Preview
It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast than the head coaches of Ak Bars and Traktor. Zinetula Bilyaletdinov is an archetype of the stern, unsmiling Russian coach, while his opponent in Chelyabinsk, Anvar Gatiyatulin, feels like part of a new generation. It’s hard to imagine coach Bill responding kindly to a TV presenter asking him to come up with a hashtag for the upcoming Ak Bars – Traktor series; Gatiyatulin quickly came up with #chakchakChTZ, combining Kazan’s favorite delicacy with the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant that gives his team its name. Admittedly, it’s a flash of wordplay that works better in Russian, but its perhaps symbolic of two generations doing battle here. And, even on the ice, that analogy holds: the team of Markov and Zaripov, ultra-experienced Russian veterans, faces Traktor’s record-breaking teenager Vitaly Kravtsov. Here’s how they stack up.
Goalies – Garipov stands alone, Traktor rotates
For Ak Bars, the goaltending equation is a simple one. Emil Garipov has stood guard for his team throughout the playoffs; understudy Alexander Sharychenkov has played a mere 58 seconds in the two series so far. Garipov’s form has been solid: an SVG of 93.8% and a GAA of 1.78, plus one shut-out. It’s unlikely Zinetula Bilyaletdinov will change the formula at this stage unless circumstances force his hand.
In Chelyabinsk, though, things are less clear cut. True, Czech international Pavel Francouz has enjoyed the bulk of the game time – nine games for him against four for young Russian Vasily Demchenko. But Demchenko has had his chances in both series so far, and has not been found wanting. Both goalies are among the top four in this year’s playoffs, with Demchenko’s SVG of 95.3% putting him a whisker ahead of his more experienced rival on 95.0%.
Defense – Bailen boosts Traktor, Markov keeps going Ak Bars does not have the biggest selection of D-men to call on, working with just eight in these players, of whom only five have featured in every game. It has the feel of a potential weakness: for all the Kazan team has progressed while dropping just two games, the defense has never looked as imposing as a potential champion might hope. Andrei Markov and Atte Ohtamaa have done most of the legwork, playing more than 20 minutes per game each; Vasily Tokranov is keeping up his scoring form from regular season with five (2+3) points.
For Traktor, injuries took a toll early on. Evgeny Ryasensky was ruled out before the action even began, while Nikita Nikitin was hurt during the series against Neftekhimik. In their absence, others have stepped up. Nick Bailen, whose move from Dinamo Minsk in the summer has played a big role in Traktor’s improvement this season, leads the scoring from the blue line with eight (3+5) points. Ivan Vishnevsky is enjoying one of his best ever playoff campaigns. Then there’s Alexander Shinin, who made headlines when he scored his first goal in 182 games to help his team to a 7-1 victory over Salavat Yulaev and tip the momentum of that series decisively in Traktor’s favor.
Offense – imports top the bill, locals make the difference
Both teams have opted for similar line-ups on offense, with each led by a foreign legion. For Ak Bars, the Azevedo-Lander-Sekac troika has been impressive, while Traktor has turned to the Gynge-Videll-Szczechura trio to form its top line. However, from a Russian veteran to an exciting home-grown talent, much of the drama of this series could come from elsewhere. The real impact for Traktor has come from its home-grown talent. Vitaly Kravtsov has been writing his own headlines throughout these playoffs, earning favorable comparisons with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Valery Nichushkin thanks to his scoring feats. The 18-year-old is currently on 11 (6+5) points, the best return for a junior in KHL post season action and only five points adrift of Maxim Afinogenov’s all-time Russian record. He’s one goal shy of a KHL goal-scoring record for a youngster as well. Alexei Kruchinin has proved an able assistant, and shows signs of turning his potential into production as he continues his best season to date, but it’s Gynge who is leading the scoring with 13 points. The former Dynamo, Lev and Admiral man has a long KHL career, but this is the first time he’s made an impact in post season.
Vitaly Kravtsov
For Ak Bars, Justin Azevedo leads the way, contributing in every game of the series against Metallurg and on course to better his scoring feats with Lev back in 2014. Back then, he had 20 points as the Czech team went to the Gagarin Cup Final; now he’s on 15 (5+10) from 10 games. But Danis Zaripov is also getting on it. He barely featured in the first round, but produced six points in five games to help defeat his old team-mates at Metallurg in round two. History shows that a productive Zaripov is often a ticket to landing the big prizes: 16 points in 21 games to win the first Gagarin Cup with Ak Bars in 2009, 26 in 21 to collect the cup for Magnitka in 2014, and 22 in 18 last season as Metallurg came second to SKA. If he maintains the productivity of the previous round, that could be the factor that pushes Ak Bars into its fourth Gagarin Cup final.
