One year ago, From Russia with Glove was created and since then we have reached over 7,000 computer screens, gained hundreds of followers on twitter as well as on facebook. A big thanks to our fans because without you we would be nothing. Here’s hoping to bigger and better things by next year! In the words of Alex Oveckin’s catch phrase for NHL 2k10 “It’s party now!”
Another year, another busy trade deadline period for Ray Shero and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A day after trading a second round pick in the upcoming draft to Florida for defenseman Jordan Leopold, Shero was at it again, this time with offense in mind. After the conclusion of Tuesday night’s victory over the Ryan Miller-less Buffalo Sabres, the Penguins announced the addition of Toronto left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky.
But at what price?
Veteran defenseman Martin Skoula and 21-year-old prospect Luca Caputi will be packing their bags and heading north to Canada.
The initial thought was that Maple Leafs’ General Manager Brian Burke wanted at least a second round pick for the Ukraine Train but as the Penguins had already spend theirs on defense, Shero chose not to hand out a first rounder.
Caputi makes up the brunt of the deal, and Skoula was essentially the 8th man on the Pittsburgh blue line and needed to be moved to get under the salary cap.
But enough of the blabber.
The Penguins reeled in a mighty fine winger that will most likely be used on Evgeni Malkin’s left wing.
The Maple Leafs received a talented prospect that only further aids their youth movement.
For a moment, let’s think about how this now effects the Eastern Conference playoff race and the Penguins for the rest of the season. First, the negatives. What are the cons about the trade?
First, the Penguins are obviously giving up a very talented young player that surely had a future in the organization. Along with Eric Tangradi, Caputi was considered the best offensive prospect in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and played good hockey in his time with the senior club.
The Penguins have now added yet another soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, bringing the total up to eight players who will complete their contracts in July.
The loss of Skoula, while may not seem extremely large, does have implications on the playoff race. When they won the Cup last year, there were eight NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster. Now with the loss of Skoula, that number is cut to seven, with the odd man out currently being Jay McKee.
Of course, there’s interest in him as well and he may not even be around come 3pm on Wednesday.
The trade has little negative impact on the short term, as Caputi wasn’t likely to play again for the Penguins this year and Skoula was a healthy scratch nearly every night. But in the long run, the true deciding points will be if Shero can resign Ponikarovsky this offseason and how good of a player does Caputi eventually become?
But there are two sides to every story, so let’s look at the other side.
What are some pros? At 6′4″ and 220-some pounds, Ponikarovsky brings both immense size and skill that the Penguins have not had on the wings since Upper St. Clair native Ryan Malone left in the summer of 2008.
The big winger is superb and playing down low and getting to the front of the net. He also represents a finisher that will be a major asset to the success of Malkin over the last month. Truth be told, almost anyone would have served as an improvement to what the Ruslan Fedotenko has provided this season (yes, he had a good game against Buffalo). But Ponikarovsky is not only a guy that has scored 20-plus goals playing for bad teams but a player that can also dish the puck.
But put aside his scoring for a minute.
The biggest reason that Shero liked him enough to make a trade over several arguably more gifted wingers, example Ray Whitney, is the fact that Ponikarovsky also plays very solid two-way hockey, which is necessary for a team that attacks like the Penguins do.
That doesn’t mean we’ll see him on the penalty kill or on a checking line any time soon, but it always helps to have a guy who can back-check well if a turnover is committed.
In the salary cap era, numbers also have to be considered. For the remainder of the season, Ponikarovsky’s cap hit is at $447,000. For a player of his caliber, extremely reasonable.
In terms of losing Caputi, remember a guy by the name of Angelo Esposito?
A piece of the infamous Marian Hossa trade, Esposito had tons of promise as a young player, as many felt that he could have been a Top Five draft pick but fell to the Penguins. But in hindsight, Esposito has still never played an NHL game and while it’s still too early to call him a complete bust, he’s certainly closer to the bust than a boom.
Does Ponikarovsky have the ability to push the Penguins over the top? He absolutely adds another dimension to the team that wasn’t there earlier and his presence should be worth it’s weight in gold to Malkin.
Time will tell. The Ukraine Train should make his Black and Vegas Gold debut against the New York Rangers on Thursday.
(Courtesy of Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Denis Grebeshkov left for the Olympics a member of the Edmonton Oilers only to return to find out he has been dealt to the Nashville Predators for a second round draft pick in the 2010 draft. The 26-year-old defenseman, who represented Team Russia, has only notched 19 points in 47 games for the Oilers and a single point in the four games in the Olympics.
The Yaroslav native is now headed for his fourth NHL team having suited up for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and the aforementioned Oilers. This move is a clear sign that the Oilers are starting their rebuilding process a bit a head of schedule owning the leagues worst record through the Olympic break.
For Gerbeskov, who is earning $3.15 million this season and is due to become a unrestricted free agent in the summer, he now joins a team that currently sits 7th in the west and could use him to bolster their blue line.
