In 2024, the Ufa residents cannot be stopped yet.
“Salavat Yulaev” started 2024 with a bang – with three victories in a row. In the matches played, the Ufa team dominated and in its current state appears to be one of the most difficult opponents in the league. Salavat is in leadership positions in a number of important statistical indicators. If everything goes well, the Ufa team will soon be able to bypass their direct competitor and secure at least second place in the Eastern Conference table. The club didn’t even look for reinforcements before the deadline, because the leaders were fine as is.
Photo:hcsalavat.ru(hereinafter)
“Salavat Yulaev” in the group
The expected defeat from Ak Bars in the last match of 2023 had no effect on the team. The Ufa team was better on December 30 in Kazan, created better chances and continued in the same spirit in the coming year. First, Avangard was demolished away (4:0), a direct competitor for first place in the East. Omsk noticeably strengthened before the deadline, but temporarily lost the best player in the league due to illness Vladimir Tkachev. Without him, the team’s game fell apart a little, and the newcomer who replaced him in the first line Damir Jafyarov clearly not for a leadership role yet. Salavat beat Avangard (30 to 21) and played 7 minutes more in attack. Then the Ufa team went completely wild: 51 to 21 in shots on target and 21:32 at 10:24 in attack time on the road against Sibir (3:2 OT) and only miraculously missed a lot of chances. The pace did not slow down against Barys in the first home game of 2024 – again 51 shots and under 20 minutes in attack.
At the same time, in terms of shots for the entire season, Salavat (1357) is only sixth from the bottom. But the third in terms of percentage of their implementation (10:39). In terms of goals scored – sixth. At the same time, they are second in terms of goals conceded, as well as in the ratio of goals scored and goals conceded. The Ufa team is also in the top in games without conceding goals, third in tackles and interceptions, fourth in victories in regular time.
In the current state, the Ufa team is one of the main contenders for reaching the finals. And this, of course, is not at all the same team that was in September. “We looked for combinations and studied the best sides of hockey players. We focused on attack because it is more spectacular and dynamic hockey. We have a lot of young and fast forwards on our team, coupled with a defensive line that can hold the puck and move well. When you play this kind of hockey, you need goalkeepers like Samonov and Yezhov, who are able to pull out dangerous counterattacks,” explained Victor Kozlov.
Matvey Guskov
It is also significant that Salavat did not look for reinforcements before the deadline. According to the CEO Rinata Bashirovabecause there was no need. The Ufa team already has a pool of at least four players who should play in the starting lineup, but are forced to remain in the reserves due to rotation. But chances are available. So I put an end to the game with Barys Matvey Guskov from a verified transmission Alexey Pustozerov, who could have left for Spartak in December. For Guskov, this goal was the second of the season, and Pustozerova scored points for the first time in two months. “I can’t put five A’s on the ice. You have to make a tough decision when you have to take someone off and everyone is playing well. It’s the same for the defenders,” Kozlov said.
The Ufa club has a full top 6
The locomotive of “Salavat” logically remains the first link. Bunch Alexander Khmelevsky with By Josh Lew and Ivan Drozdov is a triple threat without a clear point guard or shooter. They, individually or together, have been scoring points for eight matches in a row. Khmelevsky has generally accelerated over the past two months; since November 14, he has not had a streak of two matches in a row without points. A year ago, he produced a series of four overtimes in a row with winning goals, now we can expect new performances. Sasha will definitely surpass his last year’s scoring record; he already has 42 (21+21) points in 47 matches. So far he has dropped out of the top 5 best snipers in the league, but his leading role in Salavat is clear.
However, Livo is also becoming more and more significant – a double in the last game and six goals in six matches. If in the first months he played more for his partners, now he is revealing himself as a sniper. Josh is still the only one on the team on the “more points than matches” schedule. And Drozdov has the best season of his career, a double in the game with Siberia and a series of four matches with goals. Ivan is still the team’s third scorer – 31 (17+14) points in 45 matches.
But it is quite possible to say that “Salavt” has a full-fledged top 6. At the same time, players in the second line often change. Leader of the second three – Alexander Sharov – The team’s second best scorer. He started the season as a winger, a position he played for most of his career. However, from time to time he did not get into the game, and he certainly did not look like himself from the time of “Sibir”, much less like one of the best snipers in the league.
Ivan Drozdov, Josh Livo, Alexander Khmelevsky and Alexander Sharov
In November, Sharov had a streak of seven consecutive matches without points. After that, he was transferred to the position of center forward, where he played at the beginning of his career. This option was also considered during the preseason, but was quickly abandoned. But now he has a streak of 16 points in 10 matches, two doubles in a row. Now it’s clear that Sharov has become an improved replacement Alexandra Kadeikina, who left for SKA in the off-season. Sharov is more mobile and faster than the previous leader of the second line “Salavat”, due to which he creates more chances. In addition, he currently has the highest utility rating in the league (+30). The closest pursuer is 10 points behind. “We tried him from the edge and with different partners, he played well. Sasha reads the game well and moves. In the center he is more on the move, he has a continuation, the attack on him does not stall. We found guys who play in a similar style to him,” Kozlov said.
Sharov’s line always leaves the ice with a positive balance, due to which other players next to him also open up. Especially Yegor Suchkov – perhaps the most talented and technically gifted of Salavat’s young forwards. Initially, it was clear that in terms of its format and style of play, Egor should be in the top 6, but he had to grow to that point. But now Kozlov trusts him. For a month now, Suchkov hasn’t had a streak of two matches without scoring, every game he alternates between assisting and scoring. Of the youth, only Danil Bashkirov – another player from the top 6. But more was expected from Bashkirov, with his 16 (6+10) points in 43 matches, against the background of which Suchkov’s progress was more obvious.
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2024-01-08 05:00:00
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