Ryabykin: “I am more than sure that Avangard will qualify for the playoffs. This season can still be saved.”

Former head coachAvant-garde » Dmitry Ryabykin said that the Omsk club can still “save” the current season and reach the KHL playoffs.

After playing 31 matches, Avangard scored 28 points and is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, behind Lada Togliatti (29), who has one game less.

— Will new head coach Guy Boucher be able to rebuild Avangard according to his playing model? For example, if he bets 1-3-1.

— If Boucher wants to install his own system at the club, then it will take a lot of time to put everything in place. Because Avangard plays slightly different hockey. And this has been happening for some time now.

– How will Omsk fans perceive it if Avangard moves away from spectacular hockey and towards pragmatism – for example, like Lokomotiv?

– We can say whatever we want. But the game was forgotten after a week. But the result remains. If that happens, people will come to the stands.

No one will remember how Torpedo played if he gets knocked out in the first round. We are a sport of great achievements. And at least ten KHL clubs have a clear task from the manager: to win the Gagarin Cup. But only one will become champion.

And let’s be honest. Lokomotiv reached the playoff final last season. But this year, Yaroslavl has completely changed its system. They no longer play 1-3-1, but have moved to 1-2-2. I was pleasantly surprised that Lokomotiv head coach Igor Nikitin was looking for new options and did not stick to one model.

It has become flexible, which is very impressive. And I don’t agree that Nikitin plays bad floor hockey. Watch how Lokomotiv plays. I really like it! There is aggression on offense, and no one has canceled the defense. Defense is what wins cups. But before it was 1-3-1, when the Yaroslavl team fell back. Now, they are much more active and create many opportunities. They play good hockey.

— Can Avangard save this season?

— Omsk is only one point away from the playoff zone. And there are still 37 matches to play. This is not a mismatch at all. I am more than sure that Avangard will qualify for the playoffs. If Sergei Zvyagin had stayed, Avangard would still have entered the top eight, believe me.

And then – who will prepare the series of cuts. How many times has the eighth team eliminated the first? Such. So I think Avangard can really save this season. There is no need to abandon it,” Riabykin told the correspondent.

On Tuesday, Avangard announced that it had terminated the contracts by mutual agreement between the parties with head coach Sergei Zvyagin and coach Anton Kuryanov. As reported, Avangard’s new coaching staff – Canadians Guy Boucher and his assistant David Barr – can fly to Russia as early as December 12.

Ryabykin worked in the Avangard team from 2016 to 2022 and started the 2022/23 season as head coach. The Omsk team won the Gagarin Cup in 2021.

Watch live broadcasts of FONBET matches of the KHL championship on and the holding’s channels, as well as on the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.

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Source : MatchTV

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