"There are injuries this year, but, in principle, the squad is fighting"

The first matches of the series took place in the KHL playoffs. As expected, the confrontation between Spartak Moscow and Severstal Cherepovets, teams that prefer to play attacking combination hockey, began vividly. In the first game, Spartak won 5-4 on their ice in overtime, although they lost 0-2 and 2-4.

The second game will be played in the capital on Friday, and on Sunday and Tuesday the teams will play in Cherepovets. In an interview with Izvestia, Severstal striker Ruslan Abrosimov explained what prevented the team from winning the first match, what the team needs to improve on now, and what should help them win the series.

— What was the turning point in the first match against Spartak?

— I think it was Spartak's third goal when the score became 4.:3. We were leading by two goals before that and had the majority, but we missed. This goal of the opponent in the minority gave him an impulse, after which they started up. But at the same time, we still had chances to score the puck and win. But the implementation failed. Overall, I don't think we missed the thread of the game. Yes, the opponent has gained momentum, the Spartak players have added. But Severstal also played well.

— Did Severstal lose the match to a greater extent because of its mistakes than Spartak won due to some powerful game?

— We played well anyway, scored good goals. We just lost because of stupid mistakes. But we have time to look at ourselves, take apart the game, and fix these mistakes. Let's see what happens next.

— Can we say that teams with similar styles are playing in this series, and everything will be decided by the implementation of moments and fewer defensive mistakes?

— I think so.

— Are you under a lot of pressure from how you missed the victory over Spartak and lost the first match in overtime?

- no. I repeat, it's important now to just sort out the errors, see what was wrong, and add something. And go to the next match with a clear head and new thoughts about winning.

— If we compare with last year's first-round series with Spartak, which you lost 1-4 after five matches, what have you improved since then?

— I think it makes no sense to compare. We had a lot of injuries that year. And many guys didn't even go to the matches. There are injuries this year, but, in principle, the squad is fighting.

— At the weekend, in the last match of the regular season, you fought at home with Dynamo Moscow to the last and eventually snatched victory in regular time (3:2) in the last minutes, rising to sixth place. If you had finished seventh, you would have been playing against Dynamo. Was there a goal to avoid a series with them?

— No, this victory is not related to the desire or unwillingness to play in the playoffs with someone. We just went out to play to win, as we always do. Yes, we knew that our final place in the table and our opponent in the first round depended on the result of the match with Dynamo, but we didn't pay attention to it. And we just tried to please our fans. After the match, we found out who we were targeting.

— So there was no reasoning that Spartak was more convenient for you in the first round than Dynamo?

— No, the coach didn't tell us anything like that.

— What should Severstal do to win the second match in Moscow?

— Remove the mistakes that were in the first match, and add to the implementation of the moments. Because we had the opportunity to score again when we were leading 4-2. But unfortunately, it didn't work out. And the opponent eventually won back.

— The third and fourth matches will be held in Cherepovets. Should the support of the stands give you an advantage?

— I think so. Moreover, according to the information, all tickets for these two matches have already been sold out. Therefore, we hope that the fans will help us.