"Tactics won't help if your heart isn't on fire"

The Gagarin Cup semifinal series between Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Avangard Omsk became one of the most dramatic in the history of the KHL. The Railwaymen defeated Omsk for the third time in a row in the seventh playoff match, although they themselves were on the verge of relegation during the current confrontation.

Losing 1-3 in the series, and then losing 0-2 a minute before the end of the sixth match, Lokomotiv managed to save with two goals in the last seconds and snatched victory in the second overtime. The seventh meeting on May 6 also reached the second extra period: Yaroslavl fought back from 1:3 and won 4-3.

Now Lokomotiv will play in the Gagarin Cup final with Ak Bars Kazan and will try to win the KHL main trophy for the second year in a row. In an interview with Izvestia, Yaroslavtsev striker Artur Kayumov told how this victory over Avangard was special for the team.

— Are the feelings of this victory similar to those of a year ago, when Avangard won under similar circumstances?

— This is a completely different feeling. Now we have won back from 1:3 in the series. And in the seventh match, we won back from the same score. Last year, we still led 3-1 in the series and 2-0 in the seventh game. Now the situation is different. I had to fight back. And we succeeded — it's worth a lot. The guys did well, they gave themselves up to the end of the game.

— How did you manage to win back in the series and the two decisive matches?

— Due to the team game. At the expense of cohesion. Our team is one big family. Each of us knows our job and believes to the end in what we are doing.

— Were there any special heartfelt speeches from the coaches and team leaders before and during the decisive matches that inspired these comebacks?

— Of course, we talked. We knew that we had to believe in ourselves to the end, in our teammates, and in the club. That's the most important thing. I repeat, due to the family atmosphere in this team, due to the understanding that we can do this even in such a difficult situation, we are winning.

— Many considered this Avangard to be the favorite of the playoffs. Do you feel like you've knocked out perhaps the strongest opponent?

— I would not say that we will have a weak opponent in the final. Of course, Avangard is a very serious team. Of course, they play very well. They're doing great in terms of tactics, discipline, and coaching approach. The club sets itself the highest goals. But only one wins here.

— Are the four days between the seventh match against Avangard and the first final game against Ak Bars enough to recover from such a difficult series?

— To be honest, I haven't even looked at the date of the finals (laughs). But four days is enough. We need to rest for one day after the last match and then go back to the fight.

Team room: Ak Bars reached the Gagarin Cup final three years later

His opponent will be determined in the Avangard and Lokomotiv series

— What makes your team so good in decisive matches?

— We have the most disciplined club in the entire league. Starting from everyday issues and ending with what is happening on the ice. Besides, many of the players in the team have known each other since childhood. And they understand how each of us can play and how we can play. Therefore, the main thing was to be patient for the first five minutes of overtime, and then everything went as it should.

— What is the difference between the behavior of Igor Nikitin's coaching staff in the seventh match and the behavior of Bob Hartley's coaching staff this year?

— It's not even about the coaching staff. Psychologically, you need to be prepared first of all. Tactics won't help if you don't want to win, if your heart isn't on fire. Then it makes no sense to choose any tactics.

— For three years in a row, you finish the season late because you reach the finals. Is it difficult to recover in conditions of shortened vacations?

—Not really. We only want to win. We are an insatiable club in this regard.

— How do you like the current Ak Bars?

— I haven't followed them in this playoff yet.

— And what about the face-to-face matches in the regular season?

— A good team. Very disciplined. Performs his coaching job well. But there are no weak opponents in the finals at all.

— Your former partner at Lokomotiv and a graduate of the club, Grigory Denisenko, is now playing very vividly for Ak Bars. Will there be a special attitude against him?

— To be honest, I haven't followed him yet. Is it playing very brightly? In any case, the team as a whole is important here, not an individual player, not personally Grisha or anyone else. When someone wins, no one writes that it was won by any particular hockey player. They always say that the team won.