Nail Yakupov: “After winning the Avangard series, I can take a deep breath”

“Vanguard” on Friday, March 10, played with “Siberia” in the fifth match of the series 1/8 playoffs of the KHL championship, won 4:3 in overtime and advanced to the next round. In the locker room after the match, he was appreciated by the striker of the “hawks” Nail Yakupov.

As the player noted, the opponent clearly had nothing to lose in this match.

– Complete pleasure, the impressions from the game are only positive, the relief from the victory is very big. We won the series, so now you can take a deep breath, of course, it’s good that we won.

– What are the main problems brought today “Siberia”?

– It’s not that it’s a problem. But she, probably, simply had nothing to lose, and therefore psychologically it is easier to move forward.

There was a feeling that at the beginning we “overslept” a little, the opponent won martial arts, he was faster. In many components we were behind him. Already in the second period, they began to catch up, but the deletions began to interfere with us. How many deletions they gave us – they scored almost all of them. But the main thing is that we won. All the removals at the same time were on the case, it is clear that there was a power struggle and skirmishes. And there were some good clean power moves. As a result, it is both spectacular and without “dirt”.

– Was the jitters before the start of overtime due to the fact that you can miss it stupidly and then you need to play another match on the road?

– We are all people, everyone is worried, personally I will say that I just needed to understand: if we play correctly and the way we can play, then we will succeed. Rest was at stake, otherwise it was a difficult game in Novosibirsk, it is always difficult there. The incentive was clear. And now we can rest and continue to prepare.

– When Pigin scored the decisive goal, were you on the bench? How did you see it?

– Yes, I was on the bench and saw little. Only as the puck has already flown into the “nine” – and relief. Because at that moment I just arrived from the ice, I just turn around – and a goal.

Previously, we also provided assessment of the third meeting of the series from forward Sergei Tolchinsky.