"Every match of the series with Torpedo was tense in its own way"

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's hockey players were the first to qualify for the second round of the KHL playoffs. They are the only ones who have not lost a single match in the current Gagarin Cup. This week, following the results of four games, the Railwaymen won the series 4-0 against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

In an interview with Izvestia, Lokomotiv striker Georgy Ivanov shared his opinion about the past series, said that he was not afraid of a possible trip to Vladivostok in the next round, and also told how Yaroslavl added to the majority of the game and shared his opinion about Alexander Ovechkin's upcoming record, which left three goals to score. Surpass Wayne Gretzky in NHL goals.

— Lokomotiv outwardly easily won the series against Torpedo. Does the content of the matches correspond to the final score of 4-0?

"I don't think so. Each game was intense in its own way. The Torpedo fought to the end. And we had to play a little easier in some places, act more on the team in others. But I think everyone played a great game.

— How did you manage to win the series so quickly?

— We were preparing for this episode. And we were able to win it primarily due to teamwork and correct actions.

— There is a theory that a quick victory over Traktor in last year's Gagarin Cup semi-final created problems for Lokomotiv before the final, as you were without playing practice longer than Metallurg, who eventually defeated you. Can the current downtime before the second round hinder you?

— Well, it's just a theory. Anyway, everything depends on us first of all, on how we prepare. We are already starting to prepare for the second round — the main thing here is to have a good rest and train systematically. We are preparing for this every day and all our thoughts are only about the second round.

— Have you been following the possible opponents in the second round?

- no. We only followed our series. So, sometimes we just looked at the accounts of other games. But we didn't watch the matches themselves. I didn't want to get distracted from the preparation for the games with Torpedo.

— Does it even make a difference whether to play with Avangard or Admiral?

— We don't even think about it. What's the point of guessing? It's none of our business. Our job is to prepare.

— Doesn't the prospect of trips to Vladivostok bother you if the Admiral passes the Tractor?

— No, of course not. This is our favorite thing. Therefore, it doesn't matter where to play. I don't see any problem with that.

Are you ready to fly eight hours to Vladivostok and back easily too?

— This is our job. We should still enjoy it.

— How did Lokomotiv improve compared to the last playoffs, when they lost in the final? What should help you win the Gagarin Cup this time?

— We worked a lot on small details, which we just lacked in last year's final with Metallurg.

— Igor Larionov, the head coach of Torpedo, said after your team's departure that his legendary attacking trio of the 1980s with Vladimir Krutov and Sergey Makarov would have beaten such a Locomotive. Do you have an answer to that?

— There is nothing to answer. I don't even know what to say.

— In the last series with Torpedo, Lokomotiv scored a lot of goals in the majority. Was it the arrival of Anton Kuryanov, a specialist in this case, to the coaching staff during the season?

— Of course, Anton Alekseevich has added variety to us. We worked on our shortcomings, started doing more of the right things, and threatened the opponent's goal more. And most of them went.

— Is there a key change in the majority game under Kuryanov?

— They started throwing more shots at the goal.

— Are you following Alexander Ovechkin's progress towards Wayne Gretzky's record for goals in the NHL?

— I see the news, but I'm not following it, because it was a difficult series with Torpedo, and now we're going to prepare for the second round. But I'll just be happy for him when he breaks the record. Ovechkin is the only hockey player of his kind. This is an incredible achievement. It is unknown whether anyone will ever break this record.