Former head coach of the Russian national team Vladimir Pluschev do not think that Yaroslavl “Locomotive” is the favorite in the Gagarin Cup final series against Magnitogorsk “Metallurgy” .
In the semifinals of the Fonbet KHL championship playoffs, Metallurg beat Ekaterinburg Avtomobilist (4-3), Lokomotiv beat Chelyabinsk Traktor (4-0).
— I would not categorically declare that Lokomotiv is already the winner of the Gagarin Cup. Metallurg faced very serious opponents and serious games. Sure, they took a bit of a beating along the way, but I think the passion that drives Magnitka will remain in the final series.
The Magnitogorsk team is now on a good run, in top form. Lokomotiv, in turn, rested for quite a long time, and this is not always good at such stages of the season. Therefore, I would not say that railway workers who secured their place earlier in the final have a better chance of winning the title. I think in the upcoming series everything will be 50/50. The first matches can seriously influence the development of subsequent events.
“Metallurg” plays fast and combined hockey, Razin’s team has good players. In defense, of course, Magnitogorsk has some minor problems, but the way their defenders behave in attack is a big help to the attackers,” Legalbet quoted Plyushchev as saying.
The Gagarin Cup final series between Metallurg and Lokomotiv begins on April 18 in Magnitogorsk.
Watch live broadcasts of Gagarin Cup matches on the channel, as well as on the matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru sites.
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Source : MatchTV
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