Ak Bars vs Avangard. Who will be stronger in the second match of the semi-final series?
On Monday, April 3, the second match of the semi-final series between Kazan Ak Bars and Omsk Avangard will take place. The game will again be held in Kazan, on the ice of the local Tatneft Arena. At the moment, the score in the series is 1-0 in favor of Ak Bars.
The next return of Zinetula Bilyaletdinov to the Ak Bars coaching bridge is still quite justified. Bars had a strong second part of the regular season, managing to finish first in the East, although by the time Bilyaletdinov returned, Kazan had settled in the second half of the standings, to some extent even risking being left without the playoffs. Excessive pragmatism in the playing style of Ak Bars justifies itself in the playoffs. Albeit without much brilliance, somewhere strained, but the first two rounds of Barca have already passed, having beaten Neftekhimik and Admiral in six matches.
In the finals of the Eastern Conference, Avangard became the rival of Ak Bars, quite expectedly. According to the results of the regular season, Kazan finished higher than Avangard, which allowed them to start the semi-final series at home. The home ice factor played into the hands of the Bars, who managed to put the squeeze on Omsk in a dramatic duel. Two goals from Kagarlitsky, scored in the first and second periods, allowed Ak Bars to enter the final segment of the match with an excellent handicap, but failed to keep the winning score. Indiscipline summed it up, two removals of Kazan in the third period ended with two accurate throws of Avangard, and the second puck was conceded three seconds before the end of regular time. And yet, Barca achieved their goal, already in the third minute of overtime, through the efforts of Kirill Panyukov, ending the match with their own victory 3-2.
Avangard
The Omsk club reached the Eastern Conference finals in a less energy-intensive way. After the third place in the regular season, Omsk residents immediately got to Novosibirsk Siberia. Already in the first home match Avangard lost 1-2, pretty much frightening their own fans. As it turned out later, this defeat was the only one in the two starting rounds of the playoffs. Sibiryakov Vanguard took place in five matches, Omsk residents even faster dealt with the venerable Metallurgist. Last year's Gagarin Cup finalist was defeated in four matches, Avangard won two victories on home ice (2-1 and 4-3), two more on the road (3-2 and 4-1).
Before the first match against Ak Bars, the Omsk team had 9 days of rest, which to some extent played a minus for Avangard. Hockey players fell out of the playing tone and failed the first half of the match in Kazan. All this resulted in a score of 0-2, and the entire third period Omsk stormed the gates of the Bars. Saved the position Korban Knight, two washers in the majority of transferring the game into overtime. It was not possible to build on the success, having conceded already in the third minute of overtime, the Avangard lost 2-3, thus starting the series with a guest defeat.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Ak Bars vs Avangard
Ak BarsThe next return of Zinetula Bilyaletdinov to the Ak Bars coaching bridge is still quite justified. Bars had a strong second part of the regular season, managing to finish first in the East, although by the time Bilyaletdinov returned, Kazan had settled in the second half of the standings, to some extent even risking being left without the playoffs. Excessive pragmatism in the playing style of Ak Bars justifies itself in the playoffs. Albeit without much brilliance, somewhere strained, but the first two rounds of Barca have already passed, having beaten Neftekhimik and Admiral in six matches.
In the finals of the Eastern Conference, Avangard became the rival of Ak Bars, quite expectedly. According to the results of the regular season, Kazan finished higher than Avangard, which allowed them to start the semi-final series at home. The home ice factor played into the hands of the Bars, who managed to put the squeeze on Omsk in a dramatic duel. Two goals from Kagarlitsky, scored in the first and second periods, allowed Ak Bars to enter the final segment of the match with an excellent handicap, but failed to keep the winning score. Indiscipline summed it up, two removals of Kazan in the third period ended with two accurate throws of Avangard, and the second puck was conceded three seconds before the end of regular time. And yet, Barca achieved their goal, already in the third minute of overtime, through the efforts of Kirill Panyukov, ending the match with their own victory 3-2.
Avangard
The Omsk club reached the Eastern Conference finals in a less energy-intensive way. After the third place in the regular season, Omsk residents immediately got to Novosibirsk Siberia. Already in the first home match Avangard lost 1-2, pretty much frightening their own fans. As it turned out later, this defeat was the only one in the two starting rounds of the playoffs. Sibiryakov Vanguard took place in five matches, Omsk residents even faster dealt with the venerable Metallurgist. Last year's Gagarin Cup finalist was defeated in four matches, Avangard won two victories on home ice (2-1 and 4-3), two more on the road (3-2 and 4-1).
Before the first match against Ak Bars, the Omsk team had 9 days of rest, which to some extent played a minus for Avangard. Hockey players fell out of the playing tone and failed the first half of the match in Kazan. All this resulted in a score of 0-2, and the entire third period Omsk stormed the gates of the Bars. Saved the position Korban Knight, two washers in the majority of transferring the game into overtime. It was not possible to build on the success, having conceded already in the third minute of overtime, the Avangard lost 2-3, thus starting the series with a guest defeat.
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