Avangard head coach Guy Boucher has pushed back against a journalist’s assertion that his team played with cowardice during this season’s Gagarin Cup semifinals. Avangard fell to Lokomotiv 3-4 in the series.
“You say Avangard, like three years ago, was eliminated in the semifinals because they started playing passively and cowardly after taking a lead,” the journalist said.
Boucher responded: “I wasn’t here three years ago. And when I got the call last season, Avangard didn’t even make the playoffs. You have to understand that Lokomotiv is the best team in the league. It’s naive to expect we should easily get past them in the playoffs. I disagree with your judgment about any cowardice. We weren’t afraid of physical play—we fought and battled. You’re judging by the result, but your assumptions are wrong. The opponent is strong because they built their team over many years, including learning how to perform under pressure. There was no cowardice on the ice. Everyone gave their all. There was no fear in anyone’s eyes. We gained experience playing under pressure, and we need to stay calm in those moments. The smallest details decided who would come out on top in the series against Lokomotiv. Victories are built, not drawn on a board in the summer.”
These comments were reported by Championat correspondent Lev Lukin.
