Colorado won with a more aggressive defense.”
– Did the final live up to your expectations in terms of intensity of passion?
– Of course, even if I wanted the seventh game. Tampa deserved it. In recent meetings, they have played with confidence. Although fatigue also began to affect. Still, the playoffs are a very long and grueling marathon. Colorado was stronger in the final and deservedly won.
– Because of what exactly did Colorado still prevail? What is the main reason for its success?
— They have a more balanced team. Now let’s pay attention to the game in defense. After all, Colorado hockey players haven’t blocked as many shots as Tampa. It means they defended better.
– Meaning Colorado played more skillfully on defense?
I would say more aggressive. They did not allow opponents to inflict dangerous shots on the target. And “Tampa” gave, so I had to lie down under the pucks. But there is also a different style of play. The selection of interpreters in the teams is about the same. Again, Colorado won by better balance. Played more correctly.
– Could the mistake of the referees in overtime of the fourth game have affected the result of the series? When did they not notice the loss of strength in Colorado?
– In the NHL, this moment was analyzed in detail. Tampa also had seven people, if you approach it officially. An extra player, well, couldn’t affect the episode itself. Therefore, do not blame the judges. There Kadri jumped one-on-one with Vasilevsky and did everything himself – he went to the patch and threw it well under the crossbar. In my opinion, I didn’t even realize at first that I had scored. I thought Vasilevsky took the puck.
“Makar reminds me of Sergei Zubov. It’s a machine that can do it all on the ice.
– “Tampa” could reverse the course of the series? After all, she had two successful attempts.
– Game 3 of the series went well for her – everything flew, Tampa won 6:2. She looked better there. But today, the Colorado goaltender played well. Kucherov could score two for sure.
– And how, in your opinion, did Vasilevsky act in the decisive match?
– Also very good, constantly helped. Nichushkin could also score a few goals. He had reinforced concrete moments, but Vasya helped. True, the “Colorado” and the defense came back well. In general, I enjoyed the ending. We see immediately what the players want to do, everything makes sense. More performance. Just great!
– By the way, the most valuable player in the playoffs was “Colorado” goaltender Cale Makar. Do you agree with this decision?
– Absolutely logical choice. The man is also excellent in defense. And he is always ready to take a risk, to join the attack. Yes, take at least the end of the sixth game. The score is slipping – 2:1, the puck is in Tampa, which has six outfielders … Makar was the first to run into a foreign zone, forced a fight there. He just killed ten seconds in the Tampa area. He is a leader who will be a top defender for many years to come. Cale skates very well, includes the game, the bed. He reminds me a bit of Sergei Zubov. It just works a little faster. A car on ice that can do it all.
– It’s amazing that the defender becomes the most valuable player in the playoffs. For our league, this is certainly a rare event.
– Yes, we mostly give MVP goalies. Or attackers. But let’s be honest. After the departure of Ilya Nikouline and Kirill Koltsov, we no longer have top defenders in the league. For a person to be able to play both attack and defense, possesses both deadly throw and reflection. Even if we take the NHL, maybe only Misha Sergachev plays at this level.
“I hope Romanov will become one of the best defenders”
– Nichushkin became the 36th Russian player to win the Stanley Cup. Valera deserves special congratulations?
– Without a doubt. After all, as we like to say, he restarted his career after being transferred to Colorado. Three years have passed and you can applaud the general manager of the club, who made such a decision. Valera had a very good season and in the playoffs he generally played well. He also scored important points in the final.
– I was thinking: 36 Stanley Cup winners – is that a lot or a little?
– We must not count the champions. The main indicator is the number of Russian players playing in the NHL. There are not so many in the top, mostly attackers and goalkeepers, there are almost no defenders. I hope Sanya Romanov will become a class all-rounder. Although, with his height, Sanya is probably more drawn to power hockey, like his grandfather (Olympic champion and famous coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov. – “TV Match”). I wish there were more of us overseas. But so far, this, alas, is not planned.
– What’s stopping you?
– We must radically change the sports education of children. The federation should change the approach towards the coaches, and the coaches should change the approach towards the young hockey players. Otherwise, only a few will become grand masters from time to time. Now we don’t have normal education in children’s schools. All modern hockey trends come from abroad. We should therefore not hesitate to bring specialists from there into our sports schools. Let them show you how to do it right. In this regard, I like Avangard, there is a serious program at the academy, with the participation of North American specialists. Yes, and Bob Hartley did a lot in the four years he worked at Avangard.
NHL. Playoffs
Tampa Bay Lightning (Tampa) – Colorado Avalanche (Denver) – 1:2 (1:0, 0:2, 0:0)
Goals: Stamkos, 3:48. —McKinnon, 21:54. Lehkonen, 32:28.
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.
