February 18, 19:15, Pinki, Inbox Ice Arena.
Tomorrow, Oleg Tymchenko’s team returns to the ice to face Eriks Miluns’ squad for the fifth time in the regular season.
At the moment, the opponents are separated by just one position in the standings, yet the gap between them amounts to 17 points. However, in terms of points lost, the Kyiv side ranks second in the table, making it crucial to collect as many points as possible in the remaining games they have in hand.
Both teams played their previous matches on Valentine’s Day, suffering home defeats in synchrony. Kyiv fell to Zemgale/LBTU (1:2), while Prizma lost to Estonia’s Panter (3:4).
After four head-to-head meetings, the score stands at 3:1 in favor of Kyiv Capitals. The Riga side earned a comeback overtime win at the Inbox Arena (3:2), while Tymchenko’s men responded with two consecutive 6:2 away victories, followed by a 6:3 home win.
In these matchups, the standout performer has been Yang Hu of Kyiv Capitals with 7 points (2+5). For the Riga team, Roberts Jekimovs (3+1) and Emils Ezitis (0+4) have each recorded 4 points.
Jekimovs is also the main offensive force of the entire Optibet League. The 36-year-old forward has collected 57 points (25+32), seven more than his closest pursuer. At Kyiv Capitals, there is a tie for the team lead at 37 points – Martins Karsums (15+22) and Yang Hu (13+24) share that mark.
Whose statistics will prove more decisive in returning to the winning path – we will find out on Wednesday evening.