(Courtesy of Alex Livesey/Getty Images/
Losing in a shootout on Thursday to Slovakia did not sit well with anybody in the Russian locker room.
But despite dropping crucial points, the team remained upbeat even though they knew they had a lot of work to do. So in practice, they worked. They changed up the line combinations, they endlessly worked on the power play, but maybe most important, they quickly became a very motivated bunch.
In nature, their next task was not complicated. Beat the Czech Republic in regulation and the group was theirs. Take anything less than the full three points and they would face the possibility of no first-round bye in the knockout stage.
But actually completing that simple task would take every amount of skill and passion the Sbornaya had.
The game began at a rather slow pace, as the teams attempted to figure each other out. Slava Bykov sent out a unit of Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Ovechkin, and Alexander Semin to start. But a few heavy hits and odd man rushes by the Great 8 set the tone and it was immediately noticeable that Russia had came to play.
About half way through the period, Russia got its first chance at redemption on the power play when Ilya Kovalchuk was upended in the neutral zone by Petr Cajanek.
Except instead, the Czechs put on a terrific display of penalty killing, never allowing the Russian power play to get set up. Or really even cross the blue line for that matter, as they capably shut everything down before it even got started. An utter waste of two minutes.
But, not even two minutes later, the Czechs took another penalty.
This time, the Russian power play managed to get set up and it paid quick divends. Sergei Gonchar managed to get a puck through, and the rebound was slammed just wide by Ovechkin. It then took a friendly ricochet to Malkin, who fired it home top-shelf.
1-0 to Russia, and Malkin scores his second power play goal of the tournament.
After the goal, the Czechs began to rebuild some momentum as they managed to get into the offensive zone. But they still were not getting any pucks on the net. Russia was also showing that they were much more committed to taking the body any time possible, always finishing checks.
Disaster struck for Russia late in the period, as they took two penalties in rapid succession, giving the Czechs a five-on-three for 1:47.
With a minute left before the horn, the Czech Republic took advantage of a failed clearance, as Tomas Plekanec scored to tie the game. San Jose Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov had came out, being a little too aggressive, and Plekanec found the outside corner.
The beginning of the second period was much more subdued after the thrilling first.
But once again, Russia was carrying the even strength play and hardly allowing anything the other way. They also seemed to build momentum from a killed penalty to Semin, where the Czechs were not allowed to set up much of anything.
Taking matters into his own hands, Alexander Radulov drove down the center, distracting two defenders before shuffling it off for Viktor Kozlov. With one quick swirling motion, the big man from Togliatti beat Tomas Vokoun far post to regain the lead for Russia.
After killing another penalty, the worst possible two-on-one situation occured.
Sergei Zinoviev was streaking in alongside Radulov but instead of shooting when he took the pass, Radulov instead tried to return it to Zinoviev, which failed dismally thanks to the rough ice. But chasing the puck into a corner, Radulov leveled a Czech defender, essentially throwing him onto Zinoviev.
Zinoviev would leave the ice gingerly and the Czechs headed to a power play.
However, no damage was done and the teams headed peacefully to the lockers.
Starting off the third period, Russia killed the remainder of Radulov’s penalty, but the turning moment in the game came soon after that. Ovechkin absolutely demolished Jaromir Jagr at center ice, allowing his teammate Semin to break in uncontested. Soaring down the left wall, Semin made a terrific pass across to Malkin, who clinically fired it past Vokoun. The man from the Magnetic Mountain had his third goal in as many games.
In a matter of seven seconds, the entire course of Group B changed. Ovechkin’s hit angered Roman Polak, who left his assignment on Malkin to retaliate on Alex the Great.
Just like that, Russia had a two goal lead and the Czech bench was floored.
The Czechs then had to alter their strategy, as the defense started taking a few more chances. They were getting a few more opportunites up front, but they also gave up breakaways to Kovalchuk and Radulov. Each time, Vokoun was up to the task, as he almost always is.
With five minutes left, Milan Michalek injected life into the Czechs, scoring easily from a few feet in front of Nabokov. Nothing he was going to do about that.
3-2 Russia.
The crowd could sense a terrific end in store. Whatever kitchen sink the Czechs had, they were about to throw it at Nabokov in an effort to tie the game. But Nabokov stood tall, making several huge saves.
With the game on the line and an empty net for the Czechs, Russia showed it’s true Hart.
Ovechkin first delivered another big hit along the boards to free the puck. He quickly moved it out for Malkin in front of the bench. Instead of just dumping the puck deep, Malkin had his head up and found Pavel Datsyuk arriving late.
Datsyuk then manuevered into the Czech zone and deposited the puck into the wide open net.
In a group-winning play, all three Hart Trophy finalists from 2008 teamed up to produce the goal that saw Russia earn the important first-round bye.
