On Monday, SKA was defeated at home by Avtomobilist with a score of 4:5 and dropped out of the fight for the Gagarin Cup in the second round.
“First of all, SKA did not have enough experience in the playoffs. This is a completely different game from the regular season, it requires a willingness to take risks, to try to use tactics not conventional and take responsibility. However, SKA did not have an experienced player like Tolya Golyshev from “Avtomobilist” who could take on this responsibility and bring the game to life.
“Avtomobilist” was simply stronger in this series. The St. Petersburg club was on the verge of changing the course of the matches, but unfortunately did not succeed. There have also been some controversial issues regarding the judging, but I wouldn’t want to address that topic.
SKA lacked aggression and finesse. However, the club has great potential to build a team and build a club system. They really work on it. You can only learn from these mistakes. SKA is moving forward and will certainly achieve new victories. This is all just experience gained through mistakes.
“I would like to congratulate Avtomobilist on their victory. It is a huge achievement to defeat first Ak Bars and then SKA. Our hockey is exciting and unpredictable, just like biathlon. As a hockey analyst, I observe what is happening with fascination,” Guberniev said on Match TV.
SKA is a two-time winner of the Gagarin Cup. The St. Petersburg team has failed to advance to the playoff finals in the last seven seasons.
- Guberniev called Slivko’s act a decoration of the Russian Championship
Source: Sport
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.