Finally, the time for KHL playoffs has come. In the first round, we have a matchup between the second-place team in the conference, SKA Saint Petersburg, and the seventh-place team, Podolsk.
SKA Saint Petersburg
The season start was quite tough for this team. The game was difficult and uncertain. However, over time, their form improved and peaked just before the Playoffs. SKA won 19 of their last 20 games, with the only loss coming against CSKA. Speaking of home games, the situation is even better. They have won 24 of their last 25 games, with the only loss also against CSKA.
It is worth mentioning that in the last game, SKA avenged their rivals from Moscow and won 4-1. SKA is currently the hottest team in the league. All six lines of the team are performing excellently. And in all these lines, the team has elite players in the KHL context. H2H is also completely in favor of SKA, who have lost to Podolsk only once in the last 20 games. There are no injured players in the SKA lineup.
Podolsk Vitjaz
There isn't much to say about this team. They are a mid-tier team in the league, whose game quality is not particularly high. Podolsk comes into these games in very poor form. In the last 10 games, the team has not won once in regular time.
Compared to SKA, Podolsk can only boast of one or two stronger lines. In all other aspects, their players are not the best, whereas SKA has quality in all lines. In this match, the team will be missing Syomin, Vorfolomeyev, and Vorobey. These players are a significant loss for the team, further reducing their chances.
Choice
So, in this matchup, it would be hard to see any advantage for the Podolsk team. SKA is currently the team demonstrating the best form in the entire league, while Podolsk is showing one of the worst. In the first game in front of their home fans, SKA should secure a convincing victory. H2H also indicates that Podolsk has very little chance here. One could opt for a larger SKA advantage with higher odds, but this option also looks very good. Good luck.
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