Two goals for Malkin, two assists for Ovechkin, and a goal/assist for Datsyuk. Seven points in all between the three.
What did Russia do well?
Effort
First and foremost, the total team effort given by this team doubled both of the previous two games put together. It was a must-win game and they treated it like such.
From sacrificing the body to playing through pain, this team came together in a big way and did more than just redeem themselves from a poor performance against Slovakia. When they play as inspired as they did here, they proved to everyone they are indeed a Gold medal contender.
Penalty Killing
Once again, the penalty killing unit was elite. Although they did allow a 5-on-3 goal at the end of the first period, the group improved throughout the game. Datsyuk was incredibly solid here, as several times he was able to defend against two players at once on the point.
His play made the Czech point men force the play more than they would have liked. Anton Volchenkov also had a great game down low, getting in the way of more than a couple shots on the PK. The success with the man disadvantage has been a very pleasant surprise, as the area was not expected to be incredibly strong.
Simplicity
For the vast majority of the afternoon, they kept it simple. Never over-passing like they had done in the previous two games, never trying to do too much.
Consistently, they were getting to high scoring areas, putting themselves in a position to make something happen. The power play might have only scored one goal, but it looked deadly each time out and it was more a tribute to the fine play of Vokoun in net that the Sbornaya did not have more on the power play.
What needs to improve before the quarterfinals?
Discipline
Russia took a few too many penalties and that could come back to haunt them in the later rounds. While some of the penalties were unavoidable, there were some that need to be eliminated.
Offensive-zone penalties like the one Radulov took after a missed 2-on-1 are not good. Shooting the puck out of the rink while on defense isn’t good either.
Faceoffs
Nearly every defensive-zone faceoff or faceoffs on the penalty kill, the Czechs won it. Russia was thoroughly dominated in the circle and the only reason it wasn’t more pronouced was because they were winning battles against the wall and outplaying the Czechs at even strength.
But the faceoff percentage needs to improve or find a way to get the best faceoff men on the ice in key situations.
Clearances
While the penalty killing was great, one aspect of it was not at all. At least five different occasions, Russian players had the opportunity to clear the puck out of the zone after winning possession, but just couldn’t do it.
They would clear it back to the points, try to lob defensemen only to have it fail, or give the puck right back because they were looking for the deep pass.
It’s not a major problem, but just needs to be worked out in practice.
Grades (out of 10)
Black Line (Ovechkin, Semin, Malkin, Gonchar, Tyutin): 9. From the second the puck was dropped, this newly formed group was utterly dominant and brought excitement every time they got to the offensive zone. Ovechkin and Malkin showed exactly why they are two of the best players in the world.
Red Line (Datsyuk, Kovalchuk, Afinogenov, Grebeshkov, Korneev): 7. Showed some decent chemistry. Datsyuk had a phenomenal game and Kovalchuk had his moments but Afinogenov never made an impact.
Blue Line (Zinoviev, Zaripov, Morozov, Markov, Nikulin): 6.5. Not a particularly strong game from any one player, but they played decently. Morozov and Zaripov both had their chances on the power play and did next to nothing. Markov passed up on a wide open shot from four feet away.
White Line (Fedorov, Kozlov, Radulov, Volchenkov, Kalinin): 8. A very strong performance. Fedorov once again had a nice defensive game, Kozlov scored on a pass from Radulov and Volchenkov was the penalty kill leader. Were currectly awarded with bonus playing time.
Notes
Russia, with seven points from three games, clinches the bye into the quarterfinals.
Nabokov will most likely get every start from here on.
Below is Ovechkin’s hit on Jagr and the ensuing Malkin goal.
A very light mood surrounded the Russian men’s hockey team before their opening game with Latvia. Smiles, jokes, and grins all around from the moment they got together, Head Coach Slava Bykov held a 45-minute practice session during the morning that accomplished very little.
The giddy mood could not be removed.
After watching the U.S. and Canadian teams put up victories earlier in the day, the ice surface would not be ideal after seeing so much action. But as great players, they weren’t going to have Latvia or the poor ice surface slow them down.
It didn’t take long for the tone of the game to be determined. Only 19 seconds in, the Latvians took the first of many penalties to come, sending out the Russian power play.
Although the power play eventually failed, they maintained zone time and built up momentum, getting the opening goal a few seconds after the penalty had expired off a tap-in from KHL MVP Danis Zaripov. The 28-year-old who plies his trade for Ak Bars Kazan may be an unknown commodity in North America, but he’s a crafty player that certainly knows how to find the high scoring areas.
The game continued with Russia completely dominating the first seven minutes of play, as Latvia only touched the puck one or two times in that time. But Latvian goaltender Edgars Masalskis held his own and made a couple fine saves.
His first slight error however, cost his team another goal. An innocent looking shot from Sergei Fedorov drifting across the middle could not be controlled by Masalskis, and the rebound was poked home by a diving Alexander Radulov.
