Former defender of several Russian teams Nikita Shchitov believes that the victory of Yaroslavl “Lokomotiv” on Magnitogorsk “Metallurgist” The match for the FONBET Opening Cup of the 2024/25 KHL Championship cannot be considered as revenge for the defeat in the Gagarin Cup final series last season.
On Tuesday, Lokomotiv beat Metallurg (3:2) in the first match of the new KHL season.
— In the first period, the game was quite even. It was clear that Lokomotiv was quite physically powerful and handled the puck well. Metallurg was missing several players in the main team, so it was difficult for them. The hosts performed well on counterattacks, also created chances and penetrated the middle zone well with passes. But Lokomotiv first scored a goal, and then managed to escape “1:0” and score. In the third period, the Yaroslavl team scored a quick goal behind the goal when Kayumov passed to Shalunov.
Overall, it was an interesting match, and there was intrigue until the very last second. Lokomotiv led 3:0, but Metallurg added a decent amount in the last ten minutes. The hosts had nothing to lose, they scored a few good goals and finally managed to put the pressure on. Despite everything, Andrei Razin confirms his qualities as a good psychologist. After 0:3, the team did not collapse, did not concede any more, did not stop playing, but started fighting to take points. We did not manage to equalize the score, but five goals in the opening match is good.
— Was it important for Lokomotiv to take such revenge after their defeat in the Gagarin Cup final?
— I wouldn’t say that this is a rematch for the final. The teams have changed and some players have left. This is just a match of last year’s finalists, and such games arouse interest among fans. The opening match – and no more, “Shchitov was quoted as saying by RB Sport.
In their next match, Lokomotiv will meet Lada Tolyatti on September 5.
Watch FONBET live broadcasts of the KHL Championship on the Match holding channels.
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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.
