Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl by 2Alright hockey fanatics, we're looking at a spicy Kontinental Hockey League Finals matchup here, and boy oh boy, this goulash is gonna be hot. It's Traktor Chelyabinsk's show rolling into Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for game 5 of the best-of-7 series.
With what seems like invisible walls in front of their nets, our goalies have been... less than spectacular this playoff. We've got the lovely duo of Zach Fucale and Sergey Mylnikov for Traktor and could anything be said about Daniil Isayev and Alexei Melnichuk of Lokomotiv? Their season stats do sound as fascinating as a speed reader trying to sing an aria, but let's remember – we are in playoff hockey, anything can happen.
Now let's shine the lights on the stars. Traktor's got a veritable constellation out there with Maxim V. Shabanov leading the pack during playoffs and Grigory Dronov doing his thing, all while Vasily Glotov's adding his share. Though let's not forget about the sleeper hit, Alexander Kadeikin who tipped the net 23 times during regular season.
Lokomotiv's train is chugging right along with Alexander Radulov and Maxim Beryozkin providing the steam. Their own dynamo, Artur Kayumov, he's had a stellar regular season netting 23 times, has also been raising eyebrows during the playoffs. Meanwhile, the likes of Maxim Shalunov and Nikita Kiryanov are lurking, ready to show their worth.
The dial on this time machine of ours only goes so far, but past match-ups assert that Lokomotiv has a slight advantage with a 3-2 head-to-head record. But let's remember, those are like yesterday's baguettes – hard to swallow.
Playoff history? Lokomotiv's ahead in the current series 3-1. Recent victories build momentum, and momentum, as any physics buff will tell you, is pretty darn important.
Standings-wise, these are top dogs, alpha wolves, primus inter pares if you'd like - both top of their respective conferences which make it fair game. Recent results? More victories for Lokomotiv.
What does all this mean? Given the superbly cryptic art of divination plus the rounded wisdom of a pebble, I suggest strapping in for an interesting match. I don't naturally believe in predestination but, for the sake of argument...
Albert’s Prediction: Lokomotiv Yaroslavl by 2.