Moscow game “Spartacus” this season seems to be over, the team can defeat the capital’s CSKA and St. Petersburg SKA in the KHL playoffs, said former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nikita Filatov.
Spartak leads the Western Conference with 45 points in 31 matches and is ahead of Dynamo Moscow in additional indicators.
— Can Spartak be considered one of the favorites of the season?
– I would say yes. Spartak plays very holistically and cannot be classified as an upstart. The team has a good goaltender, one of the three best in the league, depth on the team and a young group. “Spartak” and “Dynamo” are two teams that can overtake CSKA and SKA in the playoffs. This would have been a very unpopular opinion last season, but the time is now right for these clubs.
— Is such a match the merit of Alexei Zhamnov and his coaching team?
— Certainly, although we cannot minimize the merits of the guys, because hockey players play. The club made a good selection and selected the right combinations. When Spartak traded their long-time leader Sasha Khokhlachev, many thought it would affect their performance, but that was not the case. The role of the coaching staff is huge in the type of hockey we see. This is no less important a factor than results. A team that plays spectacularly, plays beautiful hockey and also wins, is fun to watch. This is how it should be,” RB Sport quotes Filatov.
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RB Sport
Source : MatchTV

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