Yaroslavl lacks composure and CSKA fails to start matches – what the team’s coaches said

The second meeting of the playoff series between CSKA and Yaroslavl Lokomotiv ended in victory for the army team – 3:2.

Thus, the score of the series became 2:0 in favor of Muscovites, and it will continue in Yaroslavl, at Arena 2000.

After the match, the team coaches summed up the results.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Head coach of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv Igor Nikitin spoke about the main reason for the loss to CSKA:

“More or less the game is the same. We get stronger. Let’s get ready for the next match.

Are we mentally unrealized moments? When you manage to score, you not only feel confident, but also add uncertainty to your opponent. We lack composure, the guys have to believe in themselves. We’ve been working on it for a long time. We wouldn’t grumble in front of them if we didn’t believe in them.

Why don’t most work? The problem isn’t in mixing players, it comes from the same place: psychology. Here you have to play intuitively, not thinking about whether it is right or not.

New players in the squad? We understand that the series will be difficult, we try to involve all players.

Will there be changes? We do not single out anyone either in victories or in defeats. Therefore, if there are any changes, it will be due to injuries or because one person is needed for the same majority. The roster changes are not a showcase execution, they are simply necessary measures.

THE MAGIC OF NUMBERS

CSKA coach Sergei Fedorov he rejoiced in the victory and the individual results of his charges, but let’s note the problem of the poor starting segments performed by the army team:

“I won’t talk about the start of the match, everyone understood that they had started unsuccessfully. This is our psychology. We have to change it, find the fuse and set it on fire. Rebuilt, found the pattern of the game. They came back and scored important goals. We add that Kostya Okulov has become the most productive CSKA player in history, Sergey Plotnikov has 800 KHL matches – these numbers also help.

And Plotnikov? We will find out at night. The quest is coming.

A good minority against Lokomotiv? These are the developments during the season, our boys have put pressure already meeting an opponent. But there are times when we do not guess with the hip. But the movement helps ensure that the opponent arrives in our area already tired and under pressure.

After today’s match, the guys themselves said the right words, the task of our headquarters is to support and lead. We will try to make sure we have a good start and a good game in Yaroslavl.”

The next match in the series will take place on March 21 in Yaroslavl at Arena 2000.