“Ak Bars” - CSKA - 4: 2. Account in the series: 2-0
Igor Zakharkin
Almost everyone who had to work with the coaching pair of Bulls - Zakharkin, says that in CSKA and the national team, the tactics for the match are thought up not by the head coach, but by his assistant. Bykov, of course, is directly involved in the discussion of the game plan, but all ideas come from his assistant.
The plan for the second match with the Kazan club was the only correct one. Do not run ahead - score, but wait for the opponent’s mistake. In each episode, give all the best, not yielding to anything, but also observing the rules.
Almost everything worked out. In the first two periods, a tough fight. Attacks only when the opponent allowed. Increased attention to defense (while the army team, while there were forces, the four met “leopards” on the blue line, and they could not do anything). But then individual skill affected. All CSKA deletions came precisely from a lack of skill - the game situation did not require violations. Then, defense failures began, when three defenders carefully watched one striker, doing nothing. And defeat.
Ivan Kasutin
Before the season, Ivan was full of energy and desire to prove that if you trust him, he can catch up and overtake, say, Semyon Varlamov. But Skudra arrived. The coach, when Peteris was injured, openly missed him. Kasutin felt this and was nervous.
Disappointed in Skudra, Bykov invited Simchuk, again refusing to trust Kasutin. And then he suddenly threw Ivan into the heat, against Ak Bars, in the second match of the playoffs. Kasutin, we note, played with dignity, although during the first goal he lacked confidence and composure. But where does this come from, if most often you sit on a bench?
Raymond Giroud
Defender Ak Bars set a new performance record for defenders in the Russian Championship. Having made the transfer to Proshkin, he beat Dmitry Yushkevich with his 45 points scored last season. Vyacheslav Fetisov’s record, having once scored 49 points, will drop a little more.
We hope that Proshkin or Omsk Konstantin Koltsov still outperform the legionnaire. And it’s very insulting.
What's next
Everything goes to the point that on April 1 the series will end. There is no argument for CSKA winning at least one meeting. Now, if only the Kazan team will be dumped by a new epidemic of influenza. Or the citizens of Kazan the day before the game will take alcohol, celebrating something. Or for some other reason, five people will drop out of the main team. All three options look fantastic.
The army team generally stalemate. Playing slow hockey, they do not have time to reach the gate of Noronen. Having made a bet on the attack, they will immediately receive two or three goals in the first ten minutes. Of course, Moscow will have its fans. Emotions Perhaps Kazan will not tune in and will fool around. And Noronen will continue to run out of the gate, as in the case when the army team soaked the score. In general, inventions again went on, which are simply stupid to count on.
Alexey Shevchenko