinamo Minsk has won twice in seven contests.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Dinamo Minsk 3, Shanghai 2.