RUSSIA, – After two epic series to decide the Conference Champions, AK Bars and HC MVD emerged as the two teams who will contest this season’s Gagarin Cup Final.
In the East, AK Bars took a three game lead in their best of seven series against league winners Salavat Yulaev Ufa as they looked to go one better in 2010, having been second best to Lokomotiv in the 2009 Gagarin Cup Finals.
But sub par performances in games 4 and 5 allowed Ufa to pull themselves back into the tie and threaten to spoil the party.
Criticism of Bars performances followed in the Russian media, with their displays branded ‘lifeless’ and ‘limp’ by some commentators. The criticism only added to the hype surrounding the pivotal sixth game of the series however, with both sides coming out of the blocks in full flight.
Ufa, boasting the play-offs leading scorer and one time Nashville Predator Alexandre Radulov, stuck to their usual high offence style, but found Bars in no mood to roll over following their previous lacklustre outings.
After a prolonged period of attack on the Ufa goal, Janne Pesonen celebrated his return from injury by breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute of the opening period. Ufa pulled level late in the 2nd period when Radulov converted Igor Grigorenko’s pass, but it was Ilya Nikhulin who would have the final say for the home side. Nikhulin converted Bars only powerplay opportunity of the game to seal a 2-1 win on the night and a 4-2 series win for his team.
In the Western Conference Finals, defending champions Lokomotiv Yaroslavl were hoping to repeat their own heroics of 12 months ago with a second trip to the Finals, but found Moscow based HC MVD had other ideas.
After trading blows through the first six games, the series came down to a winner takes all seventh game in the nation’s capital on Sunday. Despite losing Andrei Skopintsev early with a shoulder injury, MVD fought hard for a 2-1 victory to claim the series and book a place in the Gagarin Cup Finals.
The victory was not without its drama however, especially after Lokomotiv’s Ivan Tkachenko hit the post late in the game and MVD’s over eager celebrations saw players leaping from the bench with 4 seconds still remaining on the clock!
MVD President Mikhail Tyurkin was not shy about his ambitions for the team heading in to the Finals.
Tyurkin said “Did you think I was joking when I talked about winning the Gagarin Cup? Not at all, I was serious. We have here a fantastic team, a fantastic coach, and an excellent regime leading the club. We are united and unbeatable!”
Whether Tyurkin’s prediction comes true or not will have to be seen, when the Gagarin Cup Final begins this Wednesday as AK Bars travel to Moscow for Game 1 of the series.
Contact rob.mcgregor@prohockeynews.com
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