January 31, 13:30, Pinki, Inbox Ice Arena.
The upcoming matchup can confidently be called the centerpiece of the round, as the current league leaders will face each other, separated by just one point in the standings.
Both teams come into this head-to-head clash on the back of less-than-ideal results. The Riga side suffered an overtime loss to one of the top contenders, Liepaja, while the Kyiv team was defeated by Panter after an additional five-minute period. This result was unexpected and disappointing. Therefore, both sides have something to prove to themselves and their fans.
This game will be the third meeting between the teams this season. The two previous encounters took place at the Mogo Ice Arena and resulted in one win for each side (a 3:2 victory for Kyiv Capitals and a 3:1 win for Mogo/RSU).
Among the Latvian team’s players, Krisjanis Redlihs has the best head-to-head statistics, recording three points (1+2). For Kyiv, Martins Karsums, Rustams Begovs, and Yang Hu each have two points (all with 0+2).
As for season-long statistics, Mogo/RSU’s leader and the league’s second-most productive player is Deivids Sarkanis with 45 points (21+24). For Kyiv, Martins Karsums continues to lead the team in scoring with 37 points (15+22).
So, we can expect an exciting battle for the opportunity to head into the international break as the league leader.
