| The team is preparing for the main start of the season Today our team will play the first match of a series of matches for third place in the Eurotour. The Russians will play the first match at the CSKA Ice Palace, and the return match awaits them in the Czech Republic on Sunday.
To be fair, it must be admitted that few of the players on the Russian team care about the final place in the Eurotour. But almost all of them agree that two extra test matches on the eve of the World Cup will give them an additional opportunity to get a better feel for their partners. “No one cares about a place in the Eurotour now,” expressed a general thought from Lokomotiv defender Dmitry Yushkevich, who was the captain of our team during the test matches with the Finns in early April. “But this is a great opportunity for players to get to know each other better and establish relationships in newly formed ties.”
The day before, the Russian national team players underwent an in-depth medical examination, passed doping tests and conducted several training sessions. The team doctors complained of an epidemic of injuries. Two Lada players Vladimir Malenkikh and Alexander Boykov, Ufa player Igor Volkov, Kazan player Sergei Korolev, Dynamo player Alexander Zhdan and Ravil Gusmanov from Magnitogorsk dropped out of the lineup. Several more hockey players - Omsk Sergei Krivokrasov, Magnitogorsk Valery Karpov, Alexey Kaigorodov, Eduard Kudermetov and Nikolai Ignatov - were unable to arrive at the national team’s location for various reasons.
Before the match with the Czech Republic, the team was left with four goalkeepers, ten defenders and fifteen forwards. Perhaps they can be divided into three factions. The first is players who came from the NHL. Defender Dmitry Kalinin from Buffalo, his teammate forward Maxim Afinogenov and forward Alexey Morozov from Pittsburgh arrived in Odintsovo immediately after the end of the regular overseas championship. Another forward Ilya Kovalchuk from Atlanta arrived in Russia a little later. For players from overseas, matches with the Czechs are a great opportunity to get to know their Russian partners better, as well as to completely erase the differences between American and European hockey.
“We are gradually getting used to European sites,” Afinogenov assured the Vremya Novostei newspaper correspondent. — In the NHL, I’m used to constant contact with opponents. When I receive a pass, I instinctively cover the puck with my body. And only then I look around and realize that no one is nearby, no one is attacking me! And we had to immediately pick up speed and move forward.” “We need to thoroughly study the European rules,” Morozov outlines his problems. - After talking with the guys, I found out that here, for example, you can’t play without a helmet - you’ll be immediately sent off. In the NHL, such carelessness is also not encouraged. But the referee, of course, will not whistle and stop the game because of such a trifle. I will definitely study all the nuances. Don’t let your partners down with stupid deletions!”
Another group that stands somewhat apart are the Avangard players. Just last Saturday, the Omsk team played in the Super League final, and arrived at the national team location only on Tuesday evening. Naturally, they do not show much zeal to fight for third place in the Eurotour. The Siberian club delegated four people to the national team. But what kind! Each name has a solid track record. Suffice it to say that Sokolov is the main goalkeeper of the national team last season. Sushinsky is the most productive player in the Russian championship in the “goal + pass” system. Prokopyev is the best sniper among forwards, Tverdovsky among defensive players. Everything is at the discretion of the coaches, but in principle it would be logical to allocate a couple of extra days for these aces to recover.
“Of course, the fight for third place in the Eurotour is not the most important match in my life,” Sokolov smiles a little tiredly. - If the national team coaches hadn’t put me in the game, I wouldn’t have been offended! The most important thing for me now is to approach the World Championships in good emotional shape.” “To be honest, I would prefer to rest some more,” Sushinsky supported his namesake. -- No, my physical fitness is in perfect order, but the final was too intense. Several nights before the decisive games I barely slept. I was going through everything in my head, how defenders should act, where to attack more sharply... All the emotions are still there, in the last battle for the “gold” of the Super League.”
The rest of the players trained fruitfully under the guidance of Vladimir Yurzinov, Alexey Kasatonov and Avangard coach Valery Belousov, who joined them after the end of the playoffs. Viktor Tikhonov traditionally followed the actions of his players from the top row of the podium.
In addition to the above hockey players, the team includes goalkeepers Alexander Fomichev (Sibir), Egor Podomatsky (Lokomotiv), Andrey Tsarev (Ak Bars). Defenders Alexander Guskov and Alexander Ryazantsev (both Lokomotiv), Andrey Skopintsev (Dynamo), Maxim Kondratyev (Lada), Vasily Turkovsky, Dmitry Bykov, Vitaly Proshkin (all Ak Bars). Forwards Andrei Bashkirov (Lausanne, Switzerland), Vladimir Antipov, Vyacheslav Butsaev (both Lokomotiv), Alexander Ovechkin (Dynamo), Sergei Mozyakin, Igor Emeleev, Nikolai Pronin (all CSKA), Valery Zelepukin (SKA), Sergey Zinoviev (Ak Bars), Alexander Skugarev (Lada). Vitaly PAVLYSH |
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