On March 13, 2025, the KHL action heats up as Admiral Vladivostok hosts Barys Astana at their home arena. With both teams having contrasting seasons, fans are eager to see whether the home team can capitalize on their advantage against the struggling visitors.
Admiral currently occupies the seventh position in the Eastern Conference, holding 67 points from 63 matches. They are eight points clear of ninth-placed Neftekhimik, making their chances of playoff qualification look brighter as the season nears its end. Recently, Admiral has shown signs of recovery after experiencing two disappointing losses against Salavat Yulaev (2:3 SO, 3:6). Their last match saw the team achieve a convincing 5:2 victory over Amur, where standout player Soshnikov scored twice and provided an assist. This victory followed a tight 1:0 win against Neftekhimik, underscoring their potential when they manage to find their groove.
On the other hand, Barys finds themselves languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. With only 33 points accrued over 63 matches—10 wins and 53 losses—the challenges presented this season have been overwhelming for the Kazakh team. Their latest performance featured some promise, as they decisively defeated Sibir 4:1. Unfortunately, this was overshadowed by their recent record, marked by multiple heavy defeats, including a staggering 0:8 loss to Tractor and then being shut out 0:3 against CSKA, exposing their significant issues both offensively and defensively.
Despite Admiral's recent progress, they have only recorded two wins at home from their last six outings, indicating possible areas of vulnerability. Statistics indicate Admiral has high shooting activity, averaging 32 shots per match, but they also regularly find themselves racking up penalty minutes, with averages hitting the seven-minute mark. This could play to Barys's advantage—if they capitalize on the opportunities.
Conversely, Barys has extremely low scoring statistics, averaging just 1.41 goals per match, illustrating their scoring troubles. They have been unable to sustain consistent offensive pressure and struggle to implement plays effectively, having managed to score just 89 goals over the duration of the season. Defensively, their performance hasn’t been much stronger, leading to vulnerability on the ice, as they frequently create errors during defensive plays.
On the injury front, Admiral will face the match without Artem Nikolaev due to disqualification. Meanwhile, Barys is compounded by injury woes, losing players like Nikita Boyarkin, Kirill Savitsky, and Andrei Shutov—key figures who could make a significant difference for the already beleaguered team.
Notably, historical match-ups indicate Admiral has consistently performed well against Barys, winning five out of their last six head-to-head encounters, with the most recent victory being 4:2. Analyst predictions suggest another strong showing for Admiral, with forecasts leaning toward them winning potentially by 4:1.
Considering all the factors, Admiral enters this game as the clear favorite, and bookmakers have set their victory odds at 1.56, with draws listed at 4.80 and Barys's potential win offered at 4.97. Betting trends point suggestively toward total goals exceeding 4.5, priced at 1.70, with the expectation of open hockey from both teams evidenced by their recent historical matches.
With Admiral motivated by home ice advantage and Barys needing to redeem themselves, this match is poised to be anything but dull. All eyes will be on how Admiral utilizes the home crowd and their recent strength against Barys's need to find their footing as they face another high-stakes match.
For enthusiasts and bettors alike, the embed forecast suggests putting faith behind Admiral winning with at least two goals to spare—provided they maintain their attacking style and work on resolving previous defensive mistakes. The action guarantees excitement for the KHL faithful during this match-up!