2-0 for Russia, two assists for Fedorov.
It was a dream start for Russia, but the Latvians did not look comfortable at all and didn’t seem to do well with the pressure.
They started to build a little momentum after the halfway mark, as Russia took a penalty for too man men on the ice. Oddly enough, the Latvian power play came on looking twice as dangerous as its’ Russian counterpart, but San Jose Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov stood tall to make several stellar saves.
As the period was coming to a close, Masalskis got a taste of Alex the Great. A steal by Alexander Semin down low, he then picked out Ovechkin flying down the middle for a booming slapshot that we’ve seen so often. No chance for Masalskis, Ovechkin will miss zero percent of those shots.
Just like that, it’s 3-0 Russia heading into the first intermission.
The second period began as a bit of a chess match and a penalty-killing exhibition. Both teams had two power plays each in the first 12 minutes of action, all of them getting killed off rather easily. But even strength or man advantage, Latvia had a new-found composure and it paid off, as they were getting to the offensive zone with much more frequency.
But, after a hooking call on former Tampa Bay Lightning winger Martins Karsums, Russia’s power play finally slammed one home. Superb passing once again, Sergei Gonchar found Ilya Kovalchuk on the left circle wide open for a heavy slapshot.
He didn’t score from that position, but it created a juicy rebound and Evgeni Malkin took no time to deposit it into the empty net from a few feet out. Make it four for Russia.
For however defensive-minded the 2nd period was, that all changed in a hurry to start the final stanza. Three goals were scored in 57 seconds.
First was Herberts Vasiljevs beating Nabokov from nearly the same place Ovechkin had scored from earlier to give Latvia it’s first goal of the Olympics. Second was the forementioned Ovechkin, who was interfered with at center ice, but got right back up and flicked a wrister home from the left wall.
Third and final came from Zaripov once again. A slapshot from the right circle that appeared to be saved at first managed to roll through the pads of Masalskis. Just like that, it was 6-1 for Russia.
That was hardly the end of the scoring, however. The Sbornaya were not happy at all about allowing a goal. Forechecking with a new-found intensity, Malkin and Kovalchuk combined for another quick goal. Setting up shop behind the Latvian goal, Malkin picked out the newest New Jersey Devil for a quick release that found it’s way in.
Not even 30 seconds later, Latvia scored again, thanks to a tremendous slapshot from Girts Ankipans that beat Nabokov top shelf. In total, five goals scored in two minutes.
As time was melting away, Russian captain Aleksei Morozov added a final goal to tie Canada’s eight, another rebound that got away from Masalskis after Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov was allowed to waltz right on in.
Two goals for the NHL’s MVP, two goals for the KHL’s MVP.
A convincing 8-2 opening night triumph for the Red Machine. “Yeah, you know, it’s always nice when you get some good moments and a good start. We were ready for it, but it’s just a start and we have to continue how we play,” said Ovechkin after the game. The scoreline was dominant, but not half as dominant as it could have been.
Full game highlights can be seen here, thanks to NBC.
What did Russia do well?
Puck Movement
The puck movement all night long was terrific. No matter who was on the ice, it seemed like they were always able to find the open man and hit him with a pass.
It allowed the Sbornaya to wear down the Latvian defenders as the game wore on, because they were chasing or playing defense for nearly three quarters of the game. Teams can also get easily frustrated, spending that much time pinned in their own end. But to the Latvians credit, they stayed composed for the most part.
A more offensively-gifted squad may not be so enthusiastic about playing defense.
The puck movement on the power play was so good it was almost too unselfish. Defensemen and forwards alike were able to pick apart the defense easily with precision passing.
Penalty Killing
If there was one Achilles’ heel for this team, defense was supposed to be it. Latvia had five power play chances and none of them amounted to much of anything. In fact, one of the best scoring chances didn’t come from Latvia, but instead a steal by Pavel Datsyuk in the neutral zone that nearly led to a breakaway goal.
Ilya Nikulin of Ak Bars had one of the strongest game defensively of any of the Russian defensemen. Nabokov was also superb on the penalty kill. He didn’t have to make a ton of saves, but he made the important ones when he had to.
Capitalizing
Sure, Russia launched 45 shots at Masalskis. But it wasn’t the quantity, it was the quality. That number could have been much higher, but instead it was patience being shown by the snipers, waiting for the best scoring chances.
Every mistake made by the Latvian goaltender resulted in a goal for Russia. Every scoring chance where you would say “that puck should be in the net” ended in a goal. It was opportunistic scoring and capitalizing on the chances that should be converted.
Ovechkin scored a big goal with 30 seconds remaining in the first period and also responded immediately after Latvia scored their first goal in the third.
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What could be improved before the game with Slovakia?
Power Play
Not exactly what you would expect to see here, but Russia went 1-for-8 on the man advantage. Part of that can be contributed to the very solid play of Masalskis. More of the fault will fall on the shooters however.
