On the eve of the confrontation between Ak Bars and Avangard, few could have imagined that Kazan would have the opportunity to put an end to the fifth match. It seemed that the struggle in the series would go on until the last. And it was even more difficult to believe that Zinetula Bilyaletdinov's charges would win both first away games. But it happened, and they had a chance not only to make it to the final of the Gagarin Cup for the fifth time, but also to save a lot of energy.
Mikhail Kravets in the current situation expressed the hope only that his wards would show character.
"You need to believe, you need to fight, you need to get the strength out of yourself. Now we need to have a good rest. Of course, it is possible to analyze – again to delve into all the details. But I believe that you just need to go to the next match and play in such a way as to return, give all your strength and everything that everyone has, "the Championship quotes the words of the specialist.
At the same time, both coaches did not make substitutions in the starting lineups and links, betting on the same hockey players and the same combinations as in the previous match.
Kravets' words did not diverge from his deed. Already in the first period, the guests increased their aggression compared to previous games. They sought to meet opponents high and did not hesitate to act tough, but within the rules. Omsk also earned a two-fold advantage in faceoffs won (eight against four). All this led to two goals before the break, although in the previous match the fans waited for the only puck almost until the final siren.
However, the visitors could well have conceded in their debut. No sooner had the game started than Damir Sharipzyanov hooked Alexander Radulov with a stick. The experienced striker himself had two terrific chances in uneven lineups, but did not convert them. First, he miraculously missed the target after Stanislav Galiev's cross, and then failed to convert Vadim Shipachev's excellent pass from the right into a goal. In this episode, Vasyl Demchenko played above all praise, competently blocking the target.
But the Hawks took the first chance. Once again, the leading link was superb. Vladimir Tkachev brought the puck into the zone and gave a pass to the connected Alexei Bereglazov. In turn, Reed Boucher and Corban Knight went to the spot along with the guardians, giving the defender the opportunity to calmly aim and accurately throw. Timur Bilyalov, who did not concede more than 90 minutes in the Gagarin Cup, tried to prove to the judges that he had violated the rules, but Bilyaletdinov did not take the request.
And in the 16th minute, the Hawks, unlike their opponents, scored the majority. They controlled the puck in the other half for a long time and didn't seem to make it. But after Tkachev's click and Bilyalov's save, the shell bounced straight to Boucher in the right circle. So the team scored twice with only seven shots on target. Kazan turned out to be better (ten), but failed to upset Demchenko, who caught the courage. However, shortly before the siren, they again remained in the majority after sergei Tolchinsky was sent off for playing with a high stick, but did not succeed.
In the second period, the hosts were forced to go forward. They spent more than ten minutes in attack and forced the visitors to defend. However, they defended themselves competently and without panic. The main thing is that they did not leave the opponents free space in their half and blocked all the zones where the attackers could break in. Also, they practically did not allow them to penetrate the spot. As a result, Ak Bars had to take the puck to the sides, from where it was difficult to create sharpness.
So Kazan, with all their advantage, made only six shots on target and lost to opponents with eight clicks. Most of the shots (13) the "hawks" blocked on the way to their own goal, leaving Demchenko without work. Although Vasily at the right moments came to the aid of his partners.
But it was Kravetz's charges who missed more dangerous chances in counter-attacks. What is worth at least a one-on-one with Bilyalov performed by Tolchinsky. Appearing on the ice, the forward received an excellent pass and ran away to a rendezvous with the goalie. But Timur played amazingly and parried the shot with his shields. But if Avangard had widened the gap in the score, it would have been extremely difficult to escape. A little later, Dmitry Yudin let Kazan down, who threw the puck out of the court under pressure, but this time Omsk did not take advantage of the majority.
All the more unexpected was the incredible comeback that the hosts organized in the final stretch. And they were saved by people from whom this was not expected at all - Yudin and Kirill Adamchuk. Both defensemen had previously scored just one goal for two in this playoffs. But in a difficult moment, when nothing worked out for the forwards, they took the initiative.
The rescue began with a stunning long-range click by Yudin just 20 seconds after the match resumed. To the guests' credit, they didn't press themselves even harder against their own goal, but rushed forward. Moreover, unlike their opponents, they were good at bringing the puck to the spot. Gritsyuk's link was particularly zealous. Omsk had many opportunities to score for the third time and put an end to the confrontation, but did not take advantage of them. For example, Tkachev and Boucher ran into a two-on-one counterattack, but the American missed the target after his partner's pass.
As a result, with 7.5 minutes left in regulation time, Avangard were penalised for poor execution. This time it was Adamchuk's turn, and he made a shot from almost the same point as Yudin. Prior to that, the impeccable Demchenko fired a shell into the near nine. In the return attack, Semyon Chistyakov charged from the blue exactly on target, but the referees canceled the goal, as the puck came out of the zone.
Next, Kazan had the opportunity to remove all questions and snatch victory without bringing it to overtime. Ilya Safonov made a raid on the starboard side, drove to the spot and pushed the puck into the net, knocking Demchenko off his feet. Victor Svedberg immediately stood up for the goalkeeper. The Swede attacked the offender with his fists and was sent off for the rest of the meeting. Kravets expectedly took the request. The referee spent almost ten minutes watching the replay, but still decided that the forward had fouled the goalkeeper and could have avoided contact with him, rather than Svedberg pushing him at his partner.
In overtime, the advantage of the hosts became even more noticeable. It also affected the fact that in the absence of Svedberg, the opponents had to play five defenders. As a result, those who remained visibly tired. Inspired Kazan carried out attack after attack, but Demchenko acted above all praise on the last line. However, in the eighth minute, Ak Bars still put an end to it. Shipachyov, after a pass from his partner, struck an empty corner and led his team to the final of the Gagarin Cup. The experienced forward can be called a real hero of overtime, because he also decided the fate of the third game in extra time. Avangard hockey players can only bite their elbows, because they themselves missed a comfortable advantage in the score and did not realize a lot of chances.