Admiral season review: historical playoff success
KHL.ru continues to review last season for the league’s team with a trip to Vladivostok. For the first time in their history, the Sailors made it to the elimination stage’s second round.
The start of the regular season didn’t go well for Admiral, as the team only managed to secure one victory and accumulate three points in the inaugural four games. However, things started to turn around. Particularly impressive were Admiral’s performances in October and November. During that time, the team went on a powerful streak of twelve games with points, including 10 wins and two OT losses. It was these twelve games that ultimately secured enough points for Admiral to make it to the playoffs.
In the first round, the Sailors faced Salavat Yulaev and triumphed in a tough battle with a 4-2 score, marking the first time in the club’s history that they advanced to the second round. The series was dramatic, and its true hero was forward Anton Berlyov, who scored 4 points (2+2) in the clashes against Salavat. It was Berlyov who netted the game-winning goal in the decisive match, despite playing with an injury.
Admiral played with great dedication against Ak Bars, but the stacked Kazan roster ultimately made a difference. Ak Bars won the first two games on their home ice. Admiral tried to fight back at home, winning the first home game in OT and securing a second visit from their opponent. However, they lost the second home game, finding themselves on the edge of the abyss. Nevertheless, the series returned to Vladivostok. In the sixth game, Ak Bars dominated the competition, winning with a 3:1 score and ending Admiral’s season. However, who can blame the Sailors for this defeat? It has been a great ride!
Top players
94.4% saves percentage, GAA 1.82, 6 SO in 62 games
The best goalie of the season, and that says it all. Serebryakov kept opposing teams in despair throughout the championship, displaying an incredible performance. In the regular season, he became the league’s leader in the number of shots faced (1453), often showing that the more shots, the better—out of the six regular-season games where opponents had over forty shots on his goal, Admiral won five. Serebryakov also brought his A-game in the playoffs. Among the goalkeepers who made it to the second round of the Gagarin Cup, Serebryakov ranked first in save percentage (94.5) and fourth in goals against average (1.95).
42 (15+27) points in 79 games
The Czech defenseman had an outstanding season. Sulak ended up as Admiral’s top scorer, setting a personal record in his entire professional career. He also led the team in assists and blocked shots (161). Moreover, it’s worth noting that the Czech player significantly improved his plus/minus rating, going from a disappointing minus-10 in the 2021-2022 campaign season to plus-20 in the past season.
30 (16+14) points in 75 games
For Chebykin, the past season was truly a breakthrough. He made his debut in the League back in the 2016-2017 season, but for a long time, he struggled to establish himself in any club. However, in Vladivostok, with the trust from Leonids Tambijevs, things started to change for the better.
Head coach
Leonids Tambijevs’ first full season at the helm of a KHL club turned out to be remarkable. Yes, in terms of offense, Admiral was the weakest team in the regular season (131 goals), but under Tambijevs, the team achieved great success in defending their own net — the second-best result in the regular season for goals against (139) and the seventh-best penalty kill percentage (83.6%). Of course, Tambijevs’ work played a role in the playoffs as well — the team played a dense, patient, and tactically astute style of hockey based on the coach’s gameplan, which became the foundation for the historical achievement of the Vladivostok team.
Tambijevs also delivered one of the most memorable coaching quotes of the season, which aptly describes how the Sailors achieved success: “I’m a ‘difficult’ coach, and I have a ‘difficult’ team. I’m stubborn, and they are too — how else could it be? That’s the philosophy of Admiral this year. What it will be like next year, who knows.”
Best game
On Jan 28th, Admiral achieved a stunning victory over Sibir on their home soil with a 5:4 OT score. This is noteworthy considering that in the middle of the closing frame, Sibir was leading 4:2. However, at the 53rd minute, Valery Orekhov narrowed the gap for the Sailors, and just a minute and a half before the final hooter, Danil Faizullin set things level. In the extra five-minute period, Nikolai Chebykin secured the victory for Admiral. Interestingly, both Faizullin and Chebykin potted a double in that game.
Youngsters
Admiral didn’t utilize a large number of young players during the season. 21-year-old forward Daniil Gutik skated in 27 games (15 in the regular season and 12 in the playoffs) for Admiral, scoring 7 (2+5) points, including his first playoff goal at the KHL level.
Also making his debut in the playoffs was 20-year-old forward Prokhor Korbit, who joined Admiral during the season from Severstal. He played a total of 20 games for the team, contributing 4 (1+3) points. Korbit’s goal secured Admiral’s victory over Salavat Yulaev in the opening game of the series.
Summer progress
During the offseason, Admiral lost Sulak as the Czech defenseman moved to Avangard, and his departure will be a significant loss for Vladivostok. In fact, the only remaining foreign player from last year’s squad is defenseman Colby Williams, while Michal Kristof went to Sochi, and Nikolajs Jelisejevs and Rudolf Cerveny also left the club. In their place, the team has signed forwards Tyler Graovac and Giovanni Fiore, the latter having played in Germany last season.
Admiral has been actively working in the market and making signings to strengthen the team, ensuring that fans won’t be bored. One of the key acquisitions for the club is the experienced blueliner Maxim Chudinov. Although Chudinov had a less productive season last year (3 goals and 3 assists in 40 games for Ak Bars and Spartak), the 33-year-old defenseman could serve as a replacement for Sulak, with his powerful shot providing a valuable option for Admiral’s power play and overall team offense. Another intriguing addition is forward Pavel Varfolomeyev, who was one of the standout players for Dinamo Minsk last season, tallying 14 goals and 10 assists in 42 games.
