Probably jinxed: Khabarovsk “Amur” was again defeated on the road, this time “Lada”

Overall, the Tigers looked preferable to their opponents, but they conceded five goals while scoring only one

“Amur” had a wonderful start – great battle with “Vityaz”, a comeback from 0:2, an enchanting final, which for once allowed the Khabarovsk team to score two points at the start. The first three of the attack, which included Egor Korshkov and Alex Broadhurst and Spartak star Alexander Khokhlachev, performed well. It was thanks to these three heroes that “Amur” very quickly took off, rising to the very top of the standings.

It seemed like it was going well. The coaching staff found the necessary keys to stir up the team, which was usually amorphous at the start of the season, and everything will be even better in the future. It is clear that no one expected that Amur would win against both Dynamo and Spartak; after all, the championship is a long event, the opponents are very strong and everyone has their own ambitions, but at least take one or two points ? They hoped, but as it turned out, it was in vain.

Even in the first match, in some moments the unclear play of the defense line and goalkeeper was alarming. Actually, the first two goals in our goal came from somewhere, which then allowed us to beautifully catch up and overtake the “fairytale heroes” from the Moscow region. The next opponent was more serious – Moscow “Dynamo”. And then there was a defeat, but not the kind that was expected in Khabarovsk. The final score was 3:1 in favor of the Muscovites, which slightly lowered the level of expectations. Alexander Khokhlachev scored the only goal.

Then there was match with Spartak, for which, by agreement with the “gladiators”, it turns out there was such a thing, the main drummer of hockey work, Alexander Khokhlachev, did not show up. And again, as in the match with Dynamo, the Khabarovsk team looked good, but lost. The Far Easterners again played the role of catching up and were even almost able to get even, but in the final ten minutes they got a puck in the power play and then another one into an empty net – 3:5.

And finally, a trip to Togliatti to the local Lada, which either pops up in the KHL, then again dives into a lower league. Be that as it may, matches in Stavropol on the Volga have always been difficult for Amur. But this time it seemed that the Khabarovsk team would be able to overcome the curse of the “city of the cross” and take the necessary points. In general, the “tigers,” even in the absence of Broadhurst, who was injured in the game with Spartak, looked preferable to the Togliatti team. But the hosts really wanted to win.

At the 5th minute of the match at Amur, defender Evgeniy Kulik is sent off, having stopped the breakthrough of Lada forward Janis Kalnins to the goal and saved the team from a sure goal. But while Kulik was gaining strength on the bench, another trouble happened – Lada converted the majority. Scott Kosmachuk, who fired powerfully at goal, and Mikhail Fisenko, who corrected the puck into the free corner, distinguished themselves.

One puck, what’s wrong with that? In the same match with Vityaz there were two. But as it turned out, everything was not so simple; the goal scored spurred the hosts on, and the roaring crowds added courage to the team. The second also came, but at the 37th minute. And again there was a game in the minority, when Evgeniy Kulik sat in the penalty box and again, late in the night, the aforementioned Scott Kosmachuk and his friend broke through to the Amur goal, scoring on the move.

Well, then it rained down like from a cornucopia. Third period – in the 46th minute, Lada scores in the minority 0:3. Then, in the 47th minute, Amur gladiator Alexander Khokhlachev wins one back in the majority – 1:3. In the 48th minute, Troy Josephs scored the fourth again with his team shorthanded. Well, the final one is the fifth, it flies into the goal of Jānis Kalnins in the 58th minute. Game over. “Amur” remains without points for the third match in a row.

“Did you find it difficult to get into the game? It’s difficult to say what this is connected with, we prepared as usual, nothing like that happened. It was a bad start, and the game was also bad with uneven lineups. We missed two goals both in the majority and in the minority… We need to work and move on. Hockey, in principle, is all about martial arts; if you win them, then the initiative is on your side. Today we lost everything. Playing in unequal lineups simply decided,” noted Petr Khokhryakov, captain of the Amur team.

Cupid’s mentor was more categorical.

“Our opponents showed us how we need to snatch victory, with what attitude we need to go out and win. I will say two things about our team. Very big complaints about the leaders and the general mood of the team. Naturally, I take responsibility for preparing the team, but there will also be demand from the people who are on site. We lost all the combats, there is no dedication, concentration is the same,” he commented on the game Andrey Martemyanov, head coach of HC Amur.

What can I say? Of course, Amur did not have the easiest stretch, games with the leaders take a lot of energy, but who promised that it would be easy? I hope the necessary conclusions will be drawn and the mistakes will be corrected. Moreover, the long away series for Amur has not yet ended; on September 11 they will play in Omsk with the local Avangard. We need to get together and find the will to win. We are rooting for our people.

Read also: Khabarovsk “Amur” lost to “Spartak” with a score of 3:5

Khabarovsk “Amur” lost to Moscow “Dynamo” in a bitter struggle

Fiery match: Khabarovsk “Amur” defeated “Vityaz” at the start of the championship. The second period was decisive, in which the Khabarovsk team fought back from minus 2 and then took the lead