Metallurg vs Amur. The fight for leadership in the series continues.
The fifth match of the cup series between Metallurg and Amur will again be held in Magnitogorsk. The game will take place on March 9 on the ice of Magnitogorsk Arena Metallurg. After four matches played in the series, the equality is 2:2.
The serious personnel restructuring that the Magnitogorsk club started last off-season was surprisingly painless for Metallurg. Andrei Razin, who also led the team last summer, did not radically destroy past developments, limiting himself to spot changes. The first part of the season, namely the regular championship, should be considered successful. Metallurg became the best team in the Eastern Conference, and won this title on the last day of play, beating its direct competitor, Omsk Avangard, in a head-to-head match.
At the same time, this victory may well become a Pyrrhic one. First place in the East sent Metallurg to a rendezvous in the first round of the playoffs with Amur, and this initially meant at least one flight to Khabarovsk. At this point, it has already become clear that the matter will not end with one visit to the Far East; the teams will definitely play at least six matches. Metallurg was unable to take full advantage of the home ice advantage, managing to win only one of the first two matches of the series. To some extent, history repeated itself in Khabarovsk. Metallurg won the first away match with a score of 3-2, but failed to build on the success. After two periods, Metallurg was losing 2-4, in the third it had a huge advantage, in the end the coaching staff replaced the goalkeeper with a sixth field player, but this only led to another missed goal. The defeat is 2-5 and the series returns to Magnitogorsk with an equal score.
Amur
The Khabarovsk club does not have a rich cup history, having qualified for the playoffs only twice before this season. The last time this happened was in the 2017/18 season, when Amur was eliminated after the first round, losing in five matches to Kazan Ak Bars. It is curious that Amur was headed that season by Andrei Martemyanov, who again returned to the club’s coaching bench five years later. The return should be considered successful; after an indistinct game in the first part of the championship, Amur seriously improved after the New Year, managing to finish in eighth place, thereby winning a ticket to the playoffs.
Despite the level of the opponent, and Metallurg finished first in the East, the Khabarovsk team is in no way inferior to the championship favorite. Having lost the first game in Magnitogorsk 1-2, Amur took revenge in the next match with a score of 3-2. To some extent, history repeated itself in Khabarovsk: Amur lost the first game 2-3, but in the next match he literally stunned the enemy with the starting pressure, leading 2-0 by the middle of the first period. In the future, the advantage was further developed, the final victory of Amur was 5-2.
Our Expert Predictions & Analysis on Metallurg vs Amur
MetallurgThe serious personnel restructuring that the Magnitogorsk club started last off-season was surprisingly painless for Metallurg. Andrei Razin, who also led the team last summer, did not radically destroy past developments, limiting himself to spot changes. The first part of the season, namely the regular championship, should be considered successful. Metallurg became the best team in the Eastern Conference, and won this title on the last day of play, beating its direct competitor, Omsk Avangard, in a head-to-head match.
At the same time, this victory may well become a Pyrrhic one. First place in the East sent Metallurg to a rendezvous in the first round of the playoffs with Amur, and this initially meant at least one flight to Khabarovsk. At this point, it has already become clear that the matter will not end with one visit to the Far East; the teams will definitely play at least six matches. Metallurg was unable to take full advantage of the home ice advantage, managing to win only one of the first two matches of the series. To some extent, history repeated itself in Khabarovsk. Metallurg won the first away match with a score of 3-2, but failed to build on the success. After two periods, Metallurg was losing 2-4, in the third it had a huge advantage, in the end the coaching staff replaced the goalkeeper with a sixth field player, but this only led to another missed goal. The defeat is 2-5 and the series returns to Magnitogorsk with an equal score.
Amur
The Khabarovsk club does not have a rich cup history, having qualified for the playoffs only twice before this season. The last time this happened was in the 2017/18 season, when Amur was eliminated after the first round, losing in five matches to Kazan Ak Bars. It is curious that Amur was headed that season by Andrei Martemyanov, who again returned to the club’s coaching bench five years later. The return should be considered successful; after an indistinct game in the first part of the championship, Amur seriously improved after the New Year, managing to finish in eighth place, thereby winning a ticket to the playoffs.
Despite the level of the opponent, and Metallurg finished first in the East, the Khabarovsk team is in no way inferior to the championship favorite. Having lost the first game in Magnitogorsk 1-2, Amur took revenge in the next match with a score of 3-2. To some extent, history repeated itself in Khabarovsk: Amur lost the first game 2-3, but in the next match he literally stunned the enemy with the starting pressure, leading 2-0 by the middle of the first period. In the future, the advantage was further developed, the final victory of Amur was 5-2.
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