(Courtesy of LasVegasLasVegas.com)
On Wednesday, the NHL will honor it’s best at the annual award show at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yours truly will be on hand for FRWG’s first big league event and will hopefully be able to land a few minutes with the athletes that matter most to you.
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It has been 20 years since the NHL ventured to Mother Russia when the Minnesota North Stars and Montreal Canadiens took on the likes of the Soviet National team. Now prior to the official start of the 2010-2011 NHL season the league has arranged for both the Phoenix Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes to take on KHL clubs in Moscow and Riga, Latvia before the season kicks off in Finland and the Czech Republic.
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Russia has announced their roster for the men’s national team to compete in the Olympics this winter in Vancouver. 9 of the 23 named were of the KHL with the majority of course from the NHL. Below is the roster coached by Vychaslev Bykov. The roster will re-unite Viktor Kozlov and Sergei Fedorov with former teammates Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin.
Goalkeepers
Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL
Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks, NHL
Semyon Varlamov, Washington Capitals, NHL
Defencemen
Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
Denis Grebeshkov, Edmonton Oilers, NHL
Dmitriy Kalinin, Salavat Yulaev, KHL
Konstantin Korneev, CSKA, KHL,
Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens, NHL
Ilya Nikulin, Ak Bars, KHL,
Fedor Tyutin, Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL
Anton Volchenkov, Ottawa Senators, NHL
Forwards
Maxim Afinogenov, Atlanta Thrashers, NHL
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings, NHL
Sergei Fedorov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL
Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers, NHL
Viktor Kozlov, Salavat Yulaev, KHL
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
Alexei Morozov, Ak Bars, KHL
Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, NHL
Alexander Radulov, Salavat Yulaev, KHL
Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals, NHL
Danis Zaripov, Ak Bars, KHL
Sergei Zinoviev, Salavat Yulaev, KHL
(Courtesy of Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)
On a night when Alexander Ovechkin returned to the Washington Capitals line-up following his first career suspension, keeper Semyon Varlamov posted his second shutout of the season against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Varly stopped all 26 shots to improve his record to 12-1-2 as the 21-year-old Samara native propelled the Caps over their division rivals for the 12th consecutive time. If he hopes of cracking the Russian Olympic squad in February, Varlamov has some ground to make up to catch Evgeni Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov who have 16 and 17 wins respectively.
Congrats to Varly for his first COTN nod this year. Here are his two best saves of the night courtesy as always of the NHL and NHL.com
(Courtesy of Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
On Monday the NHL announced their weekly trio of top players from the previous week with the newest addition featuring two Russians. Ilya Bryzgalov and Alexander Ovechkin were named to the weekly award with the Coyotes goalie taking top honors.
Bryzgalov’s hot start was recognized by the league after posting a 3-0-0 record. He had a minuscule 0.95 goals-against average and .959 save percentage in those games, helping the surprising Coyotes improve their record to 5-2-0.
Ovechkin was the first star on opening week and has continued his fine play since. The Capitals star led all scorers last week with six points 4 goals 2 assistants and helped his team move into first place in the Southeast Division. Congratulations to both.
Today, Russia announced the list of players who will be invited to participate in the tryouts for the national team in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. The team is almost split evenly between NHL players and KHL players as Russia looks for their third major title in as many years.
Most of the players who featured in the team’s 2009 World Championship campaign were invited along with those who were in the midst of a playoff series. Notably missing from the invitees are Nikolai Khabibulin, Slava Kozlov, and Sergei Mozyakin who lead the KHL in scoring with 76 points in 56 games.
Below is the list of the players who will be invited to the CSKA facilities in Moscow for the shot to restore national pride to a country who has not captured Olympic gold since the days of the Soviet Union.
The camp will be held Aug. 29-Sep. 1. Teams have until Dec. 30 to submit final rosters, although they can make injury substitutions up until Feb. 15, the day before the Olympic tournament begins in Vancouver.
Goaltenders
Ilya Bryzgalov (Phoenix Coyotes)
Alexander Eremenko (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Evgeni Nabokov (San Jose Sharks)
Simeon Varlamov (Washington Capitals)
Defensemen
Vitali Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL)
Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers)
Dmitri Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Maxim Kondratiev (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Konstantin Korneyev (CSKA Moscow, KHL)
Andrei Markov (Montreal Canadiens)
Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Vitali Proshkin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Oleg Tverdovsky (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Fedor Tyutin (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Vitali Vishnevsky (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)
Anton Volchenkov (Ottawa Senators)
Alexei Zhitnik (Dynamo Moscow, KHL)
Sergei Zubov (Dallas Stars)
Forwards
Evgeny Artyukhin (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Maxim Afinogenov (Buffalo Sabres)
Konstantin Gorovikov (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)
Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings)
Danis Zaripov (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Sergei Zinoviev (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Alexei Kovalev (Ottawa Senators)
Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers)
Viktor Kozlov (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Nikolai Kulemin (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Alexei Morozov (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
Alexander Radulov (Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL)
Oleg Saprykin (Dynamo Moscow, KHL)
Alexander Semin (Washington Capitals)
Alexei Tereschenko (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL)
Sergei Fedorov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL)
Alexander Frolov (Los Angeles Kings)
courtesy of HHOF-IIHF Images)
With a 2-1 win over their arch rivals Canada on Sunday, the Russian national team won their second straight gold medal on the world championship stage. Goals from Oleg Saprykin and Alexander Radulov was all Russia needed as they relied heavily on goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. The Phoneix Coyote would make 37 saves often diving left and right to deny Canada an equalizer.
