Amur Khabarovsk, Admiral Vladivostok Enter KHL Playoffs
Amur, Admiral Record Playoff Wins
After Kunlun Red Star clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference on Sunday, the Kontinental Hockey League bracket is set. Amur Khabarovsk and Admiral Vladivostok, both based in Russia, will begin their playoff series on Tuesday, with Admiral holding home-ice advantage.
Admiral Vladivostok
Admiral goaltender Ivan Nalimov has been excellent during the final stretch of the season, posting a .944 save percentage over his last nine starts while allowing just 1.56 goals per game. The 29-year-old is a big reason why Admiral won eight of its final 10 games to finish in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Admiral boasts the KHL’s fourth-ranked power play, with both Vladislav Ushenin and Alexander Khokhlachev tied for 10th in the league with 11 power-play points. Admiral has scored a power-play goal in five of its last seven games and will face an Amur penalty kill that ranks 25th in the KHL.
In the regular season, Admiral won two of three meetings, including a 4-0 victory in the season finale on Mar. 1. Admiral has won two straight against Amur on home ice, with the most recent victory coming on Jan. 8.
Amur Khabarovsk
Amur is making its first KHL playoff appearance since 2019 and will rely heavily on its top line of Vladimir Tkachev, Ivan Nikolishin, and Kirill Rasskazov to produce offense.
Tkachev, who is tied for the KHL lead in scoring with 63 points, enjoyed a 10-game point streak from Dec. 21 to Jan. 25 and has recorded at least one point in 17 of his last 18 games.
Amur’s power play has struggled mightily of late, going 0-for-18 in its last six games to drop to 22nd in the KHL. Amur, which has allowed the second-fewest shorthanded goals in the KHL, will need to improve on the power play to have success against an Admiral team that has the league’s fourth-ranked penalty kill.
The series is likely to be decided by which team can get the most production from its top players. Admiral has the edge in goaltending and special teams but will need to find a way to slow down Tkachev and his linemates.
The winner of the series will face either top-seeded CSKA Moscow or eighth-seeded Severstal Cherepovets in the second round.