The passing, as outlined before, couldn’t have been better. But players would pass up shots in order to make the perfect play and need to do a better job getting pucks through on goal. Oddly enough, this wasn’t the power play that everyone thought they would see.
Slava Bykov uses groupings, with each group consisting of five-man units. Those same units that were meant for even strength play were also used on the man advantage. We saw Malkin and Kovalchuk up front, but with Konstantin Korneev or Ilya Nikulin on the point. Only in the final power play of the game did Bykov send out a unit of Ovechkin, Semin, Datsyuk, Gonchar, and Markov.
Five-on-Five Chances Allowed
While the penalty killing was great, Latvia had just a few too many decent scoring opportunities at even strength for comfort. Nabokov bailed defensemen out on quite a few times, allowing chances that a better team surely would have finished.
There were also a few times during the game where the Latvians were able to pin a group in the Russian end for more than a minute at a time, aided by turnovers or failed clearing attempts. Every game, you’ll give up some scoring opportunities but not being able to get the puck out of the zone when possible needs to be done.
Penalties
Just a few too many penalties on the whole. There’s always going to be a penalty or two a game that you have to take, but getting called for things like too many men on the ice or an undisciplined interference are very preventable.
Slava Bykov will have to clean that up before Thursday.
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Grades (out of 10)
Black Line (Ovechkin, Semin, Datsyuk, Grebeshkov, Korneev): 7.5. Semin and Ovechkin worked together flawlessly, as expected. Datsyuk fit right in centering the two, while Korneev and Grebeshkov were responsible defensively. However, the unit did allow Latvia’s second goal due to a turnover in the neutral zone.
Red Line (Malkin, Kovalchuk, Afinogenov, Gonchar, Tyutin): 7. Malkin did his best to set up Kovalchuk throughout the game, and he led the Russians in shots with five due to that generosity. Gonchar and Malkin had great chemistry as well and Tyutin didn’t look out of place at all. Gonchar did not play his best game defensively though, and Afinogenov was swapped out later in favor of Radulov.
Blue Line (Morozov, Zinoviev, Zaripov, Markov, Nikulin): 8. Had themselves a very nice game together. The Ak Bars teammates got in behind the Latvian defense multiple times and although Markov was not playing at 100 percent, he was effective nonetheless. Nikulin had a more than solid game, showing off his physical side and his huge shot from the point.
White Line (Fedorov, Kozlov, Radulov, Volchenkov, Kalinin): 7. Fedorov couldn’t have played a better game, and Radulov was also a major force, which earned him a promotion. Volchenkov and Kalinin were not particularly strong defensively and that needs to change.
Goaltender (Nabokov): 8.5. He didn’t have a particularly busy evening, but made nearly all the saves he needed to make. Allowed a goal he would have liked back in the third period but hey, nobody is perfect. Â
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Notes
Bykov has announced Ilya Bryzgalov will be in net against Slovakia instead of Nabokov. The decision was made prior to the victory over Latvia and had absolutely nothing to do with Nabokov’s performance.
Five Russian players finished with multiple points, and only five out of the 20 total did not register a point.Â
The puck drops against Slovakia on Thursday at 9 PM PST on CNBC.  All photos are courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Â
(Courtesy of Puck Daddy )
The board is set, the pieces are moving. The day has finally come when Team Russia hits the ice in Vancouver in search of their first Olympic Gold medal since the Unified Team in 1992.
General Manager Vladislav Tretiak has assembled what he believes to be the best squad since the fall of the Soviet Union, but can it actually live up to those lofty expectations?
First, let’s take a look at the roster and see what Slava Bykov’s line combination’s might be.
Forwards: Pavel Datsyuk, Evgeni Malkin, Sergei Fedorov, Sergei Zinoviev, Ilya Kovalchuk (A), Danis Zaripov, Alexander Semin, Alexander Ovechkin (A), Maxim Afinogenov, Alexander Radulov, Viktor Kozlov, Aleksei Morozov (C)
Defense: Andrei Markov, Sergei Gonchar, Anton Volchenkov, Ilya Nikulin, Dmitri Kalinin, Denis Grebeshkov, Fedor Tyutin, Konstantin Korneev
Goaltenders: Evgeni Nabokov, Ilya Bryzgalov, Semyon Varlamov
SZ: This is indeed a wealth of talent. For my first line, I would put Washington Capitals teammates Ovechkin and Semin on the top line along with the two-time Selke Award winner Datsyuk. To me, this line has some of everything – the defensive prowess of Datsyuk, Ovechkin’s grit and physicality and the puck skills of Semin. But maybe most of all, that’s an awful lot of points scored by that line.
My second line would consist of Kovalchuk, Malkin and Radulov. Kovalchuk once again has another 30 goal season while Malkin has peaked at the right time and is now riding a 13-game point streak. They will be joined by Radulov of Salavat Yulaev, who has 58 points in 51 games.
