Ak Bars vs Neftekhimik. Will the Bars manage to take revenge for the defeat in the first game?
The confrontation between the two representatives of Tatarstan will continue on March 3 with a match in Kazan. The second game of the first round of the playoffs of the Gagarin Cup between Ak Bars and Neftekhimik will again take place on the ice of the Kazan Tatneft Arena. The score in the series is 1-0 in favor of Neftekhimik.
The Kazan club continues its campaign for the fourth Gagarin Cup in its history. The seasons 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2017/18 became triumphant for Ak Bars. It is characteristic that all three victories were obtained under the leadership of Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, who once again returned to the coaching bridge of the Kazan club in December 2022. It was with the arrival of Bilyaletdinov that the revival of the Kazan club began in the current season, because the starting segment under the leadership of Oleg Znarka was frankly failed by Barca. As a result, Ak Bars overtook the leading group in the East in just a month, and in February secured first place in the conference, finishing with a five-point margin from the nearest pursuer.
All the more surprising is the result of the first match, in which Barca sensationally lost to the eighth team of the conference. Kazanians very hard rolled into the game, as a result, by the first break, they received two unanswered goals in their own net. Through the efforts of Galiyev and Kagarlitsky, Ak Bars managed to equalize the score by moving the game into overtime, but could not put the squeeze on the uncompromising opponent. Defeated 2-3, one of the main favorites starts the tournament with a home misfire.
Neftekhimik
Neftekhimik got off to a fantastic start in the championship, starting the season with ten defeats in a row. Thus, the team's coaching staff, led by Oleg Leontiev, had to make adjustments to the line-up already during the season, adding new players to the already existing scheme. A kind of personnel revolution has borne fruit, Neftekhimik slowly began to wake up, getting closer to the cup area. The key match for Neftekhimik was the home game against Metallurg on February 22. In case of defeat, Leontiev's wards would have been left without a playoff, but Neftekhimik heroically bounced back from 1-3, having managed to earn the much-needed two points in overtime. As a result, Neftekhimik finished eighth in the East, hitting his titled neighbor in the first round of the playoffs.
So far, Neftekhimik has managed to get through the first round of the playoffs only once, having beaten Omsk Avangard in the 2009/10 season. The remaining seven attempts ended already in the first round, and Neftekhimik had only 10 victories, while there were already 32 defeats. The eleventh victory was won yesterday in Kazan. Neftekhimik gave a wonderful first period, reflecting the starting onslaught of the hosts, having managed to distinguish himself twice. Washers on the account of Poryadin and Chivilev. All the same Andrei Chivilyo eventually became the hero of the match, scoring a winning puck for Neftekhimik in the 15th minute of overtime.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Ak Bars vs Neftekhimik
Ak BarsThe Kazan club continues its campaign for the fourth Gagarin Cup in its history. The seasons 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2017/18 became triumphant for Ak Bars. It is characteristic that all three victories were obtained under the leadership of Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, who once again returned to the coaching bridge of the Kazan club in December 2022. It was with the arrival of Bilyaletdinov that the revival of the Kazan club began in the current season, because the starting segment under the leadership of Oleg Znarka was frankly failed by Barca. As a result, Ak Bars overtook the leading group in the East in just a month, and in February secured first place in the conference, finishing with a five-point margin from the nearest pursuer.
All the more surprising is the result of the first match, in which Barca sensationally lost to the eighth team of the conference. Kazanians very hard rolled into the game, as a result, by the first break, they received two unanswered goals in their own net. Through the efforts of Galiyev and Kagarlitsky, Ak Bars managed to equalize the score by moving the game into overtime, but could not put the squeeze on the uncompromising opponent. Defeated 2-3, one of the main favorites starts the tournament with a home misfire.
Neftekhimik
Neftekhimik got off to a fantastic start in the championship, starting the season with ten defeats in a row. Thus, the team's coaching staff, led by Oleg Leontiev, had to make adjustments to the line-up already during the season, adding new players to the already existing scheme. A kind of personnel revolution has borne fruit, Neftekhimik slowly began to wake up, getting closer to the cup area. The key match for Neftekhimik was the home game against Metallurg on February 22. In case of defeat, Leontiev's wards would have been left without a playoff, but Neftekhimik heroically bounced back from 1-3, having managed to earn the much-needed two points in overtime. As a result, Neftekhimik finished eighth in the East, hitting his titled neighbor in the first round of the playoffs.
So far, Neftekhimik has managed to get through the first round of the playoffs only once, having beaten Omsk Avangard in the 2009/10 season. The remaining seven attempts ended already in the first round, and Neftekhimik had only 10 victories, while there were already 32 defeats. The eleventh victory was won yesterday in Kazan. Neftekhimik gave a wonderful first period, reflecting the starting onslaught of the hosts, having managed to distinguish himself twice. Washers on the account of Poryadin and Chivilev. All the same Andrei Chivilyo eventually became the hero of the match, scoring a winning puck for Neftekhimik in the 15th minute of overtime.
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