Former Columbus Blue Jackets hockey player Nikita Filatov expressed the opinion that the level of KHL teams is stabilizing and also noted that some clubs were able to prove that it is possible to achieve results without high financial capabilities.
SKA St. Petersburg and CSKA Moscow occupy fifth and sixth places in the Western Conference standings, with Spartak leading.
— Many believe that the current KHL season is one of the most interesting in recent years. Do you agree?
– I agree with this opinion. Lots of sensations and unusual results. The main thing is that at the top of the Western Conference standings there are not two usual teams – SKA and CSKA. This is the most surprising thing. Except for the fans of these teams, for everyone else it’s a good sign that the league is finally stabilizing and new heroes are emerging.
— Have you noticed a trend toward attacking hockey this season?
— I wouldn’t say that there is such a trend. It’s just that several teams have appeared that break the stereotype that you cannot show combined and offensive hockey without a big budget and experienced players. This is what Torpedo established last season: with guys that most clubs didn’t need, they jumped over the top – not only in terms of results, but also in terms of quality of play They showed beautiful, creative and sparkling hockey and won a large number of fans.
This year, Severstal followed in the same footsteps. The head coach of this team, Andrei Kozyrev, was part of Igor Larionov’s team last season and was responsible for a large amount of work. His contribution to torpedo hockey is enormous. What Severstal shows is the closest thing to what Torpedo continues to do.
In addition, Dynamo Moscow plays brilliantly thanks to such hockey players as Gusev, Wil, Rashevsky, O’Dell. But we cannot compare these honored masters with those who play for Severstal and Torpedo. And it is worth noting that Spartak is cool and beautiful hockey. They have one of the best lines in the entire league. Goldobin, Morozov and Poryadin work miracles,” quotes RB Sport Filatov.
Watch KHL matches on the channels of the Match holding company, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
RB Sport
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
