“Metallurg” still has to take the last step to win the main KHL trophy – Magnitogorsk is closer than ever to this for the first time in eight years, if successful, the steelworkers will become three-time winners of the Gagarin Cup. Team Andrey Razin defeated Lokomotiv three times in a row (2:1, 1:0, 2:1 OT). The Yaroslavl team tried to adapt to more active and aggressive hockey in the last game, moved opponents and spent much more time in attack, but they were unable to achieve success. Now the team Igor Nikitin will take to the ice with no room for error – only a victory will extend the series to five games, which means that the series will return to Magnitogorsk. However, will the “railwaymen” have enough psychological strength, first of all, considering how much they have already given in this series against Metallurg, who demonstrates excellent balance when playing both first and second numbers?
Defender of Metallurg Robin Presswho scores a point in three matches in a row (0+3), retains second place in the list of top scorers in the playoffs (3+14 in 22 games), the Steelworkers’ forward is in third place Dmitry Silantiev (5+11 in 17 meetings), scoring points in two matches in a row (1+1), and the top five most productive players of the draw are rounded out by Lokomotiv forwards Maxim Berezkin (5+11) and Arthur Kayumov (4+10), who played 19 matches each. Press also continues to confidently lead in points among defenders, in third position Andrey Sergeev from Lokomotiv (2+10 in 19 games). The top 5 scorers-defenders are completed by the Railwaymen. Martin Gernat (5+4 in 19 matches) and Rushan Rafikov (0+8 in 19 games). Gernat also remains the best sniper-defender, fourth in this indicator – “railroad worker” Alexander Elesin (three goals in 16 matches), Press remains fifth. Metallurg forward Denis Zernovproductive for two games in a row (1+1), continues to lead the playoff sniper race with 11 goals in 22 meetings, the top 5 is completed by his teammate Danila Yurov with six goals.
Goalkeeper of Metallurg Ilya Nabokov – the only one who kept four clean sheets in this playoffs against his Yaroslavl counterpart Daniil Isaev – three shutouts. Nabokov ranks second in percentage of saved shots (94.1) and third in reliability coefficient (1.86), and Isaev leads the playoffs in terms of the latter indicator (1.63). Metallurg forward Silantiev is second in the playoffs in terms of utility indicator (“+11”), followed by Yaroslavl players Berezkin and Kayumov (+10 each based on the results of 19 games), and the top five forwards are completed by Yurov from Metallurg ( “+9”). Magnitogorsk forwards Roman Kantserov And Luke Johnsonas well as Lokomotiv forward Denis Alekseev – in the top 4 in terms of the number of winning goals (all have three). Yaroslavl forward Georgy Ivanov took second place in the playoffs in the number of power moves (48 based on the results of 19 games). For the home team’s forward Ivan Chekhovich the next point scored is 100th in the KHL.
Metallurg forward Johnson leads the playoffs in the number of faceoffs won (278 out of 465), followed by the Railwaymen. Sergey Andronov (169 out of 301) and Ivanov (164 out of 301). Another attacking player of the steelworkers, Kantserov, made the most tackles in the current draw (13), one less than Ivanov from Lokomotiv, 11 – in the asset of the steelworker Nikita Grebenkin. Magnitogorsk Yurov leads in the number of interceptions (19), and his teammates are also in the top 5 for this indicator Artyom Minulin (16), Igor Geraskin and Press (15 each).
Metallurg is minimally ahead of Lokomotiv in terms of the number of victories in personal matches in the history of the KHL: 19 – 18.
