“American Boy” is magnificent: Miller's hat-trick brought Ak Bars their first victory in the finals!

Hockey Kazan prepares to welcome Ak Bars back after the Yaroslavl battles

While Ak Bars was on their road trip in Yaroslavl, the capital of Tatarstan was in full swing creating the atmosphere for the Gagarin Cup final. The Ak Bars logo appeared at the “Kazan” entry stela, and the city itself was filled with countless banners reading “The Cup is Close.” Typically, the authorities decorate Kazan's facade when hosting major events of Russian or world scale. And the Gagarin Cup final — isn't that a reason to showcase the hockey traditions of the capital of Tatarstan?

In recent days, Kazan has been breathing nothing but sports news. How did Ak Bars play? What are the chances of Anvar Gatiyatulin's team winning the final? Where can one get tickets for the games and where can one watch hockey if they can't make it to the Tatneft-Arena?

Ak Bars fans are ready to welcome the team back from the Yaroslavl road trip and support them with all their might within their home walls. And to the joy of the “Bars” fans, Anvar Gatiyatulin's team returns to the capital of Tatarstan with a victory. Revenge has been taken. A more than convincing triumph for Ak Bars, ending with a score of 5:1.

The second game in Yaroslavl was a mirror image of the first. While Lokomotiv dominated the initial matchup (3:1) days earlier, the previous evening saw Ak Bars shine on the ice.

Contrary to the skepticism of hockey experts, Anvar Gatiyatulin's team managed to pull themselves together and deliver a performance close to those in the series against Minsk's Dynamo and Metallurg. The Kazan team regained their game form, became imbued with sports aggression after the defeat, and acted from a position of strength.

One of Ak Bars' strong points is their four capable, balanced lines. The Kazan club boasts a superb selection of skilled, experienced hockey players. It was naive to assume that players of such caliber would let the series drift after a frustrating loss in the first game.

Miller in the second game against “Loko” — a hat-trick and an assist. The main architect of Ak Bars' victory

The main hero of yesterday's game for Ak Bars was, of course, American defenseman Mitchell Miller. The Kazan legionnaire recorded 4 (3+1) points in the match, notching a goal hat-trick. But most importantly, Miller has closely approached Avangard forward Konstantin Okulov in the scoring race. Before yesterday's game, Mitch had 16 points, and now he has 20. He is now just one scoring point behind Okulov. Moreover, in the upcoming home games, Miller could break the record of former Metallurg defenseman Chris Lee, who recorded 21 (1+20) points in the 2016/17 playoffs.

There's no need to talk much about the Miller phenomenon. The answer is prosaic — he is simply a very strong and cool defenseman by KHL standards. If not for youthful mistakes unrelated to sports, Mitch would have long been playing in the elite of North American hockey. But for the KHL, a player like Miller is a prized asset. And Ak Bars hit the real jackpot by spontaneously inviting the defenseman for the 2023/24 season.

— Miller is a world-class player. Together with Lyamkin, they form the strongest defensive pair in the KHL. Both handle the puck excellently. It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work, — noted Lokomotiv head coach Bob Hartley at the press conference.

Over nearly three seasons in the KHL, Miller has managed to make all Ak Bars fans fall in love with him. What's endearing is that Mitch is not only a great hockey player but also a kind-hearted person. It's clear that the negative experience in his youth forced him to rethink many moral values.

In the winning locker room, Miller intended to give the title of best player of the game to goaltender Timur Bilyalov. But the team insisted — the lucky puck should be placed into the playoff cup board by the American. And that's right, because Miller himself ensured the winning margin for Ak Bars in the match.

“An example of selflessness, character, playing for each other...”

Lokomotiv obviously played a bad game in every sense. Although the same evil genius of the “railwaymen," Alexander Radulov, tried to energize his team, constantly getting under the skin of the Kazan players. But Yaroslavl only had enough for one consolation goal, scored by forward Georgy Ivanov at the end of the third period.

Ak Bars returns to Kazan in high spirits. Anvar Gatiyatulin also continues to amaze; for him, this current final, let us remind you, is the first in his coaching career. The Kazan head coach is calm, and his entire demeanor at press conferences shows that he has everything under control in the series.

We are not afraid to say that Gatiyatulin has shown the greatest progress among all KHL coaches this season. Previously, many experts were hesitant to refer to the head coach of Ak Bars with the prefix “top.” But Gatiyatulin is impressive with his work, and with a happy ending, the specialist should undoubtedly finish the hockey year with the Gagarin Cup.

— First and foremost, I'll note that we prepared well, improved in the components we talked about after the first game: concentration, focus on goal, puck control. A great team victory, thanks to our fans for their support. I commend the entire team; this is a team victory. All the guys understood what stage we are at and which components play a decisive role. This is an example of selflessness, character, playing for each other and for one another, — summarized the victorious match at the press conference by the head coach of Ak Bars.

The next game between the teams will take place in Kazan on May 15th. The start of the game is scheduled for 7:00 PM Moscow time.