Gagarin Cup Playoffs 2018

[vorky]

I have to wonder, why this video is still geoblocked? If we here in the "west" can only see that twitter video, then ofcourse we think that the refs were biased and assume that the refs had that same material available. If behind that link there is the video material, that were available for the referees, then KHL should unblock it for the rest of the "KHL world". Or maybe they just don't care what people here thinks of them.

Geoblocking has nothing to do with this Severstal-SKA series.

I do not like the geoblocking, but lets face the reality. The KHL has a partner, Lagardere Sports, which sells the KHL media rights outside Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to tv broadcasters. They sell the rights for classic TV broadcasting and streaming on internet in one package if I know. That means that whole KHL video section at league´s site is geoblocked for some countries - Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Czech rep, Slovakia, Hungary, Switzerland, Canada, the US, China. People from Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia can not watch Riga´s video materials at KHL website. Agreements with TV broadcasters were signed before the season, and it is not so easy to unblock one video/clip today. New agreement, the amendment, would have to be signed with TV broadcasters and it can not be done within days. And the league can not unblock the video on their own, because TV broadcasters could sue the league.

 

[tsamolotoff]

The real story in the East is the falling apart of Neftekhimik.

Yeah, that's a huge downer for me personally - a team with 1/3 of our budget pulling punches like a grown-up, and then that dirty brawl (it's probably the first such occasion since the Vityaz-Avangard debacle back in the years). And it's almost on the 10th anniversary of the famous AB-Traktor brawl game. I've watched the Game 4, and the team looked kind of okay. Although Traktor is a very frustrating team to play against with their constant 1-4 setup and grinder-oriented lineup.

 

[Rcknrollkillnmachine]

If Yaroslavl put SKA out in the next round all will be forgotten conveniently.

I think this thread has gone too far off course so let's steer it back on Gargarin Cup track.

 

[vorky]

Lokomotiv vs Jokerit would be cool conference final.

 

[Toro2017]

And the league can not unblock the video on their own, because TV broadcasters could sue the league.

Yes, I understand that. But in this case the very reputation of KHL is in danger, so they should publish it. Or should have. Now it might be too late. Here in Finland every sport media had a story about that incident and all we could see, is that twitter video. So it is very easy to think that ofcourse the second richest league have good cameras in every arena and the material available for refs should have been atleast same quality than some video in twitter.

 

[jaco]

I'm preparing for our (probably) last game of the season.... Anyway, having won a PO game against Ak Bars is something to be proud of !!
See you next season

 

[jaco]

Didn't even have time to sit down and Lander alredy scored. Hopefully this is not going to be humiliating.... My guys wouldn't deserve it.

 

[jaco]

Hats off to Ak Bars... Will root for them from now on

 

[tsamolotoff]

Yeah, it was a good series, Amur fought like a tiger, with all claws and paws and teeth Ak Bars still has this 'low efficiency' problem - there's little to no impact when our team starts to exert pressure on the other side, we had almost 2 minutes of uninterrupted really good puck movement at the end of the 2nd and nothing came out of it. Thankfully Garipov did only one blunder today

 

[hansomreiste]

Don't even bring up being pro-Russian or whatever; I'm probably more pro-Russian than most Russians but this league has become a joke. SKA don't even need the help of the ref to sweep Severstal but when you stack two teams for the national team and destroy the rest, then you exactly have what sane people call a bush league. They've been talking about a salary cap for years. Where is it? The only thing worth watching now is eastern conference but when you know that whoever comes out of it will be decimated by either CSKA or SKA, it loses all the meaning.

KHL board harms this league more than Malamud could ever do. A non-existent structure exposing all teams to be robbed by the giants of the army, referees replacing whom with blind people would be a better idea, stupid scheduling... They ask teams to upgrade their arenas. Why should they even bother when you put all 8 play-off games in the same day? When was the last time did we actually watch a competitive series in West between 1-8 and 2-7 that was enjoyable and unpredictable to a degree?

I just don't understand what KHL is after. Personally, I have the option to switch to another league or simply stop watching hockey but I'm wondering whether what they think Russian people deserve is this joke of a league. You can have a very good national team with a competitive, strong league as well. I always admire the way Russians are proud of their country but come on, destroying a whole league for the sake of gold metal in Olympics is a little bit too far-fetched.

 

[vorky]

I understand a frustration. On the other hand, I do not get the misunderstanding of the league.

Salary cap. The current situation with luxury tax was implemented under Medvedev. The floor was over one bilion rubles, Chernyshenko decreased it. But the system stayed. Thanks to sanctions, we can see disparity which was not seen so much under Medvedev. New strategy wants to fix the system, we will see. But, the change will not happen within one season.

I said about refs earlier. Developing a top notch ref takes time. It is easier to buy a foreign player than to develop Russian ref.

Scheduling. You know, there is IIHF WCH at the end of the season. The KHL has to play their play-offs within this period. The KHL has more play-off rounds than other European leagues, so the schedule is more packed. If there was not IIHF WHC, the KHL could play their play-off for two or three weeks longer, scheduling would be better.

The most important. Do you think there is one guy who decides about everything in the KHL?

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Don't even bring up being pro-Russian or whatever; I'm probably more pro-Russian than most Russians but this league has become a joke. SKA don't even need the help of the ref to sweep Severstal but when you stack two teams for the national team and destroy the rest, then you exactly have what sane people call a bush league. They've been talking about a salary cap for years. Where is it? The only thing worth watching now is eastern conference but when you know that whoever comes out of it will be decimated by either CSKA or SKA, it loses all the meaning.

