KHL Season 2017/18

[SoundAndFury]

Also, if Torpedo is going to fire Skudra this season tonight is the night, I think. Getting absolutely destroyed by Ak Bars and on 4 game losing streak, subsequently.

 

[hansomreiste]

Hi everyone, after a very long break. Unfortunately, I am mostly unable to follow the league this season, so there are two questions popping up in my mind: how is Amur so good? I mean, they look decent and in contention for a play-off spot, which is something we very rarely see. Secondly, the same question goes for Avtomobilist. I still can't wrap my head around it. I've always wanted Yekaterinburg to find success in this league - because it is one of the most important and biggest cities in Russia. So happy to see them doing well. Is this a season of unexpected results or can I be hopeful about the future of Amur and Avto?

By the way, I've got some news that might interest KHL fans; but we'll have to wait till the end of this month before the dust settles. Interesting things may be coming.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Regarding Amur I wrote my take on the situation in the previous page.

Regarding Avto, they are just good. They are that high in the standings because traditional powerhouses (SU, Magnitka, Avangard) have been bad but at the same time, their roster is more or less at their level. I said before the season they have top-5 defense in the conference because I didn't want to make too bold of a statement but I think it's actually THE best defense in the conference. Solid, KHL-proven goalie, deep forward group. It's just a good team, you can't really say people are overperforming there.

 

[tsamolotoff]

Avtomobilist got a rich sponsor which they did not have 2 years ago, so they can buy whatever they want (if the 'national team' (tm) (C) teams are not interested), Amur got a decent coach this time and the players are better than they used to have (they've got several 'unwanted' players of MMg that can play top time in Khabarovsk and did not make it into the MMg roster). And yes, perennial contenders are all floundering this year (and Ak Bars had a string of injuries that is hopefully at an end)

 

[Atas2000]

Regarding Amur I wrote my take on the situation in the previous page.

Regarding Avto, they are just good. They are that high in the standings because traditional powerhouses (SU, Magnitka, Avangard) have been bad but at the same time, their roster is more or less at their level. I said before the season they have top-5 defense in the conference because I didn't want to make too bold of a statement but I think it's actually THE best defense in the conference. Solid, KHL-proven goalie, deep forward group. It's just a good team, you can't really say people are overperforming there.

They have a coach nearly everybody considers crapping on good hockey taste. Krikunov is just shoving the results down their sore throats.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Amur got a decent coach this time and the players are better than they used to have (they've got several 'unwanted' players of MMg that can play top time in Khabarovsk and did not make it into the MMg roster).

It should be noted just 1 out of 9 Amur's top scorers weren't on the team last year.

Obviously those depth additions aren't nothing but Byvaltsev and, partially, Li becoming 1st liners that are getting paid "happy just to be in the KHL" salaries made the crucial difference.

 

[tsamolotoff]

Depth is severely underrated for some reason - Barys clearly shows that you can't really win in the long run even if you have best-scoring line in the league - at some point they'll flounder and even blood sacrifices to Khorne and whonot won't help you restore their production rate (and firing Koreshkov is a dumb decision, btw). SKA and CKSA win not because they have top first lines, but because their 4th and 5th lines are equivalent of our 1st and 2nd (and they can play shutdown 1-3-1 / 1-4 hockey if needed)

 

[SoundAndFury]

I don't think that many people underestimate depth, the problem is that to create depth you need money. And 1st liner, at the end of the day, is a lot more valuable than good 3rd liner.

Amur is successful this year because their 1st liners are getting 3rd liner wages which means you can sign guys like Potekhin, Picard and Rasskazov to play on the 3rd. And still, Byvaltesev has 0 points in his last 3 games, Amur has 0 wins. And those depth players aren't making that much of an impact, even against Yugra.

