Avangard vs Avtomobilist. Who will win the Eastern Conference Leadership Battle?
Omsk "G-Drive Arena" on January 8 will be the venue for a key fight in terms of the fight for the first place in the Eastern Conference. The local Avangard, which has gained momentum, will receive the Yekaterinburg Avtomobilist in distress on home ice.
Due to the delayed launch of the home arena, the Omsk Avangard was forced to play all September only on the road, which could not but affect the results of the team. Another serious shock was the change in the coaching staff, the charismatic Bob Harley was replaced by the domestic specialist Dmitry Ryabykin, who was never able to continue the undertakings of the Canadian coach. As a result, by mid-October, Ryabykin was dismissed, and the team was headed by Mikhail Kravets.
It is the arrival of Kravets that should be considered the starting point in the formation of the current Vanguard. Albeit without much brilliance, but the team began to score points, gradually pulling up to the leaders of the conference. After the December pause in the championship, Avangard gave out a seven-match winning streak, interrupting it with an offensive misfire in Novosibirsk. A possible victory over Siberia lifted Omsk to first place in the Eastern Conference, but having conceded two unanswered goals in the first period, Omsk in the end could not save the fight. However, Avangard is currently third in the East, with 60 points behind the leaders Metallurg and Avtomobilist by only two points.
Avtomobilist
If Avangard, after the December pause in the championship, gave out its best game segment, Avtomobilist, on the contrary, frankly fell down after a forced break. By mid-December, it seemed that the fate of the first place in the East was decided, Avtomobilist passed the tournament distance almost perfectly, avoiding failures. The gap from the closest competitors was approaching 10 points, Avtomobilist had no personnel problems - everything indicated that the championship pace would be maintained.
The return after a week and a half break turned out to be a nightmare for the Urals, the team crumbled before our eyes. Seven defeats in a row, including two 0-5 and 1-7 defeats from Avangard, can psychologically break the players of the Ural club, which is not very good on the eve of the upcoming playoffs. As for Avtomobilist's standings in the standings, here, despite a number of unsuccessful matches, everything is going well for the Urals. The spectacle reserve allowed Avtomobilist to maintain leadership in the East, however, competitors have already come close. Avtomobilist has 62 points, Metallurg has the same number, and Vanguard is one victory away.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Avangard vs Avtomobilist
AvangardDue to the delayed launch of the home arena, the Omsk Avangard was forced to play all September only on the road, which could not but affect the results of the team. Another serious shock was the change in the coaching staff, the charismatic Bob Harley was replaced by the domestic specialist Dmitry Ryabykin, who was never able to continue the undertakings of the Canadian coach. As a result, by mid-October, Ryabykin was dismissed, and the team was headed by Mikhail Kravets.
It is the arrival of Kravets that should be considered the starting point in the formation of the current Vanguard. Albeit without much brilliance, but the team began to score points, gradually pulling up to the leaders of the conference. After the December pause in the championship, Avangard gave out a seven-match winning streak, interrupting it with an offensive misfire in Novosibirsk. A possible victory over Siberia lifted Omsk to first place in the Eastern Conference, but having conceded two unanswered goals in the first period, Omsk in the end could not save the fight. However, Avangard is currently third in the East, with 60 points behind the leaders Metallurg and Avtomobilist by only two points.
Avtomobilist
If Avangard, after the December pause in the championship, gave out its best game segment, Avtomobilist, on the contrary, frankly fell down after a forced break. By mid-December, it seemed that the fate of the first place in the East was decided, Avtomobilist passed the tournament distance almost perfectly, avoiding failures. The gap from the closest competitors was approaching 10 points, Avtomobilist had no personnel problems - everything indicated that the championship pace would be maintained.
The return after a week and a half break turned out to be a nightmare for the Urals, the team crumbled before our eyes. Seven defeats in a row, including two 0-5 and 1-7 defeats from Avangard, can psychologically break the players of the Ural club, which is not very good on the eve of the upcoming playoffs. As for Avtomobilist's standings in the standings, here, despite a number of unsuccessful matches, everything is going well for the Urals. The spectacle reserve allowed Avtomobilist to maintain leadership in the East, however, competitors have already come close. Avtomobilist has 62 points, Metallurg has the same number, and Vanguard is one victory away.
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