CHEREPOVETS (Interstat) — The Shanghai Dragons will visit Severstal Cherepovets on Saturday in a Kontinental Hockey League game at Ice Palace in Cherepovets, Russia. Shanghai brings a 6-2 record into the matchup, while Severstal is 4-6.

Shanghai is coming off a 4-1 home win over Metallurg Magnitogorsk. Pavel Khomchenko made 25 saves on 26 shots in that victory. Takhir Mingachyov had one goal, four shots and two hits, while Riley Sutter added one goal, two shots and two hits. Khomchenko stopped 25 of 26 shots in a 2-1 win over Dinamo Minsk and turned aside 35 of 37 shots in a 3-2 win over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. He also made 41 saves on 44 shots in a 4-3 overtime win at Dinamo Minsk. In a 7-2 loss at SKA Saint Petersburg, he saved both shots he faced. Khomchenko has made at least 25 saves in four of his recent starts. Shanghai has also beaten HC Sochi 4-1, Dinamo Minsk 2-1, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg 3-2, Dinamo Minsk 4-3 in overtime and Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk 5-4 in overtime. Its other loss came at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The Dragons’ six wins include four home victories and two road wins.

Severstal enters after a 4-3 shootout loss to Admiral Vladivostok. Ilya Ivantsov had two assists, three shots and two penalty minutes in that game. Nikita A. Popugayev added a goal, an assist, six shots and one hit, and Alexander Skorenov scored with six shots. Ivantsov scored in a 3-1 win over HC Sochi, a 4-1 win at Amur Khabarovsk and a 1-0 win over Lada Togliatti. He also recorded two shots in a 2-0 loss at Admiral Vladivostok. Ivantsov has three goals and two assists in his recent games. Severstal has wins over Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Amur Khabarovsk. Its recent losses include a 2-0 defeat to Dynamo Moscow, an 8-0 loss at Spartak Moscow, a 2-1 overtime loss at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and a 3-2 loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

The teams will meet again in Cherepovets later in the season. After Saturday, Shanghai is set to visit Lada Togliatti and Dynamo Moscow before home games against Dinamo Minsk, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Ak Bars Kazan. Severstal will travel to SKA Saint Petersburg, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and Ak Bars Kazan before returning home. Severstal will try to use home ice at Ice Palace to slow a Shanghai team that has found consistency in the early schedule. The Dragons have leaned on Khomchenko and a balanced offense. Severstal will look to Ivantsov and Popugayev to generate chances.

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