Goalkeepers
Noronen and Scott are the best goalkeepers in the Super League. One can argue with this, one can agree, but it’s no secret that the goalkeeper position in the playoffs is the key. The Canadian still looks brighter, but Noronen and rivals did not yet have such, to prove himself in true splendor. Magnitogorsk is just such a rival. So the final will be a goalkeeper duel - that's for sure. And the forces are completely equal.
Mika Noronen
Statistics. Regular season: 33 matches - 66 goals conceded, 2 matches to zero. Playoffs: 11 - 21, 0.
Funny case. In the first round match against Vityaz, he was removed until the end of the match for a fight. Made Four Assists. In the quarterfinal series with CSKA - two in one game.
Travis scott
Statistics. RF: 45 - 70, 9. PO: 10 - 16, 1.
Funny case. In the season he scored six two-minute fines and one ten-minute. I missed more than three goals just once. They managed to score four goals against the Canadian only ... “Ak Bars”.
Semen Varlamov, goalkeeper of the Russian national team : “It's a shame that our goalkeepers will not be in the final. Only spare. But both finalists play great. They have an interesting technique, unusual style of play. But I will not speak about weaknesses - consider this corporate solidarity. But in general, it seems to me that Scott is better. They throw him more, but he reflects more. I add that Noronen has a very good understudy. Eremenko is more adult and more experienced than Khudobin’s Magnitogorets. ”
Defense
In favor of the Magnitogorsk defenders says that “Metallurg” in the regular season missed the least. Plus also a semifinal with “Vanguard”. Omsk's powerful attacking line, especially their first link, in only one match was able to score more than two goals. It says something about something.
The defensive line of Ak Bars offhand seems no weaker, despite the fact that the statistics show the opposite. But the explanation is simple. Kazan missed a lot of goals in the end of the matches, the outcome of which they decided in their favor in advance. As it was, for example, in both home games with CSKA. When there is no comfortable advantage in the bill, “leopards” are attention itself. And they don’t allow themselves to do anything stupid. Therefore, here, too, is a draw. Opponents stand each other.
Maxim Goncharov, defender of CSKA and the junior national team of Russia: “It seems to me that Ak Bars has stronger protection. It is more played, it helps the attack better. It is no accident that Giroud and Proshkin are the most productive defenders of the championship. True, in the final they will most likely have to deal with their direct duties. The experienced Bulin dropped out from Metallurg, and two more pairs of defenders, excluding Atyushov and Varlamov, were no stronger than the attackers of Kazan. ”
Attack
On strained games in Mytishchi and Moscow, you can rush to the conclusion, they say, “Ak Bars” is now not the one that was in the regular season. And this concerns, first of all, attacks. And especially the first link. But here’s the paradox: in the top ten playoff scorers, exactly half are from Ak Bars (including the first three, of course, in full force). So the rumors about the death of Kazan’s most formidable weapons are greatly exaggerated.
“Magnitogorsk”, by the way, also has a trio, which can be called the first. Kulemin - Marek - Kudrna. Why are they bad? In the first series, he “lit” Kudrna. Kulemin three goals made a great contribution to the victory over the “Vanguard”. Although, of course, on the whole, the attack of Metallurg looks even and somewhat less toothy than that of Ak Bars with Morozov at the head. But Magnitogorsk residents have a reserve in the person of Kaygorodov, who is not playing his own playoffs yet. Well, how did you save the best matches for the finals?
Alexei Cherepanov, forward of the Omsk Avangard: “The attack on both teams is wonderful. I would not say that “Ak Bars” has only one three. When we met with them, they seemed to be able to cover the first link, so others beat us - Badyukov, for example. But Metallurg is now on track, the team has an emotional upsurge. And Nikolai Kulemin, it seems, is generally at the peak of form. It will be difficult to do something with this, although Zinoviev’s link can provide the result at any moment. ”
Trainers
Only here one of the teams has an obvious advantage. Of course, we are talking about Kazan. But Kanareikin already confounded the skeptics - and the very fact of reaching the final. And the fact that along the way he finished with the cunning Valery Belousov. Moreover, somehow even surprisingly easy. Ak Bars, however, does not have such a "reckless" defense as Avangard. And with the first goalkeeper everything is clear. So it will be much harder to crack this nut Kanareykinu. Moreover, Bilyaletdinov must have carefully studied the Magnitogorsk series with Omsk and made the necessary conclusions.
Vladimir Semenov: “Kanareykin has something to prove”
Russian national team coach Vladimir Semenov compares his colleagues Zinetulu Bilyaletdinov and Fedor Kanareikin.
- There are probably no questions with experience. The Ak Bars coach has more.
- Of course, there is no reason to argue.
- Do they profess different styles of play?
- I think yes. Metallurg plays more positionally. Although Ak Bars cannot be called a closed team, it is rather the other way around. But the Urals have better interaction between defense and attack.
- Fedor Kanareikin was still considered a coach whose career did not go well. This will somehow affect the final series. Would he flinch at the last moment?
“I doubt it will have an effect.” He has a very strong team now, it’s easy to work with her. I think Kanareikin is able to manage this team.
- So what will be decisive for the Urals in the finals: the wisdom of the coach or a strong roster?
- Strong composition. Although it should be noted that Kanareykin brought a lot of new and fresh to the team’s game.
- What exactly?
- He paid more attention to defense, he added to the organization. The team misses very little.
- Bilyaletdinov has one strike link. And probably the main thing for him is that the Zinoviev trio play?
“I would not say that.” Not everything is decided by the Zinoviev link. The Tereshchenko trio plays very successfully. They also score a lot. In the series with CSKA Moscow and the young guys did a lot to win.
- Does Bilyaletdinov stand his style? Does his Ak Bars show the same hockey as Dynamo champion?
“I would not say that.” In Dynamo, he focused only on defense, the team never played open hockey. In Kazan, the bet is precisely on the attack. Perhaps due to the fact that a better selection of forwards.
- In your opinion, has he changed?
- Bilyaletdinov is an experienced person. He knows how to analyze and learn.
- Can we say that in the final two best coaches of the country meet?
“I wouldn't say that.” Yes, Bilyaletdinov is the strongest coach, and Kanareykin still has a lot to prove.