Defeat of “Vanguard”, humiliation of “Lokomotiv” and SKA deja vu: the main events of the Gagarin Cup

Barys is determined in a series with Magnitogorsk

The confrontation between Barys and Magnitogorsk Metallurg attracted especially close attention of the fans. And the point is not only that the first meeting ended in a mass brawl. The favorite is considered to be Barys, who finished second in the Eastern Conference. The representative of Kazakhstan in the league is seriously determined to achieve the maximum possible result in the current Gagarin Cup. In turn, Magnitogorsk took only seventh place in the regular season.

And while the series resembles a roller coaster. To a sensitive defeat in the first match (0: 4), the Magnitogorsk residents answered with an equally confident victory in the second game (3: 0). After her, the team mentor Ilya Vorobyov accused the opponent from Nur-Sultan of a penchant for dirty hockey. However, he noted that “Barys” now has the best team for the entire period of performance in the KHL.

Given the outcome of the second fight, moving the series to the Urals could be an additional advantage for the hosts. The third meeting was the most intense. The first puck was abandoned only in the middle of the third period. Moreover, its author was veteran Sergei Mozyakin, consolidating his leadership in the list of top scorers in the history of the KHL.

However, after 2.5 minutes the Barys struck Vasily Koshechkin and restored parity. The majority managed to realize Darren Dietz. And in overtime, the next goal of “Metallurg” took place in the first shift. This circumstance outraged Vorobyov. Goal performed by Linus Wiedell, he called ridiculous. However, the specialist admitted that the game went to error. Now Magnitogorsk is inferior in the series 1-2.

Avangard complained about the player of Salavat Yulaev

“Salavat Yulaev” turned the tide of the series with “Vanguard”. After a sensitive defeat in Balashikha, the Ufa team achieved major success in overtime (3: 2). This game was marked by the first scandal in the Gagarin Cup 2019/20. Avangard filed a complaint with the KHL disciplinary committee regarding the behavior of striker SJ Alexander Burmistrov. After one of the goals passed by the Ufa team, he threw the puck onto the court and hit the referee Konstantin Olenin. In the camp of Salavat, the actions of the Vanguard administration were perplexing. Burmistrov himself admitted that he did not specifically throw the puck at the judge. In addition, the league fined Omsk player Valentin Pianov for hitting Vyacheslav Solodukhin with a club between his legs.

The third match of this series turned out to be the most productive in the current playoffs. Opponents scored nine goals for two. “Salavat” on their own ice managed to recoup from the score 0: 2. The beginning of the comeback was laid with an accurate throw of the Burmeters. Two goals, including the winning one, were held by Theme Hartikainen. He dedicated a double to his son, who on Thursday turned three years old. The Finnish legionnaire admitted that the most important event of the meeting was Burmistrov’s puck: she brought in the rest of the Ufa team. So it is still unknown if Salavat would have won if Avangard had not demanded punishment from the KHL for someone else's attacker. The result of the game is 6: 3 in favor of Ufa, the score in the series is 2-1.

And the coach of Salavat Nikolai Tsurygin after the match singled out the third goal of his team. According to the expert, after the success of another Finn, Sakari Manninen, the Ufa residents continued to attack on emotions and achieved their goal. Tsurygin also noted the fans, who, in his opinion, helped the team at the right time.

“The stands began to support, the guys found strength and answered with a good game,” he summed up.

His counterpart, Bob Hartley, had to admit that after the first period successfully carried out by Vanguard, the second 20-minute turned into a “loss festival” for guests, and as a result, Omsk “self-destructed”.

Jokerit does not notice Lokomotiv

Quite unexpectedly, the confrontation of the third and sixth Western teams - “Jokerita” and “Lokomotiv”. Following the losses on all counts in Helsinki (0: 6, 1: 5), the “railroad” lost in Yaroslavl (0: 3). In the third match, they missed the first goal already at the 57th second and are now one step away from the end of the season.

Loko delivered 35 shots on target, but Jokerita goalkeeper Jānis Kalniньš stood on the wall and for the first time in his career designed a shutout in the Gagarin Cup. Even after the second game, he summarized that his club leaves no chance for Yaroslavl in the current series. Independent experts spoke about the overwhelming advantage of the Finnish club. So, the Olympic champion and television commentator Alexander Pashkov expressed the opinion that the replacement of the coaching staff and the rotation of the players did not have the best effect on the strength of Lokomotiv. The well-known Finnish coach Raimo Summanen even believes that for the first time in six years of playing in the KHL, Jokerit has a real chance to win the Gagarin Cup.

Mentor of the "jesters" Lauri Maryamyaki, in turn, urged not to rush things. He noted the importance of a quick goal and praised the wards for a reliable game in defense. According to the expert, despite three victories of “Jokerit” with a total score of 14: 1, nothing has been decided in this series.

Vityaz can't do anything with SKA

And “Vityaz” is completely uncompetitive in the confrontation with SKA. The degradation of the Podolsk team is especially depressing compared to its performance in the middle of the regular season, when Vityaz even managed to polite in the Western Conference. After the defeat in the first game (1: 6), the team of Mikhail Kravets was able to impose a fight only in the second meeting, lost with a score of 3: 4.

The development of the series made SKA striker Alexander Barabanov recall 2017. Petersburgers then also met with Vityaz in the first round and won four consecutive victories. It all ended with the conquest of the Gagarin Cup. Barabanov hinted that no one in SKA would refuse to repeat the script. The analogies with the draw of three years ago are really asking. Even the results for the teams are similar. Like last time, Vityaz lost to SKA with a difference of five goals, and even six - 0: 6 in the third match of the series.

After the first period, the hosts conceded - 0: 4. In the future, St. Petersburg played for fun. The point at the end of the third 20-minute period was set by the lover of historical parallels Drums.

But Kravets admitted that his team did not succeed, and she lost in all components: in the fight for the puck and in motion.

“There was not enough struggle and desire that could turn the game around,” the Vityaz mentor summed up.

SKA head coach Alexei Kudashov praised his hockey players for the high-quality game in unequal compositions. It is curious that the opponents made the same number of shots - 31 each. At the same time, SKA goalkeeper Magnus Hellberg designed a “cracker”, and Kravets complained about the unsuccessful performance of his goalkeepers.

The post-match commentary by the author of the first goal in the match of Danila Galenyuk seems to be curious. If you believe the SKA defender, his team was hard in each of the three meetings.

“Maybe Vityaz gave a slack, and we realized our moments. We managed to keep the puck and play our game, ”he said.

The fourth matches of these series will take place on Saturday, March 7.