Jokerit vs Avangard. How will the visit of the current Gagarin Cup winner to Helsinki turn out?

The Hartwall Arena, the main ice hockey arena in Helsinki, will host the next regular KHL championship match between local Jokerit and Omsk Avangard on December 26.

Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Jokerit vs Avangard

Jokerit

The Finnish club for a long time was in first place in the Western Conference, taking advantage of the problems of competitors. The ideal course of the championship for the Finns was disrupted by another outbreak of coronavirus in the team, as a result of which Jokerit sat down in his next quarantine. The Finns expectedly lost their game schedule, which, to some extent, was the reason for three defeats in a row. Even before the pause in the championship, Jokerit lost twice on the road to Spartak 0-2 and Dynamo Minsk 2-4, and after a week's break he continued his bleak streak, losing at home to direct competitors from CSKA 1-3.

Jokerita's series of failures was interrupted in the next home match, which the Finnish club played against Dynamo Minsk. The Jokers again did not show their best qualities, with great difficulty they put the squeeze on their opponent only in overtime. This victory brought Jokerit back to the championship race in the West, allowing him to catch on to the top three teams in the Western Conference. Now the Finns, with 56 points scored, are in third place, only two points behind the leading SKA.

Avangard

According to the mentor of the Omsk team, Canadian specialist Bob Hartley, the team is complete. Soshnikov's exchange, Semenov's return from the NHL, the signing of the Swedish giant Viktor Svedberg in defense - all in total should make the Avangard more balanced, allowing the team to fight again for the main trophy of the season. So far, the Omsk club is far from the model of the previous season, having practically withdrawn from the struggle for leading positions in the East.

Omichi in the current season are let down by the lack of stability at a distance, when a series of successful matches is followed by an inexplicable failure. However, keeping in mind the last season, Avangard sharply added it to the playoffs, having covered the distance of the regular season in economy mode. Now history is repeating itself somewhere. Vanguard is still only the fifth in the East, having 50 points in its assets. There is no need to talk about the struggle for the championship, Omsk is already 13 points behind the leading Metallurgist. The main task for the rest of the championship is to finish in the top quartet, thereby gaining the home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Jokerit vs Avangard

Statistics

In the current championship, the rivals have already played with each other, having held a face-to-face duel in September. That match took place in Balashikha, on the conditionally home ice of the Vanguard. Jokerit turned out to be stronger, having achieved an away victory 3-2. As for the head-to-head rivalry of these teams in Helsinki, there is a rather unexpected advantage in terms of victories on the side of the Vanguard. Omichi have left Finland as winners five times, while Jokerit only twice beat Vanguard on their own ice.

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Despite not the best statistics of home performances, the bookmaker gives preference to Jokerit in the upcoming match, setting a coefficient of 2.21 for the victory of the Finnish team. The chances of the Vanguard winning are estimated at 2.85, the option with a possible draw - 4.1. Also, according to preliminary layouts, everything suggests that the match should be effective: Total over (4.5) - 1.63, Total under (4.5) - 2.16. Install the 1xbet app and place a bet on the favorite!

Game Totals Prediction

Both teams have been quite unpredictable lately, they are able to beat the opponents from the leading group, and then yield to the outsider. That Jokerit and Vanguard do not have the best defense, which is often compensated by an excellent attacking play. So in the upcoming match, hardly any of the teams will sit out in defense. This is also evidenced by statistics, the last three matches between these rivals delighted the fans with an abundance of goals. Based on this, our forecast for the upcoming match is Total over (4.5) with a coefficient of 1.63.

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