Home Again – Kunlun Red Star

24 September 2024

After the long trip to the Far East, the Dragons are back in Mytishchi for the start of this week’s action. We have two home games, against Torpedo and Dinamo Minsk, before heading to St. Petersburg at the weekend.

Torpedo (h), Sep. 24, 1930 Moscow Time

Last season: Igor Larionov’s team got the better of the Dragons in all four encounters last season. However, two of them went to overtime after 2-2 ties in November on home ice and in January on the road.

Familiar faces: Today, Igor Larionov Jr. is closely associated with his father’s team. But his KHL debut came with the Dragons in 2020/21, two years before he joined Torpedo. Young Igor played five games in that Covid-hit season, producing two assists.

Setting the scene: In recent seasons, Torpedo has been a solid opponent in the Western Conference. This time around, though, things haven’t quite gone according to plan. Larionov has always been clear that he wants his teams to play attractive, attacking hockey – and with 21 goals so far, the 2024/25 team is scoring more freely than current leader Lokomotiv. However, defensively things are not good. With 28 goals allowed, Torpedo has the worst defense in the KHL. That saw Nizhny Novgorod blow a 2-0 lead against SKA last time out, while Nikita Artamonov’s hat-trick in Sochi was wasted in a 3-5 loss. If our forwards can exploit the defensive weaknesses, the Dragons have a good chance of adding to our one-point lead over Torpedo.

Dinamo Minsk (h), Sep. 26, 1930 Moscow Time

Last season: The highlight of our meetings last season was in Minsk in January. Despite falling behind to a pair of quick goals midway through the first period, the Dragons hit back in style to win it 5-2. It was a good day for the Foo family, with Spencer scoring twice and Parker potting another. Devin Brosseau also notched a double.

Familiar faces: Our forward Tyler Graovac began his KHL career with Dinamo. Tyler helped the Belarusians to the 2022 playoffs and finished the season with 27 (11+16) points from 48 appearances.

Setting the scene: This is a very different Dinamo Minsk. Dmitry Kvartalnov’s team underwent extensive reconstruction in the summer, with the statement signing of Vadim Shipachyov setting the tone. Shipachyov is closing on his 1,000^th KHL game and will also surely overtake Sergei Mozyakin’s scoring record this season. At the same time, there’s a new-look, import-heavy defense with…