Commentator Kirill Kornilov shared his thoughts on the Gagarin Cup final series between Lokomotiv and Ak Bars.
“Ak Bars should have better physical conditioning. The long break between series should work in their favor, as it has in previous rounds—only a positive impact on Gatiyatulin’s team, without hurting their game rhythm. It seemed to me that even in the series against Metallurg, we didn’t see Ak Bars at their maximum. Either they adapt so cleverly to each opponent, or there’s still room for improvement. We’re looking at two extremely strong teams with no obvious weak spots—teams that have been built over several years. Bilyalov is playing at an MVP level of the Gagarin Cup, and every forward line can cause problems for the opponent. Their power play only failed in one game against Metallurg.
What also interests me is the coaching battle: Hartley vs. Gatiyatulin. Obviously, no coach in the KHL can compare to Hartley’s experience. This will be his third final in the league. Gatiyatulin is making his final debut, but Anvar Rafailovich keeps improving every year. Overall, it’s going to be a brilliant series with no clear favorite, in my opinion,” Kornilov said.