Barys, after all, was built very similarly last year and made 2nd round of the playoffs. Sure having no depth doesn't grant you success every year but you have to lose something to gain something and that gamble has worked fairly well for them over the years. I think this year they only burnt out so spectacularly as their young guys (half of the team are rookies) weren't prepared for the season this long and intense, physically and mentally.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Watching Slovan play Magnitka today and I must say, Mozyakin looks done. I mean it's no shocker, he will be 37 soon but Magnitka has to be glad his contract runs out after this season.

 

[aonb]

Watching Slovan play Magnitka today and I must say, Mozyakin looks done. I mean it's no shocker, he will be 37 soon but Magnitka has to be glad his contract runs out after this season.

Still 35 points in 37 games. but watching him play i have to agree - not the same player anymore

 

[Go Donbass]

By the way, I've got some news that might interest KHL fans; but we'll have to wait till the end of this month before the dust settles. Interesting things may be coming.

This can mean only one thing. The Turkish Delights are bringing their swarthy brand of ice hockey to the KHL!

 

[jaco]

This is a screenshot from en.khl.ru:
Can someone explain to me the reason why Lokomotiv and Jokerit are already highlighted? They have 88 and 92 points, respectively, and could be surpassed both by Dynamo M. Lokomotiv could also be surpassed by Dinamo Mn, even by Vityaz.

Also Slovan and Riga, if they won all their remaining games, could still reach a play off spot....

Am I missing something? Are there less than 60 games each?

Edit: Sorry for that: 56 games each. Loko and Jokerit in, Slovan and Riga out.

 

[Go Donbass]

Аs wins go, Sibir's win over Avangarde today doesn't get much bigger. Down 2-1 with under 7 minutes to play, they scored three unanswered to win 4-2. The three points puts them one point up on Amur for the last playoff spot. Sibir have 6 games to play, Amur have 8. Gonna be a great race to the finish. Really wish this Sibir team we've seen the last 6 weeks was the same team that started the season. We'd be in first place.

 

[Dima_BLR]

Драка на корпоративе «Авангарда»
Just watch the footage of Avangard Omsk club's New Year party. Those drunk savages had plotted against their head coach Skabelka so that the club bosses fired him just a few days before the party. Then at the party they beat the **** out of their teammate Stas (who didn't support the plot against the coach and appears to be Belarusian just like the fired coach). Also, Stas's wife was injured in the fight as one of her husband's teammates hit her in the face. What a shame and disgrace!!!

 

[SoundAndFury]

Well, Skabelka deserved it and absolutely had it coming. I somehow have no problem with 20 grown men being fed up with taking crap from 1 little guy who thinks pointing fingers and finding scapegoats is what being head coach is all about. And when you call out world champion, 4 time KHL All-Star and the guy who led the league in blocked shots last year (!) "coward" because he didn't block one.. You should get canned and sent to, I don't know, Vitebsk, to learn a thing or two about coaching.

Regarding Stas and his wife, it's unfortunate and Russians are Russians. To be honest, I can understand team being upset with Stas and seeing him as Skabelka's protege but surely beating the crap out of him shouldn't have been a solution. Good thing for him it wasn't a wedding though, he would had been shot

 

[hansomreiste]

Драка на корпоративе «Авангарда»
Just watch the footage of Avangard Omsk club's New Year party. Those drunk savages had plotted against their head coach Skabelka so that the club bosses fired him just a few days before the party. Then at the party they beat the **** out of their teammate Stas (who didn't support the plot against the coach and appears to be Belarusian just like the fired coach). Also, Stas's wife was injured in the fight as one of her husband's teammates hit her in the face. What a shame and disgrace!!!

Wait, what the actual... Is this some kind of joke or really a video of Avangard's new year party? Do we know those guys fighting or the reason to do so? The only Stas I know of is Baretski but due to the horrible quality of the video and also my eyes, I can't see who is who at all. Some clarification would help a lot.

This can mean only one thing. The Turkish Delights are bringing their swarthy brand of ice hockey to the KHL!

I love the fact that you actually believe this is a possibility. That's the spirit!

