Many hockey regions of our country were represented at the FHR 3 × 3 hockey championship, which is taking place these days in Moscow. Famous KHL masters also participated. At the same time, the teams came together, so to speak, at the place of residence of the players, and not according to club contracts.
So, 26-year-old striker Nikolai Goldobin from Magnitogorsk became the captain of the Moscow team at the tournament, where he is now preparing for the season on his own, and not the Magnitogorsk team.
Unlike the Gagarin Cup, where Goldobin reached the final and listed the top three most productive players in the 2022 playoffs, in the 3×3 format his team was less fortunate. However, Nikolay’s impressions of the new competition are pleasant.
“We need a completely different tactic here”
– Judging by the tournament, you’re already in good shape. Specially noticed – your shifts on the ice lasted three and a half minutes.
– The tournament is great. The only pity is that the result is not at all what we expected. But I still liked it. Lost, probably because there weren’t enough players. Started with six, then left with five.
– Already in Moscow, if desired, it was possible to assemble several powerful trains.
“It looks like they’ve all been taken apart. I myself was invited a few days before the tournament started. That’s why I called the guys I know personally in the team. At the start, we We were considered the favourites, but now it’s clear that Yaroslavl and Tula have good teams, Pierre is fine too.
– Tell me the opinion of a professional: does this sport have a future?
– Yes, and huge. And this tournament is proof of that. I hope everything will be even cooler.
— What is the main difference between the 3×3 format and classic hockey?
“We need a completely different tactic here. We play without defenders. Each team has three attackers and a goalkeeper. Therefore, after a counterattack, you can get an easy goal.
– I just noticed that pucks fly into the goal here much more often than in overtime in KHL games, which are also played in the 3×3 format. Why?
– Yet in such tournaments there are much more failures in attack than in the KHL. Okay, so as long as it’s summer hockey, and it affects too.
– It turns out that in 3×3, everything depends even more on the goalkeeper?
– Perhaps, but we certainly should not blame our own – he often saved. We constantly allowed the opponent to rush either 2 in 1 or 3 in 2. Our fault in defeat is bigger.
“In the final, I wish good luck to Nichushkin”
– How do you rate this preparation tournament for the KHL championship?
“I feel like I’ve already lost three kilos in two days. Great feature! You can’t go to the gym anymore. Personally, I really like this season preparation.
– Have you already started preparing for the first training camp?
– I haven’t forced it yet. Only swimming pool, volleyball… Light sport, no heavy loads.
You have to follow the Stanley Cup. Which of the finalists do you have your sympathy for?
– If Tampa wins the Cup for the third consecutive time, it will certainly be a miracle. But our Valera Nichushkin, who now plays for Colorado, has never won the Stanley Cup, so I wish her team good luck. Colorado deserves to win now.
– How to explain that “Tampa” reaches the final for the third consecutive time?
“The perfect team was created there. Excellent defense and, in my opinion, the best goalkeeper in the world (Andrei Vasilevsky). And the attack is such that at any time it can decide the outcome of the match. So, for them, everything evolves from year to year.
– So what kind of assets should Colorado put on the table to beat Tampa?
– He also has excellent forwards and defenders. Look how 23-year-old Cale Makar is playing now – it shows a phenomenal level. Yeah, and the keeper is hanging around.
– Would you dare to make a prediction for the final?
– Never. I have never bet money on hockey in my life.
“There are experienced guys in Kazan. We are younger, we may be fresher in the playoffs”
– You mentioned Tampa – the perfect team. What can you say about your current club “Magnitka”?
We also have the perfect team. Well, you yourself saw the Gagarin Cup final – one small step was not enough for us to win, we missed the Cup. But our composition remained the same at eighty-five percent. Therefore, next season we will go for the Cup again.
– But what about Ak Bars, which many experts today call the favorite, looking at the composition?
– Experienced guys gathered in Kazan. We’re a bit younger, but that’s our plus – maybe we’ll be fresher in the playoffs? The main thing is to keep your nerves to yourself.
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.
