HC Dinamo Minsk - Red Star Kunlun predictions and free betting tips [19/10/2023]

Continental Hockey League regular tournament 2023/2024. Perhaps one of the least interesting matches of this Thursday's games, but on the other hand, not every day in the KHL are two foreign clubs playing against each other. An encounter is scheduled between Dynamo in Minsk and the Chinese side Kunlun Red Star.

Dynamo Minsk

Whenever the conversation turns to coach Dmitry Kvartalnov, the entirety of Russian hockey is split into two camps. The first insists that Dmitry Kvartalnov is an exceptional coach who nurtures youth, catalyzes offensive hockey and has multiple KG and conference finals under his belt. The second camp asserts that Dmitry Kvartalnov propagates dreadful hockey, characterized by constant running, lack of interesting play and a long expired coaching relevance since his departure from Siberia. Personally, I align more with the latter opinion. As it stands, it seems to be the more accurate one, given that Minsk's Dynamo is ranked ninth and missing the playoffs. With a mere 18 points after 17 matches, a result achieved thanks to six wins in regulation time, two beyond regulation and another two losses in overtime. Dynamo ended the other seven matches pointlessly. While Dynamo have a middling defence, ranking sixth in the west, their attacking potential ranks eighth, quite a clear indication that Dmitry Kvartalnov hasn't quite mastered how to stage an effective attack over the years.

Kunlun Red Star

Ten consecutive losses - this says it all; the Chinese team started the season with four victories after five matches, leading the Western conference. However, troubles begun, and their string of losses now stands at ten and they sit second from the bottom of the leaderboard. 22 matches have earned them a mere 14 points, an appalling performance, and they rank last for points lost. Kunlun recorded only three wins in regulation time, three beyond regulation and two losses earned them a single point. Of the 14 remaining matches, Kunlun lost in regulation time, the highest number of losses in the league. Moreover, Kunlun has conceded the most in the league – 75 goals, and they rank second from the tail-end in terms of goals scored, with merely 41. It's unclear how to fix this situation, but it's beginning to seem like the promising start was merely an anomaly, and everything is reverting back to the old cycle.

Head-to-head

In their 18 confrontations, Dynamo Minsk came out stronger 11 times, while Kunlun Red Star only secured 7 victories. This season, the teams shared victories, one for the Chinese and one for the Belarusians.

Forecast

Despite Minsk's troubles and mediocre recent performance, the odds on their victory stands at 1.22, understandable given the abysmal form Kunlun exhibits now. The odds on Kunlun Red Star emerging victors equals 5.01. In this scenario, it's prudent to opt for a victory for Minsk and not ponder over it too much, given Kunlun's current dismal state.