On March 16, 2025, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) matchup between Lada Togliatti and Neftekhimik will take place on Lada's home ice, and both teams find themselves motivated by different circumstances as the regular season nears its conclusion.
Lada has had a rocky season, currently sitting at 10th place in the Eastern Conference with just 50 points accumulated over 64 games. This position has extinguished any realistic hopes of playoff contention. Following their recent win against Sibir (1:0) which ended their six-game losing streak, Lada faced two heavy defeats: they lost to Traktor (0:6) and Spartak (2:4), both at home, compounding their struggles.
Despite this, Lada's coach Pavel Zubov has acknowledged the need for improvement. Looking at their recent games, the team’s inconsistency has been troubling. They are one of the poorest teams defensively, particularly evident against Traktor, where they allowed six goals. Some of their key players, including Egor Chernikov, Vladislav Chervonenko, Evgeniy Groshev, Pavel Koltygin, and Artem Ivanyuzhenkov, will not be participating due to various injuries, which poses additional challenges for Lada.
On the other end of the ice, Neftekhimik, under coach Oleg Leontiev, is positioned at 9th place with 61 points, just three points shy of the playoff zone. Their recent form has been mixed as well but shows signs of resilience. Neftekhimik concluded their last away series with two close losses to Amur (4:5, 3:4) but bounced back with wins over Admiral (1:0, 3:2) and Dynamo Moscow (4:3) at home, showing their capability to perform under pressure.
Statistically, Lada has lost eight out of their last nine matches, indicating severe struggles, particularly on home ice where they have only one regulation win out of the last eleven matches. The current trend suggests high-scoring games for Lada, evidenced by more than 5.5 goals scored combined in three of their last four matches.
Neftekhimik, on the contrary, holds the edge historically, winning five of the last seven encounters against Lada. Their recent performance spurs confidence, particularly as they aim to solidify their chance at the playoffs. Their results have also featured high scoring, where the total score exceeded 5.5 goals in four of their last six matchups.
Both teams are facing their own battles—Lada struggling with consistency and personnel challenges, whilst Neftekhimik fights to penetrate the playoff zone. Match statistics heavily favor Neftekhimik, and bookmakers reflect this sentiment, placing their victory odds at 2.37, compared to Lada's 2.79.
The stakes are high for Neftekhimik, needing every point they can gather to compete with the eighth-place Sibir. With Lada’s struggles, Neftekhimik's path appears more favorable - their motivations contrasting sharply with Lada's dwindling hopes for the season. The match on March 16 promises to be thrilling, as both teams position themselves strategically, but expect Neftekhimik to leverage their recent momentum to potentially outscore Lada, particularly with odds favoring them on the total launches surpassing 2.5 goals for the game.
Expectations are set: with Lada trying to disrupt their opponents' plans and show some home strength, Neftekhimik will need to perform effectively and decisively to maintain their playoff ambitions. It is primed to be another intense chapter of their rivalry.