Sibir Novosibirsk will host Barys Astana in a crucial Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) regular season matchup on Monday, March 17, 2025. The game is scheduled for 17:30 local time at Sibir Arena in Novosibirsk, with important playoff implications for the home team.
With just a few games remaining in the 2024-2025 regular season, Sibir currently occupies the eighth position in the Eastern Conference standings, holding a five-point advantage over ninth-placed Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, who have one game in hand. Meanwhile, Barys finds themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with no realistic playoff aspirations this season.
Vadim Epanchintsev's Sibir squad has struggled for consistency recently, managing only three victories in their last 12 outings, including one win via shootout. However, they secured a significant 3-2 win against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in their previous game, a team similarly fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Despite their relatively comfortable position ahead of Neftekhimik, Sibir faces a challenging conclusion to their regular season schedule, with upcoming fixtures against formidable opponents Salavat Yulaev and Bars. This makes Monday's contest against the conference's bottom team particularly important for securing vital points.
According to Statbet analytics, Sibir enters the game as substantial favorites, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.41 for a regulation time victory and 1.21 for an overall win.
Barys, under coach Galym Mambetaliev, is coming off a disappointing 5-2 defeat to fellow strugglers Amur Khabarovsk. The Astana team has been particularly ineffective offensively this season, averaging just 1.47 goals per game, a statistic that ranks among the worst in the league.
Interestingly, despite their position at the bottom of the standings, Barys has found success against Sibir earlier this season, winning both previous encounters on home ice—one in overtime after a 3-3 tie and another with a convincing 4-1 scoreline in regulation time.
The upcoming clash represents a classic scenario of a team fighting for playoff positioning against an opponent with little at stake beyond pride. Oddsmakers are predicting moderate scoring, with the over 4.5 goals market set at 1.60, suggesting an average KHL scoring rate for this matchup.