Justin Azevedo
Game 1 - March 30 - Ak Bars v Traktor 2-1Goals from Justin Azevedo and Stanislav Galiyev saw Ak Bars come from behind to win the opening game of this year’s Eastern Conference Final. The home team was slightly stronger throughout the game, but struggled to solve Pavel Francouz early on and fell behind to a Richard Gynge goal early in the second period. The early stages were cautious, with neither team eager to over commit on offense at the start. Gradually, though, Ak Bars took the initiative and finished the session with a few presentable opportunities.
After a strong finish to the first period, Ak Bars began the second on the power play – and thought it had gone ahead in the 21stminute. Justin Azevedo claimed it after the puck went on off his skate during a battle on the slot, but the review revealed a kicking motion and the play was ruled out.
Danis Zaripov, Nick Bailen
However, Ak Bars was left to rue its inability to take its chances when Traktor went in front in the 26th minute. The team’s Swedish connection clicked once again, with Linus Videll winning the puck behind the goal line and picking out a pass for Richard Gynge three metres in front of Emil Garipov’s net. Traktor’s leading scorer in post-season despatched the chance to open the scoring and make it three games in a row where he’s found the net.
That saw the host look to raise its game another notch. The stats for the second period were fairly even, but it was Ak Bars that was creating the more dangerous chances. Glukhov drew a big pad save from Francouz, Galiyev was a whisker away from deflecting a Danis Zaripov feed into the net and Azevedo got away from Nick Bailen to fire in a shot that bounced off post and bar before dropping safely. Traktor’s best chance fell to Alexander Sharov, who was released one-on-one with Garipov but could not extend his team’s lead.
Pavel Francouz, Nick Bailen, Rob Klinkhammer
Traktor then had to defend a 3-on-5 situation after Artyom Borodkin and Yury Petrov collected minors in the last minute of the second period. The visitor shut down that power play but remained under intense pressure. Midway through the final stanza, the shot count read 12-1 in Ak Bars’ favor, but Francouz was proving a stubborn obstacle.
That all changed with a pair of quick goals. First came Galiyev’s tying effort, created by Roman Manukhov’s surge from the blue line that left two Traktor defenseman trailing in his wake. Inspired by that success, Ak Bars continued to pile on the pressure and went in front less than three minutes later through Azevedo. Anton Lander had the vision to pick up a burst of acceleration that put his strike partner in space around the face-off spot. Azevedo took one touch to control the puck with his skate before swivelling to fire off a shot that flashed inside Francouz’s near post. For the Canadian, that was the seventh time in eight games where he’d got among the points; he moves to 16 (6+10) points for the playoffs.
Traktor called a time out, but Lander was closest to getting the next goal when he won a foot race and flashed in a shot from the left. This time, Francouz was waiting to pluck the puck and keep his team in the game. There was still some defense left for Ak Bars, especially after a late penalty for Nikita Lyamkin. Ivan Vishnevsky fired a shot just past the post, Paul Szczechura went narrowly over the bar, but Traktor could not force the game into overtime.
Game 2 - April 1 - Ak Bars v Traktor 4-3
Justin Azevedo celebrated his 30th birthday with a landmark goal and a game-winning assist to help Ak Bars recover from a slow start and take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Final. After Traktor raced into a 2-0 lead in Kazan, the home team hit back in the second period. Azevedo’s 100th KHL goal put Ak Bars in front for the first time midway through the game, and later he supplied the pass for Danis Zaripov’s game-winner as penalty trouble ravaged the visitor early in the final frame. At first, though, it was all about Traktor. For the second game running, Richard Gynge put Traktor ahead. An early power play saw the visitor pile forward, and after Nick Bailen’s shot was saved, the Swede got to the rebound to open the scoring. It took less than 90 seconds for Traktor to double its lead, with Semyon Kokuyov pulling the Ak Bars defense out of shape before teeing up Alexander Rybakov for a shot from between the hash marks. With barely five minutes played, the Chelyabinsk team was in a commanding position.
