Amur vs Metallurg. Which opponent will take the lead in this series?
On March 5, Khabarovsk “Platinum Arena” will host the third match of the cup series between local Amur and Magnitogorsk Metallurg. The series score is equal – 1:1.
Before the start of the current season, the Khabarovsk team carried out fairly high-quality selection work, signing a number of iconic hockey players by KHL standards. However, the first part of the regular season clearly did not work out for Amur and the team settled outside the cup eight for a long time, seriously risking being left without the playoffs again. Amur added after the New Year holidays, when the team began to consistently gain points, mostly on home ice. To some extent, Amur was helped by the bureaucratic problems of Siberia, due to which the team from Novosibirsk was deprived, thereby falling out of the fight for getting into the cup eight in the East. Amur took full advantage of his chance, finishing in eighth place.
Amur's opponent in the first round of the playoffs was Magnitogorsk Metallurg, the best team in the Eastern Conference according to the results of the regular season. Initially, it seemed that Amur’s chances in this confrontation were minimal, but already in the first match, the Khabarovsk team gave a real fight to the favorite. Amur kept his goal intact for 46 minutes, but still allowed the hosts' stellar attack to score two goals in the third period. Drozg eventually reduced the gap to a minimum, but Amur was unable to save himself. What did not work out in the first game, Amur fully realized in the second match. Having conceded first again, the Khabarovsk team did not crumble and, through the efforts of Khokhlachev, Shevchenko and Koreshkov, made the score 3-1 in their favor at the end of the second period.
Metallurg
Magnitogorsk ideally covered the long distance of the regular season, thereby justifying all the advances given to Andrei Razin before the start of the season. Metallurg's new coach got down to business without hesitation and already at the start of the championship the Magnitogorsk team entrenched itself in the group of leaders in the Eastern Conference, not leaving the top three throughout the six months of the regular season. The championship in the East was played out on the last day of play, in head-to-head competition with Omsk Avangard. Metallurg won at home with a score of 3-1, thereby becoming the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Metallurg confirmed its status already in the first playoff match. Methodical pressure on the Amur goal bore fruit in the third period, when Yakovlev and Johnson sent two goals into the Khabarovsk goal with a 6-minute difference. In the end, Amur won one goal back, which did not save them from a 1-2 defeat. In the second match, Metallurg opened the scoring through the efforts of Geraskin already in the first period, but it was not possible to build on the success. Having a serious advantage in the game, Metallurg managed to concede three times, ultimately losing with a score of 2-3.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Amur vs Metallurg
AmurBefore the start of the current season, the Khabarovsk team carried out fairly high-quality selection work, signing a number of iconic hockey players by KHL standards. However, the first part of the regular season clearly did not work out for Amur and the team settled outside the cup eight for a long time, seriously risking being left without the playoffs again. Amur added after the New Year holidays, when the team began to consistently gain points, mostly on home ice. To some extent, Amur was helped by the bureaucratic problems of Siberia, due to which the team from Novosibirsk was deprived, thereby falling out of the fight for getting into the cup eight in the East. Amur took full advantage of his chance, finishing in eighth place.
Amur's opponent in the first round of the playoffs was Magnitogorsk Metallurg, the best team in the Eastern Conference according to the results of the regular season. Initially, it seemed that Amur’s chances in this confrontation were minimal, but already in the first match, the Khabarovsk team gave a real fight to the favorite. Amur kept his goal intact for 46 minutes, but still allowed the hosts' stellar attack to score two goals in the third period. Drozg eventually reduced the gap to a minimum, but Amur was unable to save himself. What did not work out in the first game, Amur fully realized in the second match. Having conceded first again, the Khabarovsk team did not crumble and, through the efforts of Khokhlachev, Shevchenko and Koreshkov, made the score 3-1 in their favor at the end of the second period.
Metallurg
Magnitogorsk ideally covered the long distance of the regular season, thereby justifying all the advances given to Andrei Razin before the start of the season. Metallurg's new coach got down to business without hesitation and already at the start of the championship the Magnitogorsk team entrenched itself in the group of leaders in the Eastern Conference, not leaving the top three throughout the six months of the regular season. The championship in the East was played out on the last day of play, in head-to-head competition with Omsk Avangard. Metallurg won at home with a score of 3-1, thereby becoming the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Metallurg confirmed its status already in the first playoff match. Methodical pressure on the Amur goal bore fruit in the third period, when Yakovlev and Johnson sent two goals into the Khabarovsk goal with a 6-minute difference. In the end, Amur won one goal back, which did not save them from a 1-2 defeat. In the second match, Metallurg opened the scoring through the efforts of Geraskin already in the first period, but it was not possible to build on the success. Having a serious advantage in the game, Metallurg managed to concede three times, ultimately losing with a score of 2-3.
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