Forecast
Mytishchi team will be lucky if it hooks in the series at least a match. At home, where goalkeeper Kolesnik misses out extremely reluctantly, something else can work out, but in Kazan there is no chance. "Chemist" is too disassembled to withstand the Kazan machine.
In the regular season
“Ak Bars” - “Chemist” - 2: 0. One of the most interesting matches of the first round. The “Chemist” had the opportunity to adequately complete it, but the team was unlucky in the majority. Peter Vorobyov, who led the guests, admitted that the stronger ones won.
“Chemist” - “Ak Bars” - 2: 3. We played in Voskresensk. The match was postponed due to the performance of Kazan in the Champions Cup. The hosts then began a serious crisis after returning from the Spengler Cup.
“Chemist” - “Ak Bars” - 4: 5. Goalkeepers who made ridiculous mistakes were strange. Pyotr Vorobyov was already “in the hospital”, that is, he was suspended from business. A few days later he resigned.
Noticeable
- Sergey Zinoviev - the leader of Ak Bars - played only in the last match. In the first two, he was injured.
- Danis Zaripov scored three goals into the goal of Chemist, and goalkeeper Alexander Eremenko assisted in the third match.
- The best of the other goalkeepers against Chemist was played by Alexander Eremenko: he had one “dry” match. But in the playoffs he will not be.
- Albert Leshchev scored 4 (1 + 3) points in the third match against Ak Bars.
- Konstantin Barulin missed 8 goals from Ak Bars in two meetings. Vitaly Kolesnik - one. Another goal scored in an empty net.
Vitaly Kolesnik: “Chance is in reliable defense”
- Vitaly, you meet in the quarter finals with the champion and winner of the regular season. See the odds of winning?
- There is always a chance, you just need to use it. And it doesn’t matter if it’s Ak Bars or Magnitogorsk. To do this, you just need to fight together in every game to the last.
- What can you say about your opponent?
“What do you say here?” A very strong team. But playing with such a pleasure. And if we can win, it will be doubly pleasant. Why not? If you don’t believe in victory, then why go out on the ice at all?
“It is understandable.” But you are coming to this series pretty tired after five matches with Severstal. While Ak Bars rested for almost a week, calmly prepared.
- Do not worry, we will have time to recover. Maybe for us it is even preferable to approach the games with Ak Bars in a good gaming tone.
- You said that there is always a chance. What is this chance, specifically, in your “Chemist” versus “Ak Bars”?
- Probably in team action. In a coordinated game of defense and attack. But first of all I would count on an attentive game in defense. That is what can help win.
- What start off as a guest is good or bad?
- Of course, playing with your viewers is more pleasant. But in Kazan, we must try to keep the level.
- You spoke about a chance in defense. It turns out that it will be even easier for you to visit?
- Maybe so.
- And how, for example, are you going to confront the top five of Kazan?
- This is the work of the trainers. They will choose tactics, then they will tell us. We fulfill our plan - we will win.
- It should be in your favor that the necessity of victory does not press morally. The favorite is Ak Bars.
- Perhaps. But we have a good team that will show a decent game. It will be interesting to see. We will try very hard.
- And how much do you expect to tighten the series?
- Ha, let's not make a guess. Everything has its time.
Alexander Stepanov: “We got used to being tuned in”
- Probably, you are lucky with your opponent. Still, “Chemist” is not the same as it was at the beginning of the season.
- What luck are you talking about? If you recall the regular season, then Mytishchi and I have always played hard. The most difficult game was in the third round.
- Then goalkeepers made a lot of mistakes.
- Yes. And the goalkeeper now for any club is more than half.
- Do you know that Vitaly Kolesnik did not miss the playoffs on his site?
“I know.” We followed the pair “Chemist” - “Severstal”. After all, our future rival played there. Nothing, we will tune.
- Who else highlight in the "Chemist"?
- There are good masters. For example, Albert Leshchev, Sergey Mozyakin. They need to be monitored very carefully.
- In the regular season you did not score too often. But in the playoffs hit the gate in every game.
- So I say: a completely different tournament. Another mood.
- It is believed that Ak Bars is a team of one three.
- You better ask the coach. I don’t feel that they are paying more attention to the Zinoviev trio. And we are generally strong precisely as a team. This will be decisive.
- “Chemist” will come out on the ice liberated - he has nothing to lose. The burden of responsibility presses on you.
- And we are used to it. And we remember very well that everyone tunes in and fights in Kazan, not sparing themselves.
- Is it important to win in three matches, or will any victory in the series be normal?
- If we win in three matches, there will be more time to recover.
- Are you tired?
- Not. But the rest does not hurt. In the playoffs you should not talk about fatigue at all. Here are completely different emotions.
Nikolay FEDORENKO
Alexey Shevchenko