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Feb232010 by Gary Laws1 Comment

Vladislav Tretiak: “Nabokov will start in the quarterfinal”

Vladislav Tretiak: "Nabokov will start in the quarterfinal" (Photo © Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press) Team Russia's general manager at the Olympic Games, Vladislav Tretiak, gave an interview to Vitaliy Slavin of SovSport. Tretiak talked about the canceled practice on Monday, seriousness of Sergei Zinoviev's injury and the players' thoughts on a possible Russia-Canada quarterfinal. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. - Why did you cancel a practice on Monday? Tretiak: "The coaches decided to give the players time to recover. The ice practice was optional and nobody wanted to skate. Everyone went to the gym and rode bikes. By the way, we are not the only team to cancel a practice. The Americans and Swedes also did it." - But Team Canada practiced. And what an intense practic...

Feb222010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ovechkin, Gonchar, Kovalchuk, Volchenkov talk about Czech Republic, hit on Jagr

Russian National Hockey Team News

Ovechkin, Gonchar, Kovalchuk, Volchenkov talk about Czech Republic, hit on Jagr (Photo © Alex Livesey/Getty Images) After the 4-2 victory against Czech Republic many players agreed that the Ovechkin hit on Jagr turned the momentum in Russia's favor. Team Russia players felt that this was the key event of the game and it helped their team getting the edge over Czech Republic. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of short quotes taken right after the game from Sergei Gonchar, Ilya Kovalchuk, Evgeny Nabokov, Alexander Ovechkin and Anton Volchenkov. "Ovechkin has a very good physical play, that's why he always tries to pressure the opponents", Sergei Gonchar told Sport-Express. "Successful actions are always reflected to the team's morale. This was the case of today's game. I think t...

Feb212010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Alexander Ovechkin: “Jagr made a move to my side and I just hit him”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Alexander Ovechkin: "Jagr made a move to my side and I just hit him" (Photo © Gene J. Puskar, AP) Team Russia forward Alexander Ovechkin commented on his hit on Jaromir Jagr of the Czech Republic in a game between Russia and Czech Republic at the Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver. "I see him coming and my first reaction was to play the puck," Ovechkin said to NHL.com . "He made a move to my side and I just hit him." Alexander Ovechkin switched the moment in favor of Russia with a bone crushing, open ice hit on Jaromir Jagr in the first few minutes of the final stanza. The puck then ended up on Alexander Semin's stick, who served Evgeni Malkin with a great cross ice pass. Malkin one-timed the puck in for the game winning goal in Russia's 4-2 win over Czech Republic. Ovechkin told Ru...

Feb212010 by Gary Laws12 Comments

Russia defeats Czech Republic 4-2

Russian National Hockey Team News

Russia defeats Czech Republic 4-2 (Photo © REUTERS/ Scott Audette) In the round robin's last game Team Russia defeated Team Czech Republic 4-2 and got a bye to the quarterfinals as they finished the Group B on the top of the standings with seven points against Czech Republic's six, Slovakia's five and Latvia's zero. Team Russia's first game of the medal round is scheduled for wednesday. During the first period of the game the teams are still 0-0. Alexander Ovechkin had a couple of good chances, but Tomas Vokoun saved both attempts. Later on the Russians wasted a powerplay opportunity. At the fifteenth minute Evgeni Malkin scored the 1-0 goal for Russia tapping in a rebound after a shot from the point by Sergei Gonchar. At the end of the first period the Czechs tied it up with Tomas Plekane...

Feb212010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

2010 Olympics: Russia – Czech Republic preview

Russian National Hockey Team News

2010 Olympics: Russia - Czech Republic preview (Photo © Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Team Russia's opponent in the third round robin match of the 2010 Olympic Tournament will be team Czech Republic. The Czechs, lead by the evergreen Jaromir Jagr, feature a very good lineup with plenty of NHL caliber players. Russia has to skate past Czech Republic in order to secure the first seed in the Group B and get a bye into the quarterfinals. The Czechs are on the top of the standings with six points in two games. The Slovaks follow with five points, but they played three games. Team Russia will try hard to put the 1-2 defeat against Slovakia in the past. "It's always tough to lose, but it's good to have it happen now in the tournament," Alexander Ovechkin told espn.com. Most likely team Russia's lin...

