Let’s finalize some things for the start: The mentor of Khabarovsk “Amur” commented on the defeat in Kazan

It must be understood that the match is Magnitogorsk, the game in Kazan and the meeting in Chelyabinsk are not at all important for Amur. The team solved its problems not without the help of its closest pursuers, of course, but also I tried myself and now he’s just finishing out the regular season. This is a great opportunity for the players to survive the setback after the finishing spurt and gain emotions, for the coaching staff to look at mistakes and adjust the lineup before the decisive battles.

No one intends to give up, fighting for a victory that no one needs, leaving parts of their bodies and equipment on the ice. It will turn out great, but no, and God bless him. More important save the roster for the playoffs, again to assemble from individual hockey players a full-fledged combat unit – a team capable of solving problems by fulfilling coaching instructions. If you want to criticize, wait until the first round, in hockey there is always something to do, even champions get it.

For Martemyanov, this playoffs is a kind of challenge. Never once did his team advance beyond the quarter finals. It’s a great opportunity for players to prove to others and themselves that they are worth something. Especially for those who have never participated in an elimination race before. So let’s wait and see. As for the game in Kazan, the Amur coaching staff, as expected, redrew the lineup by keeping some leaders and trying out new combinations. They also gave Igor Bobkov a rest – instead of him, Dmitry Lozebnikov, who sat on the bench, stood in goal. But Ak Bars solved their problems for the playoffs on the ice, which is why they were collected and businesslike.

As for the game itself, the first period turned out strange. According to the picture on the screen, Ak Bars was stronger, and Amur won the starting segment. A sharp counterattack in the 7th minute of the match, a long-range shot by Yan Drozg with a rebound from Nikita Lyamkin puts the Khabarovsk team ahead. Following this, “Amur” played a little as number one, but then again gave the initiative to the opponent. The twenty minutes ended with the removal of Kirill Kapustin, who was forced to foul in the opponent’s zone.

“Amur” started the second period with an incomplete team. But already in the five-on-five game, the visiting defense missed a sharp attack from Stanislav Galiev, who single-handedly rolled to the Khabarovsk goal and beat Dmitry Lozebnikov. This puck served as a catalyst of sorts. Then a hail of goals followed and Ak Bars solved all their problems for this game. Maxim Bykov scored in the 34th minute, Stanislav Galiev scored a double in the 36th minute, and Kirill Semenov made the score very comfortable for Ak Bars in the 38th minute – 4:1. The second period ended with a fight. Nikita Dynyak called Vyacheslav Gretsky. The referees allowed it, and the players let off extra steam by waving their fists. They both got two minutes.

In the third period, “Amur” woke up and began to act more actively and tougher. In the 48th minute, Artur Gizdatullin caught Nikita Dynyak from behind and he, holding his knee, barely made it to his bench, and Artur rolled into the penalty box for a full five minutes. Khabarovsk residents remain in the minority. It would seem that that’s it, Ak Bars will now put the pressure on and finish the match with a completely indecent score. But that was not the case – the Far Easterners survived. Moreover, Kirill Slepets scored in a four-on-five game – the high pressure bore fruit. The meeting ended with a score of 4:2 in favor of the team from Kazan.

“To be honest, I was dissatisfied with the performance of our forwards in the first two periods: they didn’t hold the puck well, they didn’t win much of the fight. The opponent dominated and had more possession of the puck. They picked up minorities, that is, they put a strain on our goalkeeper and defense. The missed goals were a consequence of fatigue: they made mistakes that had not happened before. In the third period we perked up, I was more pleased with the game than in the first two. Our bench is not so long, they let those who haven’t played much play. In principle, they survived the game and showed pretty good hockey. We are preparing for the playoffs – we have one more match, we will finalize some things for the start. Fight? I feel completely normal about this. The guys let off steam and delighted the audience. Hockey is beautiful not only for its goals, but also for what happens on the court. The intensity of the fight, no one wanted to lose, and the guys waved their fists a little. The struggle is a struggle, both teams are preparing for the playoffs, there may be such things there. Playoff opponent? I don’t bother at all. All opponents are strong in the playoffs; weak ones don’t make it there. I don’t think that we are a weak team, although maybe someone considers us passable. Last year’s success of “Admiral”? Honestly, it motivates me. I don’t know if the guys will agree with me or not. “Admiral” – well done, I think they played very well. There was a cup game, where there was more defense. What’s the difference? They had a result, they created a sensation. This also motivates us, me in particular, definitely,” he noted after the match Andrey Martemyanov, head coach of HC Amur.

Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, head coach of Ak Bars As expected, I was satisfied with the second period and not very happy with the rest, especially with the majority of my team. In general, in his opinion, the result of this game is rather positive. Of course, Ak Bars is fixed in fourth place and guarantees itself a home start to the playoffs.

Let’s move on – “Amur” is moving to Chelyabinsk, where on Monday, February 26, it will play with “Traktor”, which still remembers its not very successful series in Khabarovsk and will certainly try to get even with its offenders.

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