Head coach of Neftekhimik Oleg Leontiev appreciated the passage of Traktor and Avtomobilist to the semi-finals of the Gagarin Cup.
In the second round, the Chelyabinsk team eliminated Dynamo Moscow (4-0) and the Yekaterinburg club eliminated SKA (4-1).
— Aren’t you surprised by the results of the KHL playoffs, with Traktor and Avtomobilist reaching the semi-finals?
— The league has stabilized a little and therefore such results cannot be considered unexpected. In our Eastern Conference, there wasn’t a huge difference in class and skill between the first and eighth teams. Everyone who made it to the playoffs fought. “Traktor” and “Avtomobilist” are experienced and competent teams, and it does not surprise me that they played at a decent level. It was thought that CSKA, SKA and Ak Bars should not give up, but the league is growing and the results are becoming more interesting.
— In the regular season, Neftekhimik played a lot against Traktor. Did you expect such a performance from the Chelyabinsk team in the playoffs?
— “Traktor” is the brand of our hockey, it is always very difficult to play against this team. It has a certain tactical play scheme and is made up of talented guys. We gave each team a fight, but all the matches against Traktor were difficult. Especially in this match where we led 3:1 but unfortunately lost 3:5. The team not only has experience, but also character. Therefore, I am not surprised by Traktor’s current performance in the playoffs,” Leontyev said, as quoted by RB Sport.
Watch live broadcasts of the Fonbet KHL Championship playoff matches on the channel, as well as on the matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru sites.
RB Sport
Source : MatchTV
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