AK Bars
AK Bars, even before the start of the championship, was considered one of the main contenders for the Gagarin Cup. And although his game in the playoffs cannot be called particularly spectacular, such a strategy by Bilyaletdinov brings a positive result. In the 1/8 finals, his team eliminated Pilaf Neftekhimik by a score of 4-2. Now comes the admiral. Kazan leads the series 3-1.
Admiral
The Admiral had already jumped overhead, simply advancing to the playoffs (in the end, both Barys and Traktor stayed overboard). And the victory of the “sailors” in the first round over Salavat was probably not expected even by all their fans. After all, none of the Eastern Conference teams that got into pilaf from seventh place made it past the first round. However, the Vladivostok team finished with the Ufimians 4-2. Appetite, as they say, comes with food, and Tambiew’s charges, although already hanging by a thread, have a very worthy resistance against an outstanding rival. And they were victorious over him and took the matter to overtime. But all this was at their Fetisov Arena, in Kazan it will be much more difficult to give such results …
Forecast
… AK Bars, as mentioned above, does not sparkle with entertainment yet, but it gives a positive result. And it’s not in his interest to continue the series. Indeed, pilaf had rivals from outside. And now, giving the much stronger Vanguard an extra day or two of rest before the semi-finals will be irrational for the “greens”, to put it mildly. Bilyaletdinov will certainly be able to convey this thesis to his wards. Yes, they understand everything. The class of “leopards” and “sailor” is incommensurable, but matches are not easy for Kazan. But at the right time, they know how to meet. Which they will certainly do in the upcoming match, winning it without the additional burden of the fourth period. Just like AK Bars in 8 out of 12 available rendez-vous teams held in Kazan.