Jason Spezza would open the scoring for Canada with a practically empty net to shoot at as Bryzgalov was not expecting a redirect. It was the eighth time in nine games that Canada opened the scoring.
Seven minutes later Russia would go on the man advantage where Saprykin would tip in the equalizer past Dwayne Roloson. Both teams would go into the intermission tied at 1. In the second the referees missed a clear high stick on Dany Heatley who hit his former teammate Ilya Kovalchuk in the mouth. Kovalchuk would lose a tooth on the play.
Radulov would get on the board minutes later as he played a 2-on-1 towards Roloson. The NHLer-turned-KHLer would outlast defensemen Chris Phillips while cutting across the top of the slot and would beat Roloson at 14:30.
Russia would hold off the onslaught in the final frame as both teams missed opportunities to make or break their fortunes. As the final horn sounded Bryzgalov was mobbed by his teammates as they celebrated their second straight gold medal against Canada.
Bryzgalov would get the player of the game award and Kovalchuk would be named tournament MVP. The win gave Russia possession of first place in the IIHF world standings for the first time since 2004.
Below is the team joyfully singing the national anthem which would give any Russian citizen chills as the exuberant faces are linked shoulder to shoulder unified by their flag.
courtesy of HHOF-IIHF Images)
Whenever the words Russia and USA get placed together in a sentence dozens of images fly through ones head as these two power house countries have had many run-ins whether it be in politics or sports. In 1980 the USA’s upset of the then Soviet Union team has been hearladed as the greatest moments in American history.
I was not yet born in 1980 but the whole miracle on ice, do you believe in miracles? play call, makes me sick every time I see it. The immense pride that is associated with Russian national team is bestowed on every citizen as they live and die for their country.
Tomorrow the two countries meet again for the second time of this years Men’s World Championship in Switzerland. Having defeated the US 4-1 on Saturday, the Russians aim to keep their undefeated streak rolling as they are the lone team without a loss.
With the win they can defend their gold medal from last year in a potential rematch with Canada who entertains Sweden later in the day. Russia’s undefeated run is pretty remarkable considering they are being backstopped by Ilya Bryzgalov who is usually second fiddle to Evgeni Nabokov. The team only boasts 7 NHL’ers compared to an all NHL roster for the US but only one high-profile player in Ilya Kovalchuk who leads the team in scoring.
While this re-match will not be touted by many since very few care about the World’s the match-up between these countries is always exciting to watch. I can’t imagine another miracle tomorrow because this Russian team looks much too focused on retaining their gold.
courtesy of CTVOlympics.ca
In Russia’s first game of the qualification/elimination stage of the 2009 IIHF World Championship the team of mostly KHL players defeated Sweden 6-5 in OT. After surrendering the lead with under 2 minutes to go Russia would get the winner from Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Dimitri Kalinin for his second of the game. Ilya Bryzgalov backstopped Russia to the win with 33 saves allowing his team to remain undefeated. Other goals came from Ilya Nikulin and Oleg Saprykin. They take on the US on Saturday.
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courtesy of Reuters
On Monday night, in just his second playoff start, 20-year-old Simeon Varlamov earned his first victory with a 4-0 shutout over the New York Rangers. Down 2-0 in the quarter final series the Washington Capitals’ goalie was back in net after allowing just one goal in game 2. He would be perfect in his first trip to MSG stopping all 33 shots thrown on him by the blueshirts.
The Samara native who replaced Jose Theodore after his horrendous game in the opener, never seemed to panic showing signs of experience despite being featured in just six games for the Caps in the regular season. Despite giving up rebounds he would take away any opportunity the Rangers would have on their second or third chances. Since allowing the goal in the first period of game 2, Varlamov has kept the Rangers off the board for 112 minutes.
He also seemed rather unfazed by the antic’s by hockey’s public enemy no.1 Sean Avery. Avery was trying to raddle the rookie who never seemed to acknowledge him probably because of the language barrier. Avery would receive a 10-minute misconduct for punching Varlamov in the head late in the third period.
This isn’t the first time a young Russian goalie has gotten hot in the playoffs. If you remember in 2006, then Ducks keeper Ilya Bryzgalov tied the NHL record for consecutive shutouts with 3 before losing his touch and finding his way back to the bench. Varalmov will hope to contine you his good fortune as the Caps take on the Rangers in game 4 at 7pm at MSG.
Video of Avery’s antics in their finest
