The columnist after the game Spartak – Avangard (2: 4) spoke with Vladimir Tkachev, who scored such a shot that he was two points from first place in the KHL top scorers list .
Kravets: ‘We’ll hang weights on Yakupov and let him run’
This season, the trio Vladimir Tkachev (7+17) – Corban Knight (7+6) – Reed Boucher (7+17) has already scored 60 points. The children are on the ice! Additionally, Knight has missed eight games due to injury.
It’s one of the most productive ties in the KHL, and it pulls Avangard up – from last in the East to mid-table. When Mikhail Kravets took over the team, he had individual conversations with each player. I wonder how he got hold of Vladimir Tkachev.
Just statistics:
That is, you can see how much Vladimir added. I talked about it with Avangard’s interim head coach Mikhail Kravets after the victory over Spartak (4-2).
– What words did you find for Tkachev?
– I did not push any speech in front of him. Just when you want a player to help you, you have to offer him what he can do. Demand that. If he doesn’t, then that’s bad, of course.
We agreed with Volodya that he is playing at his best, but he does not forget that it is very often dangerous. Therefore, in case of losses or his mistakes, he must train in defense. What Tkachev does.
– Did you tell him, Knight and Bush, who does what on the line? Or did they agree with each other?
– Of course, the players themselves agree. But he asked Knight and Bush to help Tkachev. We had such a joke in the locker room, we all laughed. But these guys succeed.
– You have two games ahead of you with Ak Bars. Will there be triple bonuses for this match?
– Ahead of us on the schedule – “Siberia”. And no bonuses.
– Is it true that Nail Yakupov was on the injured list until the end of the season?
– Not before the end of the season, he already went to training. He had the stitches removed from a broken finger. When we come back from the outing, it will come out on the ice. We’ll tie our shoelaces, hang weights, and he’ll run with us.
– And why the weights?
“But it’s a joke.
Tkachev: ‘Knight and Boucher could easily play in the NHL’
– How do you find the game with Spartak?
– We started well, scored in the majority, walked with confidence. And in the second half, we lost concentration a bit. But goalkeeper Vasya Demchenko kept us in the game today and helped us.
– You have scored 2 (1 + 1) points, but in general you have 24 (7 + 17) points in 23 games. But the season started in such a way that Tkachev was simply not visible. What has changed with the arrival of new head coach Mikhail Kravets?
– Good question… I will say that the new coach called me to talk. He told me what he wanted from me. And I try to play this hockey as the coach asks, as he sees it. I just try to do it.
– Were you very afraid that the season would start badly? Maybe you weren’t playing your part?
“In general, everything went well in the pre-season. And came into the season, and somewhere there was a micro-recession. I would like to find out myself… I hope that It won’t happen again. I’m just trying to get out there and show off my hockey, which I can play.
– Your line with Korban Knight and Reed Boucher is now one of the best in the KHL. How do you agree on who does what on the ice?
– Of course, I have good partners. I would even say that they are very good. We agree on the ice – for example, before the throw-in. We hit it off right away. We feel, and no one pulls the blanket over themselves. Everyone plays for a partner, so everything works out for us.
Everyone thought Vladimir Tkachev could play in the NHL. But it is possible, if you trust him and give such partners.
Yes, the guys are great. Always supporting when something is wrong. In our trio, after all, there are also recessions. But it’s important that we enjoy the game. Knight and Boucher could easily play in the NHL and wouldn’t be the last hockey players. Luckily they are here with me now.
– Avangard has already taken sixth place in the East. But these are the last… Have you moved away from the long road record streak in September?
“It was a very difficult outing. Regular flights, minimum recovery time. But no one is to blame, it just happened.
But now we have a second wind. It helps a lot that we’re playing in the new G-Drive Arena. We have a top-of-the-line stadium, built to NHL standards. Almost always sold out, the fans are very supportive and we can’t show a bad game. When we win, we make people happy.
– Have you set the bar for yourself – score 60 or 70 points this season?
– Of course, deep down you think about personal statistics. But I want to go as far as possible in the playoffs. God forbid, enter the final of the Gagarin Cup. And above all, to have a team result. If he comes, everything else will be fine.
– Skeptics say Tkachev “disappears” in the playoffs. What will you tell them?
– I take criticism well. Everyone has their own opinion and can express it. If a person thinks it, he thinks it. I never get carried away about it. If they say something bad, I try to ignore it.
– Remind me, in which wave were you selected for the KHL All-Star Game?
– I was not chosen. Only one Sergei Tolchinsky was chosen from Avangard.
“And how can that be?” One of the most popular clubs in the KHL…
– So what? You say yourself that I started this season neither trembling nor rolling. Well, that’s fine. There will just be a break, I will recover better. It’s even better.
– What if they invite you to play for the Russian national team in December?
“Of course. Never gave up on the team.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
