SKA, despite the fact that so far, of course, maintains a certain point reserve in its leading position, at the moment, however, does not demonstrate an iron grip of the corresponding position. The 3 defeats in the last seven battles can of course be attributed to some kind of controlled relaxation, which is quite acceptable for the current regular season winner who has a 13-point advantage over the closest chaser in the person of Torpedo. But such a regime on the eve of the play-off phase can play a cruel joke on the team, upsetting the previously debugged mechanism of internal game relations, which threatens to significantly reduce both physical condition and mental load for further fight for the Gagarin Cup.

Lokomotiv lost to Avtomobilist in an extreme confrontation in their favorite extremely grassroots format. 107 goals conceded in 58 games, which is an average of less than two goals per game, is an almost impenetrable fortress even for the top league players. It is unlikely that Nikitin, visiting the northern army, would set the stage for open shooting, thereby changing the established style, which in most cases brings the team the desired result.