Feb202010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Olympics: Ilya Kovalchuk: “At the Olympics you should shove your ‘I’ up a certain place”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Ilya Kovalchuk: "At the Olympics you should shove your 'I' up a certain place" (Photo © Bruce Bennet/Getty Images) Ilya Kovalchuk talked about the bad powerplay of team Russia in the 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament, the changes that the team will undergo for the next game against Czech Republic and his ice time in an interview to the Russian newspaper Sovietskiy Sport. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. - The coaches created "the great line", made up of Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Semin, Malkin, Gonchar. But it didn't work out well. Why this line failed in playing simple hockey? Kovalchuk: "It's not enough to create 'the great line', you have to work on the ice. We try hard to improve the powerplay during the practices. We get so many penalties in our favor, they must be used better."...

Feb202010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Team Russia latest news: Fedorov misses practice, Kovalchuk out of Malkin’s line, Nabokov to start against Czechs

Russian National Hockey Team News

Team Russia latest news: Fedorov misses practice, Kovalchuk out of Malkin's line, Nabokov to start against Czechs (Photo © Shaun Best, Reuters) Here is the latest news from the Russian team at the Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver. Evgeny Nabokov will start in the game against the Czech Republic Igor Zakharkin, Russian coach to Pavel Lysenkov of SovSport: "We think that with Nabokov in the net our players feel more confident." Sergei Fedorov missed a practice Zakharkin: "Fedorov has an individual program. But he's alright, there is no injury." New lines in the game against the Czech Republic Zakharkin: "Maybe we are going to swap the center forwards. We think that Kovalchuk's efficiency should be higher. We remember what chemistry Malkin and Kovalchuk had at the World Championship 2008, but ...

Feb192010 by Gary Laws4 Comments

Vyacheslav Bykov: “All games at the Olympics should be played with passion”

Russian National Hockey Team News

Vyacheslav Bykov: "All games at the Olympics should be played with passion" (Photo © sportbox.ru) Russian coach Vyacheslav Bykov talked about the reasons of the loss to Slovakia, stated that not all players had passion, explained why Alexander Ovechkin had three shootout attempts and talked about power play units in an interview to the Russian site gazeta.ru. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation. - Do you agree that only the Zaripov-Zinoviev-Morozov line displayed some teamwork? Bykov: "You are not far from being right. We will try and find out why it happened. I don't think that our players didn't want it. It's just that the opponent didn't give us many opportunities. But I also should notice that a lot of players lacked passion and thirst for game. At the same time I agree that...

Feb192010 by Gary Laws11 Comments

World Championship – Russia loses to Slovakia in shootout, 1-2

Russian National Hockey Team News

Russia loses to Slovakia in shootout, 1-2 (Photo © AP Photo) A shootout goal by Pavol Demitra gave Slovakia the edge over Team Russia in the Olympic Hockey tournament's round robin. In the Group B standings Russia retains the lead with 4 points, but with one game more than Czech Republic, who beaten team Slovakia yesterday. Bykov's team had some chances at the start, especially with a shot from the high slot by Alexander Ovechkin, but Jaroslav Halak saved all the 10 opponents' attempts. 8 saves so far for Ilya Bryzgalov. In the second period Alexei Morozov scored the 1-0 goal with a good one time from the right circle after another bad powerplay show by Team Russia. Bykov's team controlled most of the play in the middle stanza and got twice near to the second goalie, first with Maxim Afino...

Feb182010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Olympics » 2010 Olympics: Russia – Slovakia preview

Russian National Hockey Team News

2010 Olympics: Russia - Slovakia preview (Photo © Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) On Tuesday night Team Russia will play its second match in the 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament. After the 8-2 win over Latvia in the inaugural match, Team Russia's opponents will be Team Slovakia. Team Russia's starter is going to be Ilya Bryzgalov. Slovakia's goaltender will be Montreal Canadiens' Jaroslav Halak. "He is a very technique sound goaltender", said Evgeni Malkin. "He also has a good stickhandling. You need to shot a lot against him. We have to take the initiative and concede no rooms to our opponents." Vyacheslav Bykov has also decided to try powerplay special team and in the latest practice he iced Alexander Ovechkin, Malkin, Alexander Semin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Sergei Gonchar in the same unit. Pavel...