Gagarin Cup Playoffs of the Kontinental Hockey League 2024. Quarterfinals. The current score in the series is 3:0. There is a possibility that we might see the first semi-finalist emerge from this playoff tie come Friday, 22nd March, given that one team is nearly up to the needed four victories, and it's set to play at home. Traktor Chelyabinsk will take to the ice against Dynamo Moscow right at their Chelyabinsk home.
Traktor, to date, have not yet managed to pull off a 4:0 win in the second round in their history. On the other hand, they have never tasted defeat in this round of the Gagarin Cup, and are presently edging ever closer to maintaining this successful semi-final streak. The club has played beautifully throughout the series, and even in the face of adversity, they manage to flip the script to their advantage. In the last match, Traktor was steamrolled during the first period, only to make a robust return in the second, and by the third, they managed to clinch victory. The team from Chelyabinsk is so confident in their play that they seem impossible to stop on the ice, approaching each game as if it were a final, with a series score of 0:3. It will be intriguing to see how Traktor approach game four: whether they will come guns blazing or adopt a more defensive strategy.
Dynamo Moscow, on the other hand, appear to be grappling with some clear challenges. Despite holding the upper-hand during gameplay, they seem to struggle in converting this advantage into tangible success. There are moments aptly saved by the adversary's goalie and instances demonstrating lack of confidence in their shots and delivery. At this junction, it's crucial for Dynamo to address their weaknesses in defense considering the high-scoring machine Traktor has proven to be. Another critical point for Dynamo is Nikita Gusev's return to form, which makes him one of the key elements in Dynamo's attacking strategies. There is hope that their opponents, in a repeat of the second match, might see more penalties, providing Dynamo with more chances to play with a one-man advantage.
Traktor and Dynamo have contested 41 times so far. The club from Moscow has a slightly better record with 23 wins, whereas Traktor have clinched victory in 18. In this regular season, both matches favoured Dynamo with a 4:2 and 4:3 by shootouts. Interestingly, during these playoffs, Traktor is replicating its series against Ufa, again defeating the team against whom they've lost all face-offs during the regular season. It was 4:2 in the first match, with the second victory being a tight scrape, 5:4 in overtime, and also emerged victorious in the third match with 3:2.
Pinnacle despite the series score of 3:0, still places faith in Dynamo, with odds for their win at 2.23. In contract, the odds for a win by Traktor stand at 2.80. We believe that this series is nearing its concluding stages, with Traktor presently outpacing Dynamo.
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