Lokomotiv and Tractor have come a long and difficult path and will now meet in the final of the Gagarin Cup. Two completely different teams will fight for the opportunity to win the main trophy of the league for the first time. The main series of playoffs Fonbet of the KHL championship promises to be fiery!

Lokomotiv (1) – “Tractor” (1)

Schedule of matches: 13, 15, 17, 19 on May.

If necessary: ​​21, 23, 25.

The best scorers in the playoffs: Alexander Radulov (Lokomotiv) – 13 points (7+6), Maxim Shabanov (“Tractor”) – 18 (9+9).

Goalkeepers: Daniil Isaev (Lokomotiv)-16 matches (12 victories, 4 defeats), 93.3% of the reflected throws, the washers were missed-26, Zach Fukale (“Tractor”)-16 games (11-3), 91.3%, PS-40.

Forecast: “Lokomotiv” 4 – 3 “Tractor”.

“Lokomotiv” and “Tractor” took first places in their conferences, but it cannot be said that the participants of the Gagarin Cup final were obvious in advance. The Yaroslavls were generally in the same puck from the departure from the playoffs, but managed to tear out the victory in the seventh match of the second round against the Vanguard. The “tractor” had the most difficult series with the “Admiral”, who finished “regularly” on the eighth line. To pass the first round, the Chelyabinsk residents needed six meetings, in the next stages against the Minsk and Moscow Dynamo – five.

“Lokomotiv” – “Tractor” / Photo: © Dmitry Chelyapin / Match TV

Both teams have never taken the Gagarin Cup. Lokomotiv reached the finals last year, but lost to Magnitogorsk Metallurg in four matches there. The Tractor reached the main series once: in 2013, Chelyabinski lost to the Dynamo Moscow (2-4).

Interestingly, in the play-off-2024 teams met in the semifinals. Then the railway workers easily dealt with the opponent in four meetings. In that series there was a controversial episode that will probably be continued in the upcoming confrontation. In the first game against the collective of Alexei Zavarukhin, the striker Yaroslavtsev Maxim Shalunov flew at the speed of the fookal and caused him injury. Fucalem did not play more in that semifinals. Since then, the “Tractor”, which in the offseason was headed by Benoit GRU, has changed a lot and is ready for revenge.

Chelyabinsk residents in many statistics are unexpectedly stronger than Lokomotiv. For example, railway workers who bet on constant pressure and pressure were in equal compositions less than the curbing “tractor” (34 goals versus 46). The GRU team also has better throws (8.87% versus 8.63%) and a more reliable minority (82.5% versus 80.6%). But most of the advantage on the side of the Yaroslavls (23.7%), which look more dangerous than Chelyabinsk residents (15.8%) with an excess draw.

In addition, the GRU team is much more variable than the opponent in the attack. And the point is not that Richard Panic and Byron Fras were injured. Just the Tractor invents beautiful combinations in the attack zone, and Lokomotiv arranges a bombardment, loading goalkeepers from any position. And even if the plan of railway workers did not work, they were not rebuilt and continued to act according to one familiar scheme.

For Chelyabinsk, it is important that Fukale show the best game. The Canadian goalkeeper needs to constantly monitor the rebound of the puck and not let the opponent play for the achievement, then Igor Nikitin’s players will have to count only on amendments from the heel. If the unstable fookal has shook hands again, then this will become a real disaster for the “tractor”. So far, on the paper at Lokomotiv, the goalkeeper line, headed by Daniil Isaev, is stronger and more reliable. Moreover, Isaev already has experience in the final of the Gagarin Cup.

Zak Fukale and Daniil Isaev / Photo: © Dmitry Chelyapin / Match TV, KHL / Neelov Yaroslav

The variability in the GRU team and defenders are expanded, which are not shy to connect to attacks. Three defense players from the Chelyabinsk club are included in the TOP-5 best scorers among colleagues in role in the playoffs: Grigory Dronov (5+6), Stephen Campfer (3+6), Artyom Blazhievsky (5+4). In the company of Tractor hockey players, Miller Mitchell (4+9) from Ak Bars and Igor Olyganov (2+8) from Dynamo.

However, in Lokomotiv there are players who are able to play non-standard and surprise the opponent-a talented 18-year-old Yegor Surin and 38-year-old Alexander Radulov, who charges the whole team with emotions. In general, Radulov claims to receive the title of MVP the current playoffs. But for this you need to win the trophy and duel of the 24-year-old Maxim Shabanov.

Shabanov is the best sniper of the Gagarin-2025 Cup and occupies the second line in the list of scorers. Forward became an important part of the amazing Kambeks of the Tractor and attracted the attention of NHL clubs with his game. The outcome of the series will largely depend on the confrontation of Shabanov and Radulov.

Alexander Radulov and Maxim Shabanov / Photo: © KHL / Neelov Yaroslav, HC “Tractor”

It is safe to say that two absolutely opposite commands will meet in the final. “Lokomotiv” and “Tractor” are different in style of the game, in philosophy and the selection of players, so the battle for the Gagarin Cup promises to be interesting. At the same time, more experienced railway workers have every chance to take the main trophy of the league.

Direct broadcasts of matches of the playoffs Fonbet of the KHL championship See on the Match TV channel, as well as Matchtv.ru and Sportbox.ru sites.