The third line is Fedorov, Kozlov and Afinogenov. They have the three “S’s”, speed, skill and size. But as well, they are all very experienced players that have played many games in their careers. Fedorov could also jump up and play with the top line on occasion.
The fourth line of Zaripov, Zinoviev and Morozov will look to provide a defensive combination, as well as good secondary scoring.
On defense, the pairings are a little more challenging to decipher, especially due to the injury concerns of Andrei Markov. But assuming all players are healthy and ready to go, I would combine Markov with Gonchar, Volchenkov with Grebeshkov, Tyutin with Kalinin and Korneev with Nikulin.
Markov and Gonchar are the two big names and will log the most ice time, as well as power play time. But they are also more than adequate defenders in their own zone and can pass the puck extremely well. In Switzerland, Volchenkov and Grebeshkov paired together to form a “shut down” unit, leading Russia to a 2-1 championship victory over Canada.
From the KHL, Ilya Nikulin can be a bit hot-headed but also very physical, and would be paired with the calm presence of Korneev.
SM: I hate guessing lines because I’m pretty terrible at it, but I would like to see a line of Malkin centering Ovechkin and Semin, although that might be a power play only situation. The plethora of talent is so vast that you can just kind of pluck anyone and throw them wherever.
Maybe Kozlov and Ovechkin, who were not only teammates last year in Washington, but also connected on the memorable goal against Canada in Turin. Or you can re-unite Fedorov with Semin and Ovie or have Kovalchuk in the mix. Honestly, there are so many combinations I often have trouble falling asleep trying to conjure them in my head.
You can have an ex-NHL line with Fedorov, Morozov and Kozlov or re-unite Kovalchuk with Afinogenov, who Ilya actually insisted that the Atlanta Thrashers pursue in the off-season. Heck, you can even make a Canada-killer line with Ovechkin (Turin 2006), Kovalchuk (Quebec 2008) and Radulov (Bern 2009).
The defensive pairings make things a bit more interesting as the talent in the back doesn’t quite match what’s up front. After the pairing of Gonchar and Markov, who can hopefully play as an injury forced him out of the last two Montreal Canadiens games, the depth is thin.
Tyutin and Grebeshkov, or possibly Volchenkov in place of either, Nikulin and Kalinin just sound good off the tongue so they could work too.
I think leaving Sergei Zubov off might hurt the team but that remains to be seen, the best Russian-born defenseman to ever play in the NHL could have provided an extra boost. He currently has 40 points in 50 games for SKA St. Petersburg this season.
Next, who might have the largest impact on Russia’s path to a Gold medal?
SM: For me, the biggest impact will be from that Ovechkin fellow, you know, the one with all the wacky goals and silly English? All kidding aside, this is Ovechkin’s time to shine.
In pursuit of his third straight NHL scoring title, Ovechkin has been red hot and plays his best under pressure. Whether it will be providing to an offense that could probably do just fine without him or playing the body (see Chris Chelios in Turin), this is Ovechkin’s team.
He will play in many Olympics to come, but the time is now for Alex the Great and this team is built for Gold.
SZ: There are three players who need to have a great tournament in order for Russia to bring a Gold back to the motherland.
First is Alexander Semin. Everybody knows about the “Great 8″, and every defense will do their best to shut him down. But the other Alex can take full advantage of the distraction. As a hot-and-cold player, Semin has been nearly unstoppable when paired up with Ovechkin in Washington.
He has four goals in the two games before the Olympic break and is as confident in his play as he ever has been.
The next impact player is Anton Volchenkov. If there is one thing that could be said about this team, it will have no problems scoring goals. The main concern is if the defense can slow the other team down enough. Volchenkov is a defensive defenseman that serves as a second goaltender on the ice.
His ability to not only block a ton of shots, but pair up against any top forward on an opposing team makes him a priceless tool in Bykov’s shed. If one forward is not producing, others can step up for him. But nobody can replicate what Volchenkov does.
The final impact player has to be the goaltender. Whether it is Nabokov or Bryzgalov in net, as both should see some time, they must be strong when called upon. Chances are, they will not need to make 40 or more saves a game in order to win, but it will come down to making the big saves in key moments that will propel Russia to victory.
What are a few reasons why Russia can win the Gold medal this year? Or reasons why they won’t?
SZ: With any great team, it all starts with chemistry. If the players don’t mesh well together, they can’t be expected to win much. Despite the fact that not many of the players on this team play for the same club, they are all very good friends off the ice.
“…Bryzgalov, fully decked in goalie gear, took to playing defense in front of Varlamov, causing the young Capital no end of annoyance,” the Washington Post reports. “However, it was Semin who provided the biggest highlight of the evening. Once the team arrived in the Olympic Village, the winger noticed that one of the golf carts was standing nearby with the key still in. Laughing his head off, Semin duly committed grand theft auto as he jumped into the cart, drove up to Kozlov and offered him a ride.”
