“Kudashov is to blame for the failure. And not just him.” Davydov appreciated the work of the Dynamo coaches and managers

Last year, Dynamo were eliminated in the second round, losing the series 0-4 to CSKA. The blue-and-white captain Vadim Shipachev then gave an honest assessment of the incident: “Shameful result”.

This season things got even worse. After extra time on Sunday, the saying came to mind: “We thought we hit rock bottom, but they knocked it from the bottom.” In the year of Dynamo’s centenary, the hockey club not only disgraced itself, but also disgraced the legendary brand. So you had to be able to fail the season.

Dynamo had possibly their worst season in 10 years. The shameful elimination in the first round of the playoffs in terms of soreness can only be compared with the 2017/18 championship, when the blue-and-whites did not enter the top eight at all.

The times when the black and whites rightfully carried the title of the most successful team in the history of post-Soviet hockey are gone forever. Now Dynamo is a hopeless middle peasant. And what is happening with the club cannot even be called stagnation. This is degradation and decay, as rapid as man-made.

The worst thing is that the Bianconeri have excellent opportunities for progress and development. A huge budget for today (the club is in the top three of the richest in the west of the KHL). A serious personal choice for the selection and play of their youth. Influential curators who are able to use their hardware weight to solve important problems.

In capable hands, this whole system would result in a team capable of at least reaching the conference finals, fighting for medals. But instead of progressing, Dynamo is rotting away. And the main reason is the human factor. Every catastrophe has a name and a surname

“IN THE PLAY-OFFS WE SAW THE NEGATIVE SIDES OF THE TECHNICAL STAFF”

So the legendary Dynamo player, three-time Olympic champion Vitaly Davydov, openly points to those who are to blame for the failure. A conversation with a man who gave Dynamo his whole life turned into a cry from the soul of a famous athlete.

– How do you rate Dynamo’s performance in the outgoing season?

– In the regular season, my native team sometimes showed a satisfactory game. But in the playoffs it upset me a lot. After the first match in Nizhny Novgorod, won 3:1, our guys considered the work done. And they paid for it.

Photo source: HC Dynamo (Moscow)

A whole series of mistakes and shortcomings led to failure. It is obvious to me that at the end of the series the bad sides of the coaching staff were highlighted. The players looked tired, and generally slowed down sharply towards the end of the games, and especially in extra time. There were many runs after the puck, which was owned by the opponent. And when he was taken away, there was no strength left to attack. The wingers did not cover the defenders of the “Torpedo”, they let them take the puck and get rid of it, shooting on goal. There is little game organization and psychological preparation. And the coaching staff should be responsible for this.

– The contrast with Torpedo is perceived all the more painfully because the real leaders of Nizhny Novgorod looked like yesterday’s VHL players, ambitious replacements. But in cup hockey they were much stronger than Dynamo.

– I completely agree. I love Dynamo and involuntarily look for an excuse for a failure in the playoffs. In the sixth game it seemed to me that the opponent had more desire to win. He smoothly played not only the leaders, but also the rest of the links. Including young people. Dynamo youth went into the shadows, Rashevsky himself, who so hoped for, did not burn his eyes. There are claims to legionnaires. With the possible exception of O’Dell, it seemed dignified at times. But the rest…

– “The eyes did not burn” – this is another puck against the coaching staff led by Alexei Kudashov.

– So it is, we are talking about real things. Alexey looked confused and in the sixth game he looked lost and depressed. He probably let his emotions out at the end of the fifth game when he threw a bottle of water on the bench. Compared to his past, Igor Larionov seemed confident in himself and in his team. What was passed on to the players. The trainer charged Torpedo with positive energy. It was clear that the Torpedo team was fighting not only for future contracts, but also for the coach.

Kudashov lost the duel against an opponent who had no cup coaching experience. What’s there to talk about?

Photo source: HC Dynamo (Moscow)

“It was also impossible to raise the issue of renewing contracts. This is a very difficult and painful mistake.”

– Speaking of contracts. Was it worth extending them to the playoffs with young forwards Dmitry Rashevsky and Maxim Dzhioshvili on more favorable terms? Many fans believe that the general director Alexei Sopin did not motivate the hockey players and, in fact, worked against the interests of the club.

– Of course, it was a very wrong step. These issues should be addressed after the playoffs are over. You have to stimulate the players, but first they have to show their product in the most important matches. Unfortunately, we didn’t see it. Both faded towards the end of the series. A very serious, painful mistake. If you work in a serious position, you simply cannot make such mistakes.

– And how would you comment on the promise of the club’s management to extend the contract with Kudashov?

– I would like to note that in terms of mood Nizhny Novgorod was higher than us, and the mood comes from the coaching staff. In terms of skills, Torpedo did not surpass Dynamo at all. Rather, we have a more skillful composition. But this was not enough to win, Torpedo’s trump cards turned out to be stronger. First of all, we are talking about the professionalism of the coach.

Photo source: HC Dynamo (Moscow)

I want to emphasize again: it is impossible to talk about extending or not renewing contracts with both players and coaches before the playoffs. The question is serious and equally delicate. Dynamo let me down in the playoffs. There was no power, no movement. Unlike the torpedo.

And for such mistakes it is necessary to answer. The coach is obligated to enter the playoffs with a team he can rely on, ready to fight and win. And if someone did not live up to expectations, then you need to ask who was in charge too. You’ve had an entire season to figure out who’s ready for the playoffs and who’s not.

– Is it worth continuing cooperation with Kudashov?

– It will be decided by the club board. He will analyze the results, weigh all the pros and cons. The search is in progress. I don’t want to interfere in the leaders’ affairs. I just stated objective and real things. I hope this helps clarify the situation.