The miracle did not happen. In Balashikha, the Minskers settled for a draw in regulation time. They over fulfilled the plan, they won. Dominating in the first and third half and defending the gate in the second. The goalkeeper of the Russian national team Maxim Dorozhko, who often came to the rescue, missed the decisive goal from an acute angle.
Yesterday, we somehow quietly said goodbye to the prosperous Traktor, who did not make the playoffs. Despite the bottomless end of the regular season. One of the Eastern favorites finished the season ingloriously. Before the interrogation, maybe with the dish shake.
And in the West, the fate of “Tractor” was shared by “Spartak”, which planned not only to enter the playoffs and collect dust there. The rojiblancos aimed to surpass last year’s result, when they bested the self-retired Jokerit, and then poured a lot of blood on SKA, starting the series with a 6-1 defeat of the favorites in Saint Petersburg.
For the sake of this goal, they did not approve the crossover playoffs, which many clubs advocated. The argument is that it will be more difficult to beat the clubs from the East with the rojiblanca in the playoffs than those from the West.
We talked in detail about Spartak’s problems. If necessary, we will continue the topic.
Today in Balashikha, the opponents did not sit on the reeds in the swamp waiting for mistakes. Goal chances at the gate Dorozhko and Konstantin Shostok created many. Minsk residents Ryan Spooner and Brandon Kozun, Kirill Rasskazov and Stepan Starkov escaped alone to meet the goalkeepers. Spotted opponents in empty gates. In the second period, the Zubrs rehearsed in the minority, even in the 3v5 format.
The victory of the guests was brought by an excellent shot by defender Joseph Dushak from an acute angle. Dorozhko, who played in the First Channel Cup in December, missed the gate and conceded into the far corner. This is a goalkeeper’s mistake.
Two kopecks before the siren, the Knights replaced the goalie and six of them fell on Shostak’s possessions, but failed to get a saving goal. Also, they could cram a third into an empty net.
Minsk is in the playoffs, where it will face SKA for the third time in a row. Tomorrow’s derby at the VTB Arena Dynamo – Spartak has become a prestigious match.
All couples in the West are known:
SKA (1) – Dynamo Mn (8) March 1 and 3 (both in Saint Petersburg) 5, 7 (both in Minsk), 9* (Saint Petersburg), 11* (Mn), 13* (Saint Petersburg)
CSKA (2) – Severstal (7) 2, 4 (both – Moscow), 6, 8 (both – Cherepovets), 10* (Moscow time), 12* (Chr), 14* (Moscow time)
Lokomotiv (3) – Vityaz (6) 1, 3 (both – Yaroslavl), 5, 7 (both – Balashikha), 9* (Yar), 11* (Bshkh), 13* (Yar)
Torpedo (4) – Dynamo M (5) 2, 4 (both – Nizhny Novgorod), 6, 8 (both – Moscow), 10* (HN), 12* (Moscow time), 14* (HH)
* If required.