This team is not only relaxed, but loves being together and competing. With all the pressure that has mounted on Team Canada by playing at home, the Russian team feels almost no pressure whatsoever.
This team can also win it all because they are never out of a game. Even if they get behind early, there will always be the feeling that they can come back with their high-powered offensive juggernaut. That mentality not only inspires the players, but strikes fear into the opposition, knowing that no lead is safe.
But like any team, there are a few reasons why they won’t be able to win.
Is this team too loose? While being able to enjoy themselves is an advantage for sure, it can also be a downfall if it takes away from the overall focus. Will the defense be good enough? Both Nabokov and Bryzgalov are strong in net, but they will need some help from the defensive depth. Gonchar, Markov and Volchenkov can not play 35 minutes a game.
SM: The team is clearly heading into the games with one goal, and that goal is of course shared by the likes of Canada, Sweden and the U.S.A. However, what sets this team apart from the rest is the relaxed atmosphere they’ve created as mentioned by Sergey.
This is a far cry from the Red Machine, who was all business and no smiles back in the Golden Era of Soviet hockey. I have yet to find a practice picture without someone laughing or smirking. Coming in as the top-ranked team in the world can give you confidence and maybe a shade of cockiness. Who’s to say to this young team that you can’t have a bit of fun along the way?
I believe once the Group stages end, things will get a bit more serious around the team. In Turin, after upsetting Canada 2-0, they went on to lose to both Finland and the Czechs (both shutouts). You can bet your last rouble that they have not forgotten that quick and embarrassing exit.
While the possibility looms that it can happen again, I do not see history repeating itself this time around with the firepower and two excellent goaltenders.
Finally, a few predictions for the Group Stage?
Latvia, February 16, 21:00 PST, CNBC
SZ: On paper, this should be a blowout of epic proportions. But with the Latvians, nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Nearly all the players are from Dinamo Riga and know each other extremely well, so that is a challenge by itself. But as long as the Sbornaya do not overlook the Latvians, this game could get out of control quickly.
SM: The first game against Latvia, or should I say Dinamo Riga, should be pretty interesting to watch as this will be the easiest opponent of the tournament. I expect Russia to completely dominate and put up at least five goals. The team could set the tone for the entire games with a dominant performance and it will be interesting to watch how many times Bykov shuffles the cards.
Slovakia, February 18, 21:00 PST, CNBC
SM: The Slovaks will be a tougher challenge with more NHL caliber players to match that of the Sbornaya. Jaroslav Halak has been solid for the Montreal Canadiens and will look to continue that trend in Vancouver. Marian Gaborik, who finally needed his own teammate’s skate to finally get injured (which I have been waiting for since he arrived on Broadway) will be out of the lineup and his offense will surely be missed.
The next exciting thing about their roster are the three players from Spartak Moscow, which could mean another win for Russia but a bit harder than Latvia.
SZ: This could be a very challenging or a rather simple game, depending on how you look at it. The Slovaks could be without quite a number of big guns, if Hossa and Gaborik can not play at 100 percent. But either way, this should be a significant upgrade over Latvia in terms of a measuring stick for Russia.
The Slovaks also beat Russia in 2006 and won Group B over the Sbornaya. So they have that advantage of knowing they can win. But if Russia can score early on Jaroslav Halak, there might not even be anything Zdeno Chara can do about it.
Czech Republic, February 21, 12:00 PST, NBC
SZ: The Czechs provide the final test for Russia in the Group Stage, but the challenge they pose is much greater than perhaps any other. With an outstanding netminder in Tomas Vokoun, the Czechs will be able to weather any kind of offensive storm.
They will also provide a stern test to Russia’s defense, because while they don’t have any truly phenomenal forwards, it is a very solid group from top to bottom.
SM: The Czechs will be Russia’s toughest opponent in the Group Stage and a rematch of the Bronze medal game from Turin. Like the Slovaks, the Czechs will rely heavily on Tomas Vokoun, who is an absolute game changer.
Jaromir Jagr will most likely be in his last Olympics and could be showing the world and NHL teams that he might be worth their time once his contract expires in the KHL. The likes of Patrik Elias and Martin Havlat can be a dangerous duo but the further down the line you go, the talent diminishes.
The game will be closer than I would like but I do see Russia avenging their loss in convincing fashion.
Let’s get right too it.
One of the greatest snipers of the post-lockout era has been traded. Long-time Atlanta Thrasher Ilya Kovalchuk has moved on to what we might call “bigger and better things”, picking up his Warrior sniper rifle and heading to Newark. In need of some offense, the New Jersey Devils shipped a package down south that included talented rookie Niclas Bergfors, veteran defenseman Johnny Oduya, now-suspended prospect Patrice Cormier and the Devils’ 1st-round draft choice in 2010. A kings ransom indeed.