Vasily Demchenko, Rob Klinkhammer, Alexei Petrov, Anton Lander
That lead lasted until the end of the first period, but early in the second Ak Bars produced a double salvo of its own to tie the scores in the space of 91 seconds. First came Andrei Markov, with the defenseman getting his first goal of the playoffs when he unleashed a wicked one-timer from the left-hand face-off spot after a Danis Zaripov feed from the goal line. Then Markov went close again before Alexander Burmistrov made it 2-2 in the 25th minute, firing home from the slot after Alexander Popov’s pass from behind the net. Stunned, Traktor called a time-out, but the visitor could not regain control of the game.
Two penalties left Traktor playing with just three skaters, and Ak Bars needed just two seconds to capitalize. It was a move straight off the playbook: Vladimir Tkachyov won the face-off, Stanislav Galiyev fed the puck back to Azevedo, and the Canadian whipped in a shot that beat Vasily Demchenko and went in off the post.
Artyom Borodkin, Mikhail Glukhov
However, Traktor was not done just yet. Alexei Kruchinin continued his impressive playoff form with a terrific individual goal three minutes before the intermission, taking the puck from deep in his own territory and surging into the heart of the Ak Bars defense before opening a lane to unleash a wrist shot past Emil Garipov. After two periods of pulsating action, the game was locked up at 3-3. The third period began with Traktor taking a string of penalties. The key infringement was Marsel Sholokhov, ejected from the game after his high stick left Artyom Lukoyanov picking his teeth off the ice. Seconds later, Alexander Shinin picked up a minor, and Traktor had to kill a 5-on-3 situation. A further ruling against the visitor saw Ivan Vishnevsky in the box, and this time Ak Bars took advantage of its extra two men while Alexei Petrov talked himself into an early return to the locker room.
Artyom Penkovsky, Justin Azevedo
Zaripov scored the goal, punishing Traktor’s wayward discipline when he smashed home Azevedo’s pass. After so long playing shorthanded, errors crept into the visitor’s play and, on this occasion, the two defensemen got too close together in front of the net, offering an inviting pass for Azevedo to set up his team-mate. It wasn’t until the 47th minute that Traktor finally got back to full strength, and by that time Ak Bars knew it was in a position to close the game out and take a commanding 2-0 stranglehold on the series. The final stages followed a predictable pattern: Traktor trying to push forward, Ak Bars holding a solid defensive line and refusing to allow the opposition to get inside and have a good look at Garipov’s net. Even in the closing moments, with Demchenko called to the bench, Traktor struggled to create a clear opportunity for the equalizer and Ak Bars held on for a win that could change the face of the series.
Game 3 - April 3 - Traktor v Ak Bars 1-2 OT
Vasily Tokranov’s overtime goal earned Ak Bars a tight victory in Chelyabinsk – and put the team into a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Final. Tokranov, his team’s most productive defenseman throughout these playoffs, struck in the 64th minute to win the game seconds after Traktor managed to kill a penalty. The home team was unable to clear its lines, and the puck found its way back to Tokranov for a centre point shot that ripped past Pavel Francouz in the Chelyabinsk net. Anton Lander threw a screen on the Czech goalie, but complaints from the home bench were waved away after a video review.
For Traktor, meanwhile, it was another case of running the opposition close but failing to find a way to win. All three games in the series have been decided by a single goal and tonight was the first time that Anvar Gatiyatulin’s team had never held a lead in the game.
In game three, Ak Bars made a flying start. Traktor faced two penalties inside the first five minutes, and the visitor came close to converting both chances. First, Danis Zaripov tested Francouz. Next, Rob Klinkhammer’s efforts on the slot forced another big save out of the Czech, and there were more nervous moments as Alexander Svitov got a dangerous deflection on an Andrei Markov shot. Traktor managed to kill those two penalties and get itself into the game, but struggled to create good chances in front of Emil Garipov’s net. Even after two power play chances of its own, the home team managed just two shots on target in the opening frame while Francouz made 15 saves to keep the scoresheet blank. Ak Bars got in front early in the second period when its power play clicked to convert an opportunity within just 10 seconds. Vladimir Tkachyov fed the puck across the face of the net to Zaripov; Zaripov’s shot was blocked, but Svitov was right there on the spot to stuff home the rebound at the third attempt.
