“Vanguard” - “Metallurg” Mg - 2: 1. Account in the series: 1-1.
Vladislav Bulin
“This is the playoffs, here they face under the puck,” Maxim Afinogenov once said. True, he spoke of the NHL. But this phrase of his characterizes precisely the series of “Vanguard” with “Magnitogorsk”, a separately taken second game and a specific episode in which Vladislav Bulin suffered. Such episodes in hockey, of course, happen all the time. But it is in the playoffs that this does not look like just an accident, but a real willingness to defend one's own goal not only with one's chest, but also - literally - with one's face. And in the end, what happened? Bulin in a hospital with a fracture of the facial bone. Magnitogorsk - without one of the main defenders. And all the same: "This is the playoffs, here they face under the puck."
Anton Kuryanov
In the third match of the quarterfinal series with Lokomotiv, the forward of the Vanguard also got it - from the club of Alexei Bondarev. Kuryanov, who suffered a concussion, missed only one game - the next one in Yaroslavl. And already reached the semifinals. And already in the second match with “Magnitogorsk” he became one of the main creators of the victory of Omsk.
In the first period, Vanguard seemed lost. There was no longer that large-scale advantage due to which on the eve everyone admired the ingenious game of Travis Scott. And the ridiculous missed goal when Nikitin pushed Fomichev into his own goal, which allowed Platonov to calmly hit their empty half, only reinforced this impression. Avangard did not know how to score Magnitogorsk. Everyone has already tried it - it didn’t work. It was then that Kuryanov took the floor. Two of his goals made a dramatic change both in the second match and in the entire series.
Alexander Fomichev
Valery Belousov did not repeat yesterday’s mistake. And the thing is not even that on the roll before the first game the puck hit Norma Maraklu in the forehead. It seems that the wisest Belousov initially made a mistake with the first number in the playoffs. Because the Canadian wonders of miracles did not demonstrate reliability, although it did not fail. And Fomichev already played twice for “zero”, and naturally pulled out a couple of very difficult games. One with Yaroslavl. And now one more - with Magnitogorsk. Maybe Alexander played not as magically as Travis Scott on Thursday, but he matched the level of the playoffs without question. You can not say about Maracl.
What's next
One can foresee claims against the referee of the match Alexander Cherenkov. Because he did not stop the game, when the puck hit Kolina after Bulin hit, he remained on the ice. But the episode was developing so rapidly that he most likely did not have time to react. Kuryanov threw on goal maximum a second after the puck bounced off him from Bulin. And hit. If he missed or didn’t throw right away, the whistle would probably have sounded. And to cancel a goal that has already taken place - on what basis? There was no whistle. A difficult situation ...
It will also be interesting to see if Belousov finally decided on the main goalkeeper. Whether Fomichev will leave in Magnitogorsk again or Maracl will return. This is also a problem for Magnitogorsk. And for the Vanguard itself. Constant goalkeeper castles in the playoffs do not bode well.
Well, so what next? And then it will definitely be even more interesting. Omsk is extremely strong. Magnitogorsk proved that it’s also not a bast. And five matches are now becoming more real than ever. Less than these two amazing fighters are simply not enough. Give them a series of up to four victories, they and all seven will play.