Lokomotiv won the second match of the third round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs at home against Traktor (3:2 OT). In the fourth minute of overtime, local striker Georgy Ivanov scored the decisive goal. The series score became 2-0 in favor of Lokomotiv.
And at a press conference, Alexey Zavarukhin recalled how in the 35th minute of the first match, with a score of 2:1 in favor of the hosts, after a collision with Maxim Shalunov, the Chelyabinsk team lost its goalkeeper senior Zach Fucale due to injury. , who was replaced by Sergei Mylnikov, who missed three goals. Fucale did not appear for the second game, he was not included in the lineup.
— Fucale — there are a lot of questions about him. Did the episode of his injury happen by chance? Look what Maxim Shalunov did next? He is considered a graduate of Chelyabinsk hockey. But his behavior is not good. He raised his hands, as if he had accidentally hurt him. But he didn’t knock on the bench in support. No post-game calls, no excuses. Thanks to Lokomotiv’s medical staff, we quickly examined the nature of Fucale’s injury. But we are all athletes, an injury can happen to anyone. Shalunov’s behavior does not suit him. When he comes to Chelyabinsk, let him be afraid,” Zavarukhin said in a fiery speech.
Well, I went to speak with the captain of Yaroslavl, Sergei Andronov.
“Traktor” plays smoother and moves well.
— Lokomotiv restarted the series with two victories, just like with Avangard. But what are the differences?
— Traktor hockey players move well and play simpler. They have a good team and the series has only just begun.
— How did the course of the series change when Zach Fucale broke down at Traktor and was replaced by Sergei Mylnikov? In the first game, he put on airs, but in the second, he looked confident.
“He will surely gain confidence.” I have no idea how long it’s been since Mylnikov played there. And we prepare, and it doesn’t matter for whom.
— Don’t you study goaltending in the playoffs in detail?
— A few subtleties will tell us further. But the main thing is to play your hockey.
— How strong is this “Lokomotiv”? And what is the difference from previous years – apart from the fact that you finally passed CSKA?
— Team play, interaction. The game is 100 percent. This is our success.
— How important is it that there are a lot of guys at Lokomotiv who grew up here?
— It’s probably very important for the club and the system. It is an indicator of how the school is functioning. But this is a tradition for Yaroslavl. Even when I was there, the students were still good. I’m not surprised at all.
— Does the fact that crossover playoffs were introduced into the KHL playoffs change anything for you?
“Thinking about it again is just a waste of energy. » We are placed in such conditions and are forced to adapt to them, preparing ourselves for what we have.
Yes, we played less against teams from the East during the championship. Maybe we know them less than Western clubs. Considering the entire history of our league. But in principle it doesn’t matter who we play against.
“The episode with Fucale was purely an accident.”
— What did you see in this episode when Maxim Shalunov crashed into Zach Fucale in the first match? This moment in the series has become key.
— It’s too early to talk about key moments, because the series has only just begun. And in the episode with Fucale, it was purely an accident. It’s hockey. Unfortunately, professional sports keep pace with injuries. I’m sure Max had no malicious intent. It was just such a moment.
— Why do you think Shalunov didn’t tap his stick to encourage Fucale, call him and apologize after his injury? Traktor head coach Alexei Zavarukhin complained about this at a press conference.
– It’s their business. It’s probably important to them. But to be honest, I just don’t see what Max should be apologizing for. We are all athletes. Well, an injury happened. I don’t even know how to react to this. Well, Traktor is paying attention. And we just don’t have time for that. We don’t want to focus on that. Let’s move on.
“When Chalunov comes to Chelyabinsk, let him be afraid,” Zavarukhin said. Could this be an attempt to influence you psychologically?
– Oh no. Max is a pretty old guy. Well, how to scare him? I don’t want to develop a skirmish here by inflating the comments. Zavarukhin considered it necessary to say this – this is his right.
— It is clear that Lokomotiv is not overflowing with emotions. Do coaches tell you that?
– But it’s important. We have to concentrate on the game. And there’s no point in getting into trouble. We prefer to save all the emotions for hockey.
“You don’t hit a model in the locker room. For what?”
— Why is Lokomotiv so well prepared physically? You are superior to all your rivals in this matter.
“We try to play systematically, so everything is in place: the coaching and the guys understand what they have to do. And we have a lot of young people. I don’t see any secrets here. Thank God we are in normal condition.
— Do you think that Yaroslavl now makes a living from hockey? Do they say anything to you on the street or when you come to the store? Is there a return?
— Yaroslavl is a hockey town. It’s clear to everyone. There are great fans here, the stadium is always full, even in the regular season. And it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. Much respect to everyone who supports us. THANKS!
Even though we don’t have time to go shopping right now. Basically, we live on base. Besides, on Friday we are already leaving for Chelyabinsk. But we feel the warmth of the people.
— How is the team trying to help Daniil Isaev, who is playing very well?
— The most important thing for us is that everyone fulfills their duties. Let everyone do their job. Danka plays well. We are trying to help him.
— What is the most important thing now, when there are six victories left before the Gagarin Cup? Are you there in the locker room, tying pucks to the stand? What is your ritual?
– We don’t do anything. The main thing is to prepare for matches and win.
—You don’t even hit a mannequin?
– Well, why? And we don’t expect six wins. It does not mean anything. We are preparing to achieve the next victory on Saturday. And for that, you just need to recover. This is an important part of the problem. It’s sometimes said that the playoffs are a race to see who can recover the fastest. This needs to be given great attention. But we don’t think too far ahead.
The third match of the third round of the Gagarin Cup between Traktor and Lokomotiv will take place on Saturday, April 6 in Chelyabinsk and will start at 2:30 p.m. Moscow time. Watch the live broadcast on the channel and on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
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.