KHL board harms this league more than Malamud could ever do. A non-existent structure exposing all teams to be robbed by the giants of the army, referees replacing whom with blind people would be a better idea, stupid scheduling... They ask teams to upgrade their arenas. Why should they even bother when you put all 8 play-off games in the same day? When was the last time did we actually watch a competitive series in West between 1-8 and 2-7 that was enjoyable and unpredictable to a degree?

I just don't understand what KHL is after. Personally, I have the option to switch to another league or simply stop watching hockey but I'm wondering whether what they think Russian people deserve is this joke of a league. You can have a very good national team with a competitive, strong league as well. I always admire the way Russians are proud of their country but come on, destroying a whole league for the sake of gold metal in Olympics is a little bit too far-fetched.

Lol, you sound so bitter. I think that you are actually right in most of points, but come on, the KHL is a good league. The level is increasing. This year unfortunately was a bit off due to the Olympics but I'm sure that next season will be much better. I'm not the biggest fan of salary caps. I'm not so sure in Europe. Players like Kovalchuk won't go playing in Khabarovsk just because of it

 

[hansomreiste]

I won't deny I'm bitter. Of course I am. Same things have been repeated for years but honestly I enjoyed the play a lot five years ago. The league has been developing but this benefited only top guns so far. We saw a glimpse of hope from Sibir and boom, they got raided immediately. In terms of salaries and the quality of play, sure, KHL is a good league; but it has become extremely one-sided. That needs to be dealth with. It has been already 10 years since the inception of this league. I have no idea what they're waiting for to tackle problems.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Saying the level is increasing.. Come on guys. Lets stay real here. The golden age of the KHL was 2012-2014. Little to no point debating this. There is (somewhat) more parity nowadays and the teams like Amur can make PO only because all the others were drained of talent.

Maybe hansomreiste wrote a bit of a hot-headed take on a situation but he is mostly right. KHL needs to act fast because the longer this lasts the more of a joke it becomes.

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

Saying the level is increasing.. Come on guys. Lets stay real here. The golden age of the KHL was 2012-2014. Little to no point debating this. There is (somewhat) more parity nowadays and the teams like Amur can make PO only because all the others were drained of talent.

There isn't only level of play. Level of broadcasting is improving year after year, all the surrounding is improving year after year.
Probably the 2012-13 or so seasons were a bit better before the war on ruble started

 

[Alessandro Seren Rosso]

I have no idea what they're waiting for to tackle problems.

Hopefully now the Olympics were won so we can get focused on other things.

 

[Atas2000]

Saying the level is increasing.. Come on guys. Lets stay real here.

If Gary and his media can lie to us why shouldn't we do the same?

The level of the NHL is constantly decreasing while Gary's mignons keep telling us how much better everything is. And it works on weak minds. The golden age of the NHL is over too.

Point being lets put the flies and the soup on different tables. There's the real state of affairs and then there are several agendas. League needs a shakeup(bring back MNk, cut SKA and CSKA back to normal space, adress officiating and so on), but tgere are several significant groups and forces with agendas that will try hard to prevent it from happening.

 

[malkinfan]

1) Has it been confirmed whether the refs reviewed the play for the high stick in front of the net and just had an oversight on the offside or did they also review the goal for the offside?
2) Sevestal has some HD cameras covering the game: see their youtube channel, they cut their own highlight videos. Not sure how readily available the footage is on demand, but there is an HD recording there.

 

[IAM]

If there was not IIHF WHC, the KHL could play their play-off for two or three weeks longer, scheduling would be better.

Why should KHL end their season before WHC? NHL doesn't. So argument is invalid.

 

[vorky]

Why should KHL end their season before WHC? NHL doesn't. So argument is invalid.

Because the KHL is under the IIHF umbrella or IIHF jurisdiction if you want to use this term. The NHL is not under the IIHF.

 

[IAM]

Hopefully now the Olympics were won so we can get focused on other things.

There is much better level of hockey and more talanted players in WHC though

 

[IAM]

Because the KHL is under the IIHF umbrella or IIHF jurisdiction if you want to use this term. The NHL is not under the IIHF.

Does IIHF obligate KHL to end their season before WHC or does russians just want to make sure that they can't get all the players in their national team?

 

[Urbanskog]

Does IIHF obligate KHL to end their season before WHC or does russians just want to make sure that they can't get all the players in their national team?

Obviously. And I am sure that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation wouldn't approve of the KHL not releasing their players even if it was possible so there's no point in discussing this.

 

[IAM]

Obviously. And I am sure that the Russian Ice Hockey Federation wouldn't approve of the KHL not releasing their players even if it was possible so there's no point in discussing this.

I think it's a good question. Liiga doesn't have break while Karjala Cup for example. So are they breaking some rules or is WHC different? If KHL wants to end season weeks before WHC it's their business. And I'm fine with that but let's not pretend that reason is something else that national intrests. And same reason goes for stacking all the stars in one or two teams. In longer run these national intrests kills KHL and it's kind of a sad thing that many russians can't or will not see it before it's too late.

 

[vorky]

Euro Hockey Tour is not run by the IIHF, it is just a tournament of Finnish, Swedish, Russian & Czech Hockey Federations. The WHC is different, it is run by the IIHF. Still, all clubs have to release their players to EHT (due to IIHF NT break) & WHC/Olympics. Theoretically, the European leagues could be played during the IIHF WCH, but it would be a nonsense. Gagarin Cup Final, game 7, is scheduled on April 26, the IIHF WHC starts on May 4. So, just a week´s pause.

It is not fair to blame the KHL for two clubs thing. It is not a policy of the league. Read this