 

[SoundAndFury]

Wait, what the actual... Is this some kind of joke or really a video of Avangard's new year party? Do we know those guys fighting or the reason to do so? The only Stas I know of is Baretski but due to the horrible quality of the video and also my eyes, I can't see who is who at all. Some clarification would help a lot.

I didn't watch the video and couldn't care less about it since I've seen a brawl before but last 2 days Russian hockey media has been discussing this non-stop. Basically 16 Avangard players went to the president of the team to tell him they won't play for Skabelka and want him gone after he scapegoated and called out Chudinov names ("coward" being the key one) for not blocking Burdasov's OT winner in the game against SU. So Skabelka got fired which makes sense.

However among those who didn't join the 16 was Stas whom most on the team seen as Skabelka's protege who was getting minutes (mostly playing 2nd line as well) without producing. When everybody got drunk during New Year's party it escalated into Fisenko breaking Stas' nose and his wife being slapped by Chudinov as she tried to break those up.

In a media this thing is way overblown, imho, however.

 

[Dima_BLR]

So Skabelka got fired which makes sense.

Hell yeah, replacing Skabelka with Titov makes sense in a weird Russian way.
No wonder Avangard bosses with their silly and twisted policy towards head coaches have been a real joke in the KHL since the times of Jagr. No wonder they've been non-competitive in the playoffs despite their huge budget and everything.

However among those who didn't join the 16 was Stas whom most on the team seen as Skabelka's protege who was getting minutes (mostly playing 2nd line as well) without producing.

LMAO, I guess it's the club heroes and liberators Fisenko and Chudinov who've been producing like hell. A bunch of mediocre players who can't even act like men on and off the ice. Together with Titov they'll lead the team to a bright and happy tomorrow.

 

[SoundAndFury]

Well, exactly, this season they are obviously noncompetitive so it doesn't matter whom you replace Skabelka with. Fact is that he did a terrible job and deserved to be fired although obviously Omsk selection of coaches has been terrible lately and they should do better.

Calling Chudinov a "mediocre player" though.. Stop with homerism and show some respect. Just because you are so sour over your countrymen's misfortunes you shouldn't go around spitting such garbage. Can you actually make some arguments Skabelka is a good coach and he acted the right way?

 

[Dima_BLR]

Surely, Skabelka is not Summanen still he's better than all those titovs in every respect. Shall we compare their stats and achievements as KHL coaches?
Even in Omsk Skabelka was not that bad taking into account the club budget was cut almost by 3 times before this season.

 

[SoundAndFury]

How is this Titov relevant to this conversation? At all? Skabelka had to be fired, Omsk found the stop gap. End of story. They can hire Vorobyov, Kudashov or whoever else is available in the off-season.
Omsk's budget was cut? By 3 times? What? Can you share the source of this info? Because their roster sure as hell isn't any cheaper. Maybe you are mistaking it with Sibir or something..

 

[Urbanskog]

Henrik Karlsson wants to obtain Kazakhstani citizenship and represent the country on international level.

Barys' Swedish goalie wants to become Kazakh citizen

 

[SoundAndFury]

Fun fact of the day: Yugra has 18 points in their last 10 games. Subsequently, Burstrom is only -3 on that team while Vitasek is +1 altogether. It's like if you get decent players you can win some games. Amazing how it works.

 

[aonb]

can somebody explain how can admiral go on 4-games winning streak with roster like this?
kazakov - yakovlev - butuzov
voronin - vikharev - alexeyev
fischenko - makhanovsky - pereskokov
manukyan - kovalyov - gichibekov

mischenko - zemchyonok
glazkov - mnatsyan
volchenkov - vaschenko

serebryakov

who the hell are those guys and why the just beat loko on their ice 3-1? thought this team after losing all decent players will be disaster in every aspect of game, worse than lada and yugra

 

[SoundAndFury]

Yeah, they are the KHL version of Vegas story. Those guys are nobodies with few exceptions and they were outshot by at least 20 SOG in 3 out of 4 those games. But here we are.