Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
Traktor Chelyabinsk by 2Dynamo Moscow will be stepping up their game in Chelyabinsk, and let me tell you, those chilly winds might need an extra layer because this game is about to get heated. On the Moscow side, the G-men are handling the puck. Yes, they've got a dream team there with Nikita Gusev and Maxim Comtois. Gusev has been a sensation this playoffs, with 4 goals and 5 assists. And Comtois, well, let's just say there's always a fire under that kid's skates. This season he's clocked in at 22 goals and 30 assists, and he's refused to let the momentum drop in the playoffs.
Now, as much as I love a good underdog tale, let's not kid ourselves. Traktor Chelyabinsk are the favored team and they're not here to pass the puck around. Their lineup is just as impressive, if not more so. Maxim V. Shabanov has been the knight in shining armor with 7 goals and 9 assists in the playoffs alone. And let's not forget Grigory Dronov, another heavy hitter on their team who's notched up 4 goals and 6 assists in the playoffs.
Now both squads may have goalkeepers more suited for a game of hide and seek rather than hockey since all the goalkeepers' stats for both teams appear to be in invisible ink. But hey, who knows, maybe this'll turn out to be a high scoring match.
Look, I could bore you with past showdowns between these two but the marrow of the matter is this: Traktor leads the current semi-finals series 3-1, and they're not likely to let that advantage slip anytime soon. Plus, recent results show that Traktor's been holding their ground.
Dynamo might have pulled the rugs from under Ak Bars Kazan in the earlier round and shown a decent season run with 42 wins out of 66, but Traktor has a few more victories up their sleeve this season and they've previously outplayed Dinamo Minsk.
It might be tough, and Moscow's definitely going to put up a fight, but if I were a betting man...and for legal reasons, let me clarify, I'm not...I'd put my money on Traktor Chelyabinsk. I'm seeing a slight advantage maybe around two goals.
Albert’s Prediction: Traktor Chelyabinsk by 2