Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is clarifying some of the comments that he recently made regarding his team's postseason series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in which he appeared to imply that the Leafs, who beat the Lightning in six games, didn't deserve credit for the victory.
The original interview went like this:
Sergachev: "I don't want to give Toronto any pluses right now, they don't deserve them. Any playoff series is tough. The fact that someone got knocked out is a coincidence - wrong shoulder, bad fall."
Interviewer: "Why don't you want to give pluses to Toronto?"
Sergachev: "Well, why would I? I don't think they deserve them."
Interviewer: "They made it past the first round for the first time in 19 years!"
Sergachev: "Well done here, they made it past the first round, but they didn't make it any further. So I don't see any reason to be happy."
However, this interview was conducted in Sergachev's native Russian, and according to the man himself, his comments were taken out of context and weren't even translated properly.
He would go on Instagram and post the following message:
"Lol, if you don't speak Russian don't use google translate as your first option and then spread misinformation! I never said it like that!
Question was *Toronto played very physical which got couple of your defensemen hurt,is that true?"
And I said "no it just happens sometimes people get hurt by accident, and I don't want to give
them credit"
Rep"Why not give them credit?"
Me "Why? I don't think they deserved
them"
Rep"For the first time in 19 years
passed first round"
Me "Here true, good on them! But didn't go thru second round, I don't
see a reason to celebrate"
Check your sources or find someone
who speak the lanquage, don't be a clown"
Does this toss a bit of cold water on what's shaping up to be a heated rivalry between the two teams?
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