In the first match of the semi-final series, Traktor lost Zach Fucale

Traktor began the semi-final series of the Gagarin Cup in Yaroslavl with a 2:5 defeat from Lokomotiv. The key moment of the meeting was the injury of the main goalkeeper of the “black and whites” Zach Fucale after Chelyabinsk student Maxim Shalunov flew into him. Traktor’s pucks were scored by Charles Robinson and Mikhail Kotlyarevsky.

The 12-day break after the fourth victory over Dynamo allowed Traktor to carry out a full recovery and return injured players to the lineup. The Chelyabinsk team approached the matches in Yaroslavl with the optimal lineup for today. Sergei Telegin returned to the first pair of defense, otherwise the application remained familiar. Zach Fucale predictably took his place in goal. The start of the match was left to Traktor.

Lokomotiv started the match cautiously, and the guests took advantage of the hosts’ sluggishness. Buddy Robinson carried the puck from his zone to the shooting position and accurately hit the far corner. The goal woke up the Yaroslavl team, and they picked up the pace. The “tractor” in some places stopped coping with the proposed speed. Playing in the majority, the “black and whites” missed the counterattack of the “reds”, which was closed by Alexander Polunin. And at the very end of the period, Lokomotiv already realized their majority. Martin Gernat put his team ahead. Also bad in the first period was Anton Burdasov’s hand injury. He was replaced in Semyon Der-Arguchintsev’s line by 13th striker Alexander Rykov.

In the middle of the second period, Anton Burdasov managed to return to the ice. “Traktor” added pace and created an edge at Daniil Isaev’s goal. But at the end of the period, Lokomotiv was very lucky. Maxim Shalunov collided with Zach Fucale and injured the Chelyabinsk goalkeeper. The hosts’ second attack led to a goal against the emerging Sergei Mylnikov. In the last minutes, Lokomotiv also received a power play, but along with it a goal from Mikhail Kotlyarevsky. And yet, the hosts converted this majority after a shot from Pavel Kraskovsky.

The third period worsened the trends of the second. Almost immediately, Lokomotiv scored the fifth, with Alexander Elesin hitting the near corner, which seemed to be tightly held by Sergei Mylnikov. The game was made and in the remaining time the key moment was Robinson’s attack on the Lokomotiv goalkeeper, which only led to a four-minute penalty for the American.

2:5 – a painful defeat for Traktor, which was aggravated by the injury of Zach Fucale. Without the Canadian goalkeeper, let’s be honest, the Chelyabinsk team has nothing to catch. Let’s also note a positive point – the players’ desire to fight to the end. Only through unity and teamwork can Chelyabinsk residents count on winning this series.