"I survive well in anarchy"
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's hockey players won the first Gagarin Cup in the club's history. The day before, they beat Traktor Chelyabinsk 4-1 in the final series of the KHL playoffs following the results of five matches. The victory in the fifth game (2-1) was brought to the Railwaymen by central striker Maxim Shalunov, who scored the decisive goal in overtime. He won the Gagarin Cup for the second time in his career, having previously managed to do so in 2019 with CSKA.
The 32-year-old hockey player has become one of the main figures of the current Lokomotiv. A special resonance was caused by the harsh power play performed by Shalunov in the second match of the final series against one of the leaders of Traktor, Charles Robinson, who was injured and missed the next game, and Yaroslavl turned the tide of the confrontation after losing the first match (1:2). For this, Shalunov was publicly obstructed by fans and some of the players from Chelyabinsk, the city where Maxim was born and began his hockey career.
In an interview with Izvestia, Shalunov explained the secret of Lokomotiv's victory, told how he reacted to the Robinson story, and shared his impressions of playing with star striker Alexander Radulov, who came to Yaroslavl before the winning season and became the MVP (most valuable player) of the last KHL playoffs.
— How did Lokomotiv win the Gagarin Cup?
— It seems to me that we have come a very long way. There were a lot of good things, a lot of not-so-good things. But we've been through it, as a team, all together. And we deserved this cup — we came to it.
— What emotions does a player feel when this is not the first Gagarin Cup he has won in his career?
— Any cup is special. I am happy to be in this team, to bring a trophy to this city.
— What did you feel when you scored the winning goal for Traktor in overtime, after which the whole team rushed to the ice to celebrate the triumph?
— Happiness! Happiness! I'm still devastated, to be honest! It is necessary, so to speak, to sleep with these emotions in order to understand more.
— In Chelyabinsk, since last year, they can't forgive you for the joint that led to the injury of goalkeeper Zach Fucale in the semifinals, which greatly influenced the course of the series. In the last final, the heat increased due to the power play against Robinson. What's it like playing in a haight environment, even from your hometown?
— Oh... I survive well in anarchy, so to speak. I'm used to it all. This is hockey... It's all good.
— Isn't it scary to go for such power techniques as with Robinson, who knows how to play hard himself?
— No, it's not scary. This is hockey. We play hockey, it's a power sport.
— How does the Gagarin Cup with Lokomotiv differ from the Gagarin Cup with CSKA?
— I haven't thought about it yet, to be honest. Each cup is unique in its own way. But the Yaroslavl Cup is even more unique — look at how many local students from Yaroslavl we have in our team. What a lot of work has been done by the club is a unique case.
— What is the secret of Igor Nikitin's work, that you, under his leadership, played with CSKA and Lokomotiv five times in the Gagarin Cup final and won it twice?
— We just practice the same way we play. To the fullest. That's all.
— When CSKA won the Gagarin Cup, you played a significant role in the success of the army team, but Kirill Kaprizov, Ilya Sorokin and a number of other hockey players were in the foreground. Do you have a feeling that your contribution to the triumph of Lokomotiv is much greater?
— There were a lot of important people at CSKA back then, I agree. I completely agree, I understand what you are talking about. We had a very good squad at CSKA. Lokomotiv has a great team too. But here in Yaroslavl, I can say that I showed even better hockey.
— What do you think about Alexander Radulov? Can we say that with his emotions and leadership qualities, he brought to Lokomotiv what was missing in last year's Gagarin Cup final with Metallurg?
— I do not know, he walked for a whole year, he was silent. I don't know what he was doing.
"Really?"
— No, I'm just kidding, of course. Look at Sanya, how he behaves on the ice, on the bench, or now when we celebrate the trophy. That says it all. A great emotional person, a true leader who brought all these qualities to our team. You can see him on the ice now, and believe me, he's the same in real life. He's a big man. His talent is undeniable. Thank God he's on our team.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
