The first match of the best-of-four series between HC Dinamo Minsk and HC Ak Bars Kazan will take place at Minsk Arena on 9 April as part of the second round of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs, BelTA has learned.
In the regular season, the Minsk Bisons finished second in the Western Conference, while the Kazan side placed third in the East with six points more than their upcoming opponents. In the first round of the Gagarin Cup, HC Dinamo Minsk swept HC Dynamo Moscow (4-0 in the series), while HC Ak Bars Kazan defeated HC Traktor Chelyabinsk (4-1). The team from Tatarstan features Belarusian players Stepan Falkovsky and Vladimir Alistrov.
“We are very excited. It has been a long time since our last game, and we can’t wait to get back to action. We’ve been practicing for several days straight to get back into shape,” defenseman for the Minsk club Xavier Ouellet said. “We will be analyzing our opponent and looking for ways to secure a win. Our task is to be physically ready – and we are in good shape in that regard. We have rested and are full of energy.”
This season, HC Dinamo Minsk and HC Ak Bars Kazan have met twice, with the Minsk Bisons winning on both occasions (4-3 in Minsk and 7-3 in Kazan). The Kazan team is three-time Gagarin Cup champions, while the Minsk club has never advanced to the playoff semifinals.
