Avangard coach Bouchard on survival mode after injury crisis

Avangard coach Guy Bouchard described the team as being in survival mode after a 2:1 overtime win against Spartak, citing a critical hit on the roster.

“We are getting painful news daily,” Bouchard said. “After the last match against Torpedo, we lost a defenceman and a goalkeeper. We have 11 players injured. In all my life I have never seen such a situation. The worst I have seen is five or six injured.”

He noted the strain on the remaining squad, with young players taking ice time and making mistakes. “We must win matches with the players we have now. They get very tired. The boys who go on the ice try hard. Yes, they make mistakes, but that is absolutely normal. At this moment we are in survival mode.”

Avangard remain in the thick of the playoff hunt despite the injury crisis.