Ivan Vishnevsky, Pavel Francouz, Alexander Svitov
But the visitor no longer had the same level of dominance, and Traktor was creating chances of its own. The reward came 17 seconds before the second intermission when Ivan Vishnevsky tied the scores. The goal came on a breakaway, with Yury Petrov’s pass springing Alexander Chernikov into the danger zone. Chernikov’s feed to the point invited Vishnevsky to shoot, and the D-man’s effort flew past Garipov to level the scores.
The third period produced no further goals: Ak Bars started more brightly, but Traktor rallied and created a couple of chances late in the frame for Linus Videll and Nick Bailen. Neither side could force a winner, though, and the action went into overtime. In the extras, an early power play for Ak Bars set the tone. Tkachyov hit the post as the visitor piled on the pressure. Danil Gubarev returned from the box, but just three seconds later Tokranov got his winner.
Traktor must win Thursday’s meeting here in Chelyabinsk to remain in the competition. Even if it can manage that, the odds are heavily stacked against it: only once in KHL history has a team recovered from 0-3 in a playoff series.
Game 4 - April 5 - Traktor v Ak Bars 1-3
Ak Bars completed an Eastern Conference Final sweep of Traktor – and can now prepare for its fourth Gagarin Cup final. Fittingly, in this 10th anniversary KHL season the winners of the inaugural KHL campaign will be back in the grand final. And, of the team that derailed Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in a seven-game thriller, Danis Zaripov is back in Ak Bars colors and heading for the sixth final of his KHL career. Meanwhile, his one-time scoring partner, Alexei Morozov, saw one of his club records overtaken: Justin Azevedo’s assist on Anton Lander’s game-winner moved the Canadian to 20 points for this year’s playoffs, improving on Morozov’s 19 in that first post-season success.
From memories of the past to the excitement of the present. Although this was a series sweep, Traktor was never blown away. Indeed, had it not been for Lander’s empty-net goal in this game, all four encounters would have been decided by a single marker. But in a game of narrow margins, the consistency of the Kazan team made all the difference. Ak Bars’ defense was slightly more solid; its offense fractionally more productive.
Traktor suffered a blow in the build-up to the game: two centres, Paul Szczechura and Alexander Rybakov failed to recover from injuries suffered in game three of the series and were forced to miss out. It put a hole in the host’s offensive options, and that was apparent in the early exchanges. Traktor managed just four shots at Emil Garipov as Ak Bars dominated the first period, and the visitor was already in front before the home team created a genuine chance of a goal. That opening strike came from Mikhail Glukhov in the 15th minute. Anton Glinkin, playing against his former club, seized the initiative with a bold rush that took out two opponents and forced Traktor onto the back foot. His shot bounced kindly for Glukhov to score on the rebound and Ak Bars was on its way.
Vitaly Kravtsov, Vladimir Tkachyov
Traktor tied it up early in the second period, and once again it was Richard Gynge who found the net. The much-travelled Swede has never enjoyed a playoff like this one before, and scored his eighth post season goal when Alexander Chernikov picked him out with a great pass off the boards. But it could not usher in a change of fortune for the home team.
Lander’s game-winner came in the 33rd minute. The Swede took the puck behind the net, then gave it to Azevedo. He returned along the same path his team-mate had just taken, but his return pass found Lander between the hash marks. The finish was decisive, Traktor’s season was all but over.
The home team looked for a way back. Artyom Penkovsky went close before Alexei Kruchinin’s shot from the right almost presented Vitaly Kravtsov with a tying goal. Kravtsov, so impressive in the first two rounds of the playoffs, failed to score in the Conference Final; Ak Bars’ ability to stifle him and his line-mates had a big say in the outcome.
In the third period, Ak Bars did a good job of holding off the home offense. With the visitor bossing the play in center ice, Traktor struggled to get good looks at the net and its most dangerous moments came from the blue line. Ivan Vishnevsky’s shooting caused some anxiety, but his best effort flew just past the post. Then, in the final second, Lander collected the rebound after Azevedo’s shot at the empty net went wide and the Swede had a simple task to tap in a third goal. Azevedo’s assist, meanwhile, took him to 21 points for the playoffs, beating his personal best of 20 with Lev Prague in 2014. The Canadian now heads to his third Gagarin Cup Final, looking to improve in defeats to Metallurg and SKA in his earlier appearances.
Ak Bars now has time to rest while the Western Conference Final between SKA and CSKA resolves itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment