Former Russian national hockey player Yevgeny Artiukhin says why Magnitogorsk “Metallurgist ” managed to beat Lokomotiv from Yaroslavl in the Gagarin Cup final series.
On Wednesday, Metallurg defeated Lokomotiv (2:1) in the fourth match of the last playoff series of the Fonbet KHL championship and won the Gagarin Cup. The series ended with a score of 4-0 in favor of Magnitogorsk.
— How do you think Metallurg managed to neutralize Lokomotiv’s strengths?
— Throughout the series, it was evident that Metallurg were faster, more creative and more disciplined than Lokomotiv. It was thanks to the quick and fast game that the Magnitogorsk team neutralized such an important asset of the Yaroslavl team as the most dense and seemingly impenetrable defense of the middle zone. Speed and creativity in attack were key as Metallurg created far more chances in each game than the more straightforward Lokomotiv.
— Can we say that Andrei Razin reflected Igor Nikitin’s playing system?
– Absolutely ! Systematicity and discipline are the secrets of Metallurg’s victory. Andrei Razin’s team played very carefully and rigorously on each section of the ice, minimizing the number of penalties. All this, coupled with greater activity and creativity in attack than the opponent, led the Magnitogorsk team to a well-deserved victory, Artyukhin said in Sport Day by Day.
Metallurg became three times winner of the Gagarin Cup. Previously, the Magnitogorsk club won in the 2013/14 and 2015/16 seasons. In terms of the number of Gagarin Cups, Metallurg is equal to Ak Bars (2009, 2010, 2018) and CSKA (2019, 2022, 2023).
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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.
