Former KHL defenseman Nikita Shchitov shared his thoughts on how the pursuit of the Gagarin Cup differs from the battle for the Stanley Cup.
“I’ve been following the NHL playoffs closely—it’s very exciting. That said, I can’t watch every game because of the time zone difference, so I can’t dive as deep as I’d like. I paid special attention to the Montreal-Tampa Bay series. Vasilevskiy is an outstanding goaltender, and Kucherov receives a lot of attention from opponents. I like how Nikita handles the pressure. They constantly try to get under his skin, hit him in the back, make it painful, but he endures it all. Ivan Demidov is playing an interesting brand of hockey—he’s excellent at puck control. Just last year, he was playing in the KHL playoffs. It’s fascinating to see his development. Svechnikov is also playing well. I try to keep an eye on our fellow countrymen. The NHL is fast, dynamic, and aggressive hockey—there’s a contrast with the KHL playoffs. It brings together the best players from around the world, including young talents. Everything is very tough and physical, and the games keep you on edge. Our style of hockey is a bit different. It’s hard to compare because the NHL selects players from all over the world and filters out the best. Of course, it’s exciting to watch. But our playoffs are also interesting to follow. After all, as they say, ‘To each their own.'”