Kovalchuk’s resume speaks for itself. A Rocket Richard winner in 2004, the Tver native and one-time Spartak Moscow product has two 50-goal campaigns to his name and currently sits in 6th place for goals scored with 31. Many experts have speculated that his point totals might even be better if he could escape from the dark shadow of Atlanta, but that hypothesis will be put to the test soon enough.
It makes almost 10 years ago that the Devils went out and added another Russian-born playmaker in Alexander Mogilny.
But several questions immediately arise about the addition. Will Kovalchuk be more than a rental in New Jersey? Can he fit into the defensive-oriented and systematic style of head coach Jacques Lemaire, while Atlanta never even dreamed of putting a harness on him? Will the high price be worth it, come the playoffs?
“The reason we got Alex Mogilny at the time was similar reasons – what he could bring offensively with the shot he had and he could do almost anything individually at times, but still be a team player. I feel Ilya can bring that sort of explosiveness and I also really believe strongly that he wants to win and will fit in.” said Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello. While Kovalchuk is certainly one of the best individual offensive talents in the game today and also thirsts to be part of a winning team, only time will tell how well he fits in with his new teammates.
But one thing that is no question whatsoever is what he potentially makes the Devils.
With two immensely gifted wingers in Kovalchuk and Zach Parise, along with Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur, New Jersey now fields a fearsome combination of explosive offense and highly disciplined defense. That kind of mixture is one that is absolutely necessary for playoff success, and the Devils have not played past the 2nd round in some time.
Cynics will be quick to say that Kovalchuk is only making a stop in New Jersey before testing the waters of free agency, in an attempt to win now. After all, Lamoriello might feel like his team’s window to win another Stanley Cup is closing, at least with Brodeur and other veterans. Meanwhile, an optimist will say that the addition of Kovalchuk could be a new beginning and a new way of life in Newark, as the Devils plan to take more of a high-flying offensive approach in planning for Brodeur’s retirement.
Either way, the Kovalchuk era in New Jersey will begin on Friday night when the Rock plays host to the other big trade deadline player, the Toronto Maple Leafs. In doing so, there is little doubt that the most star power in the NHL resides in it’s most competitive division, the Atlantic.
(Courtesy of Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
On Thursday night, Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin earned his 500th career point in grand fashion against the New York Rangers.
With his team down 5-3 in the dying moments of the second period the winger raced up the left side of the ice and simply undressed defenseman Michal Rozsival by slipping the puck between his legs recovering it and then beating Henrik Lundqvist with a one-handed, left-handed shot.
Ovie becomes the fastest player since Eric Lindros to reach the 500 point plateau doing so in just 373 games and just the ninth to do so in his first five seasons. The goal would give the momentum back to the Caps who would eventually re-take the lead and secure their 12th straight victory.
With two goals and an assist Ovechkin now leads the NHL in goals (38), points (80), and plus/minus (37). Since being named captain the Capitals have gone 15-1-0 and have scored four or more goals in every game but two. Their 12-game winning streak sets the new Washington Capitals franchise record.
(Courtesy G Fiume/Getty Images)
The month of January has been very good to the Washington Capitals who are on the verge of breaking a franchise record for consecutive wins that has stood for 26 years. Fittingly Alexander Ovechkin, who was named captain on January 5th, had his best month of the year notching 9 goals, 26 points for a plus-16.
With Ovechkin’s new captaincy, Washington has surged to the top of the Eastern Conference with 80 points while making their Southeast lead a joke leading the Florida Panthers by 23 points.
While all the attention as usual was focused on Ovie, Washington’s other Alex(Semin) had himself a big month finding the net 11 times for 23 points in the month’s 15 games. Semin finished the month on a nine-game point-scoring streak earning himself honorable mention from the league.
The timing couldn’t be any better for Russia’s top forwards with the first game against Latvia just 15 days away.
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Without making a separate post for a lone highlight we decided to include Evgeni Malkin’s shootout goal from yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings just to get you excited for the Olympics a bit more. Jimmy Howard as you can tell was not amused.
(Courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America) )
As if the Montreal Canadiens didn’t have enough problems going for them amid a goalie dilemma and battling for a playoff spot it seems now that there is a locker-room split for which keeper should start amongst the players.
According to TEAM 990 radio in Montreal, defenseman and longest tenured player Andrei Markov told goalie Carey Price “If you are not going to play with heart, stay home. We don’t need you here” following the teams 4-3 overtime loss to St.Louis.
The radio also claims that half of the locker-room came to the defense of Price while the rest sided with Markov and possibly other goalie Jaroslav Halak. Price got the start tonight against Tampa Bay in which the Habs were shut-out 3-0.
With the trade dead-line weeks away it is possible that Halak or Price might be shipped out of Montreal since neither is satisfied as a back-up.
With this alleged rift brewing in the dressing room something must be done to unite a team which has gone up and down all season and finds itself in a eight team race for the final spot in the Eastern Conference.
