Two-time Gagarin Cup winner Alexey Potapov shared his thoughts on Lokomotiv Yaroslavl’s 3-1 victory over Ak Bars Kazan in the first game of the final series (1-0).
“The advantage Yaroslavl had is that they had just played a game, so they were in rhythm. I wouldn’t say Kazan lost their sharpness significantly, but a momentary lapse in concentration led to the first game going to Lokomotiv.
Yaroslavl did a great job of getting into the opponent’s crease, and once they had a comfortable lead, they started playing to the score—something this team does very well.
As for Ak Bars, it felt like they got going and even had a significant edge in shots, especially in the third period. They did a good job getting the puck to the net, and Isaev stopped it right on the goal line several times.
Obviously, Anvar Rafailovich (Gatiyatulin) and Kazan fans will expect more from the leaders, especially Khmelevski and Todd, who didn’t look like themselves. At the same time, Safonov, Yashkin, and Galimov played well, as did Miller.
I think this game gave both teams a feeling that they can compete with this opponent. The second match, I hope, will be much more competitive, tighter, and more emotional,” Potapov said. {IMAGE_1}
Lokomotiv dominated Ak Bars in the second period, scoring three goals in just 46 seconds.
