“It is very important to know how Avangard will come out of a difficult situation”
– After three matches, Spartak unexpectedly took the lead in the KHL. Can we call it a little sensation?
– If Spartak emerged victorious after the thirtieth round, it would be a surprise, but everything happens at the start of the season. “Red-white” beat “Amour”, “Siberia” and “Admiral”. Well, what is that feeling? Let’s see what happens next. Ahead of Spartak are much stronger rivals – Magnitogorsk and Salavat Yulaev. They are also very angry after defeats.
– What do you think of the game “Spartacus”?
– An absolute plus is that the team plays to score, it’s very rational. Either not spectacular, but effective. Hence the result.
– The second surprise is already with a minus sign – two defeats of Avangard of Minsk and Vityaz.
“It really took everyone by surprise. But it’s only two games, maybe the inexperience of the coaches and the big hype around the club are affected. I thought the Hawks would play well on the road, but they would start having problems at home. But everything turned around – two losses at the start. We now have to see how the team and its technical staff will come out of this situation. This is a very important point – whether the people of Omsk will be able to rally and rise to their level, or will they completely collapse.
– “Vanguard” sank without Hartley?
– I had the idea that there would be changes after the change of coach. Question – with a plus or minus sign? It’s clear that Hartley is a very experienced specialist and at the start the team won’t be easy without him. But it is too early to draw far-reaching conclusions.
‘CSKA would have played more confidently with Fedotov’
– What impression did Radulov leave on you in the first games after his return to the KHL?
– Ambiguous. At a meeting with Dynamo, Alexander did not show himself at all. With CSKA, before Radulov scored the puck, he also drove, got nervous and slammed the door, returning to the bench. But when I gave up, I immediately calmed down. It is clear that he is a master. But it seems to me that Radulov has not yet reached his optimal conditions.
– Is it fair to say that experienced older players, who returned from the NHL in Russia, gain fitness only in mid-autumn?
– With the guys who come from the other side of the ocean, it happens. Because by playing there, they get in shape later. But Radulov is an experienced player, he spent many seasons in the KHL and knew exactly where he was going, where he had to play and how to prepare. Therefore, the return of the NHL does not justify the fact that he is not yet in the most optimal condition. Although it cannot be said that Alexander played badly in these matches. Here he scored an important goal for CSKA. Although the moment was not the most difficult, Kagarlitsky gave him a very good pass. Nevertheless, Radulov scored the puck. It’s just that everyone expects extravagances from him in every game, but that’s not the case yet. Maybe we should just wait.
– You don’t have the impression that almost all top Russian clubs have problems with goalkeepers. This is especially true of CSKA and Magnitogorsk, which are missing an unusually large amount.
– There is no feeling, but there are problems, it is a reality. More unexpected are the failures of Magnitogorsk. But there, the problem is not with the guards, but rather with the outfield players. They behave very imposingly on the ice, it’s impossible to do that.
– Does CSKA have a problem with goalkeepers? After all, Sergei Fedorov, after a major defeat against Ak Bars, admitted that goalkeepers are a touchy subject.
– Let’s face it, elite goalkeepers don’t play CSKA anymore. Sorokin, Shesterkin, Koskinen, Metsola played in the KHL… Reideborn and Sharychenkov are not at that level. They are just good. By the way, Reideborn played very well against Magnitogorsk. You could even say he won the game. But one should not expect special feats either from him or from Sharychenkov.
– With Ivan Fedotov, would CSKA have conceded less?
– I think so. And here the point is not even that he is better than the same Reideborn. The team would play with more confidence under Fedotov.
– Is there a chance that Fedotov will return to CSKA?
– It’s impossible to predict. Well, could anyone have imagined that instead of the Philadelphia, it would end up in the Northern Fleet? Now everyone is waiting for the trial, scheduled for September 20. Maybe something will clear up after that. What if Ivan won it?
“The Chinese have nothing to do with this fight. Chesalin messed up everything there”
– Still on the theme of goalkeepers, we can note the confident play of Dynamo debutant Ilya Konovalov. What do you think about it?
Ilya looks good. But you also have to take into account that he plays for a very well organized team. The Dynamo defense helps the goalkeeper a lot. Konovalov doesn’t make mistakes. But so far, it can’t be said that he saved the team after a few failures in defence. Because they just didn’t exist. The Blues generally play well. And Konovalov – including. I do not detract from the merits of Ilya – he held a “zero” match with Kazan. He does not give reason for criticism, but also for enthusiasm – too. So far, just a good guy. Play as it should.
– Why did Konovalov fail to gain a foothold in the NHL?
‘Because he went there after a bad season in Yaroslavl. There is also psychology here. It’s one thing when you’re in your prime in Russia and you’re flying over the ocean thinking, “Now I’m going to tear everyone up here.” And it’s completely different: “I didn’t succeed here, well, now I’ll try there.” The question immediately arises: if you could not become the main goalkeeper of Lokomotiv, why should you immediately enter the base of the NHL club?
– Comment on the clash between the players of “Siberia” and “Kunlun” under the stands in Mytishchi? Who is to blame?
– There is a version in which the Chinese have nothing to do at all. Everything was scrambled by Sibir striker Yevgeny Chesalin. In general, he often behaves very nervously, he participates in all troubles. I’m not surprised that Chesalin is also at the center of events here. I think the KHL will watch the palace cameras and sort everything out.
– Which of the players made the most pleasant impression on you at the start of the championship?
– I liked Spartak defender Yegor Savikov. The guy has a mature mindset beyond his years and good playful sassiness. In addition, very good skating. The fact that a 19-year-old guy plays in the first pair and spends almost the most time on the ice suggests he’s a strong player. I don’t know how Savikov will develop, but he has every chance of becoming an elite defender.
“And among the assailants?”
– I have been watching Vitaly Abramov for a long time. He was one of the best strikers of his age, he played for the national team. Vitaly sometimes does things no one else can do, he will draw such things! And then it seems to disappear, very unstable. In terms of technical equipment, he is a very strong player. But we have to make sure that he keeps this level throughout the match. And so there moments, of course, impressive.
– Let’s choose a guardian then.
– Vityaz goalkeeper Dmitry Shikin played very well against Avangard and Salavat Yulaev. 37 shots in each of those games were reflected. This is the real contribution to victory.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
