KHL: Ufa and Magnitogorsk Play Game 7 while Atlant Celebrates

We've got a Game 7 today in the KHL Eastern Conference Finals, as Salavat Yulaev Ufa hosts Metallurg Magnitogorsk for the right to take on the well-rested Atlant Moscow Oblast team, who somewhat surprisingly won the Western Conference title.  In the KHL, the Eastern Conference has always been highly competitive, with any of the top four teams being legitimate Gagarin Cup contenders, so cynics might view today's game as the real Cup Final.  Of course, Atlant took down two legitimate Western contenders in SKA St. Petersburg and the top ranked Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, so don't be so sure that today decides the real winner...  Atlant isn't a 1996 Florida Panthers Cindarella story.

Anyways, to the game and series itself: 

Admittedly, not a lot of data here, but what I can tell you to date is that Patrick Thoreson has stepped up in this series for Ufa, with 7 points and his only two goals of the playoffs.  Thoreson is an incredibly pass-happy player, so don't expect a lot of goals from him in general.  Fellow Ufa star Alexander Radulov is also more known for his playmaking than sniping, but he's been left snakebitten by Metallurg goalie Georgy Gelashvilli.  Ufa goalie Erik Ersberg has been pulled in each of the last two games, and that could make the goaltending situation interesting for Game 7:  Vitaly Kolesnik is an incredibly capable backup, although Ersberg has had a great season to date and it'd be tough to sit him in a deciding game.

For Metallurg, the ageless Sergei Fedorov leads their scorers with seven points, as a strong powerplay has helped overcome a slight disadvantage at even strength.  Gleb Klimenko leads all players with four goals in the series, three of which are on the power play.  Klimenko has ten goals for the playoffs, after only five in the regular season, spent largely with SKA St. Petersburg. 

Meanwhile, Atlant is keeping their fans excited by releasing celebration videos on their website.

Game 7 starts at 3:00 PM CET/10:00 AM EST.