Oļega Znaroka un Harija Vītoliņa vadītie SKA hokejisti Rietumu konferences ceturtdaļfinālā apliecināja favorītu statusu, sērijā līdz četrām uzvarām ar 4:0 pārspējot Čerepovecas "Severstaļ", kam bija jācīnās ne vien pret sāncenšiem, bet arī pret tiesnešu tendencioziem lēmumiem un lietu kārtību līgā, rakstīja Malamuds.
Jau regulārajā sezonā uz SKA praktiski neattiecās nosacījums par klubu algu griestiem, apmēram sešas reizes pārsniedzot atļauto. Daļēji tas tika skaidrots ar nepieciešamību vienkopus turēt Krievijas valstsvienības līderus, kas vēlāk izlasei palīdzēja uzvarēt Phjončhanas olimpiskajās spēlēs.
"Победная" шайба "армейцев". ХК "Северсталь" - "СКА" ??? pic.twitter.com/t4uSdP6tMF
— HC Severstal (@severstalclub) March 7, 2018
Taču izslēgšanas turnīra pirmajā kārtā tiesnešu darbība neatstāja šaubas, kam jāuzvar SKA un "Severstaļ" duelī. Pirmajā spēlē soda minūšu attiecība bija 24:0, turklāt divreiz Čerepovecas komandu atstāja mazākumā pagarinājumā. Taču viskliedzošākā netaisnība notika trešajā spēlē, kad SKA uzvaras vārtus guva pagarinājumā pēc acīmredzamas aizmugures situācijas. Čerepovecas komanda apstrīdēja vārtu guvumu, taču pēc video izskatīšanas tiesneši savu lēmumu nemainīja.
Visbēdīgākais ir tas, ka Krievijā visi zina, kas notiek KHL, tikmēr līgas vadība, kas ir ciešos draugos ar Putinu, sludina, ka sistēma ir pierādījusi savu efektivitāti un tai jāturpinās, rakstīja Malamuds. Viņu izbrīna, ka Rietumos par viņa atklāsmēm ir pārsteigti, jo Krievijas hokeja sistēma ir ļoti acīmredzama.
2/ SKA is allowed to ignore the salary cap, its payroll is 6 times that of an average team, it has dibs on every star who considers the KHL. Most of its players are rabid Putin supporters who took part in his campaign rally last week. I repeat: SKA must win. It's not an option...
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
4/ It goes like this: "Allowing all the best players to concentrate in one team has created unique chemistry that transitioned seamlessly to the Olympic squad. Making the KHL season easy for them has safeguarded against injuries and bad morale. This is why we won the gold"...
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
6/ However, there is a problem... In the first round of the playoffs, SKA has drawn Severstal Cherepovets. It's not a problem because Severstal is a strong opponent. Not at all. It's an eternal minnow, which has been bad for so long, the league is considering it for contraction..
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
8/ Severstal is exactly in the same position as the Charleston Chiefs from Slapshot. Trying to stave off the seemingly inevitable demise by being a big story. Even Putin's potential wrath isn't a deterrent. There is also the fact that it's totally unfair to contract Severstal...
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
10/ So this brave little team from a hockey-mad industrial deathscape is being fed into SKA's maw as a playoff appetizer. And it's totally refusing to go down easy! If this wasn't Russia, where evil always wins, it would've been Hoosiers, Miracle and Bad News Bears all in one...
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
12/ SKA finally connects on the PP to go up, 3-2, only to see Severstal tie it in the last minute. No problem, though. The refs give SKA two more PPs in overtime, until they finally score. In Game 2, Severstal keep it close for a while, until eventually succumbing...
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
14/ Then, this happens...https://t.co/G11kOWJqPP
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
16/ The replay officials saw exactly what you just saw. They conferred for several minutes and announced their verdict: good goal... Forget making this look plausible, Severstal has become more trouble than it's worth. Better get them out of the way safely. This was too much...
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
18/ Putin's pleasure and "the Motherland's honor" are what counts. SKA must win. It's the priority... But the last frame of Severstal's little protest video declares, "Hockey Is More Important." In today's Russia, this is as big of an anti-Putin protest as one can be allowed.
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
20/21... is that everyone in Russia knows what's going on. The fans, the officials, the media. It's out in the open. And the people who have made it happen (all KHL bosses are Putin's close friends) have already announced that the system has proven effective and should continue.
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
21/21 "For the glory of the Motherland"... All I have to say is this, guys. If you learn nothing else from Russia, please, learn to always, always run as fast as you can from the motherfuckers who say they want to bring glory to your country. I am done for tonight.
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 8, 2018
