Motorist ahead Stefan Da Costa after the second game of the series with SKA, he explained to why his team had so much success in the KHL playoffs.
Avtomobilist defeated SKA away in the second match of the second round of the Gagarin Cup (3:1). The Yekaterinburg team leads the series with a score of 2-0.
— The game went well. We acted with great dedication and worked as a team. And it produced results.
— Your special teams worked superbly. They scored in both the minority and the majority…
— Every goal is important, of course. The first, minority, was incredibly important. The most important puck! Moreover, we have taken the lead in taking the initiative. Overall we played a good match.
—And your physical form? You’re missing some playoff games.
– Yes. Sorry, I don’t want to talk about it much. But now I’m fine.
— Can you say that you were inspired by the winning streak against Ak Bars (4-1)?
— Yes, Avtomobilist has changed, playing differently than in the regular season. We are united and united. The playoffs are a time to play as a team. This is what is happening to us. We sacrifice our health, we lie under the pucks, we fight every moment. This is the most important thing!
— You played without captain Sergei Shirokov. How important are his words before the match?
— He was always in the locker room before the start of the match and during the breaks. He supported the guys and inspired us. And it’s another indicator of the strength of our collective spirit.
— You have been playing in the KHL for several years, you know all the teams well. What is the secret of the Ural clubs? Why have they been so successful in these playoffs?
— I don’t know exactly what the secret of the Ural region is. But Avtomobilist, Traktor and Metallurg are good teams in their own right. And what else can I add? They are currently having success in the playoffs. I hope they continue in the same spirit.
— Is your goalkeeper Evgeniy Alikin a key factor?
– Certainly! Everyone can make mistakes, and we don’t avoid them either. But Alikin is still a hero ready to save us. He does very important things for us,” Da Costa told .
The third match of these teams will take place on Thursday, March 21 in Yekaterinburg.
Watch live broadcasts of Fonbet KHL Championship matches on Match Group channels, matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.
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.
