The current state of Russian hockey is a tale of two programs. Under Communist rule, Soviet hockey teams were among the most successful in the history of sport. With nine consecutive World Championship gold medals from 1963 to 1971, they were undoubtedly a dynasty. Only the Czech Republic and Canada have enjoyed dynastic accomplishments in the post-Soviet era, but with the ever-changing status of national team rosters due to player availability, there will never be an enduring lineup as fearsome as those iced by the Soviet Union. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the USSR, Russia's World Championship results became less impressive. Russia owns one gold medal from 1993 and a silver from Sweden 2002. For the most part, Russian entries at recent World Championships have been on the outside looking in. Russian player development remains strong, but has not translated into World Championship success. Russia’s entry in Riga is loaded with young domestically based players. There are 11 players on this team with birthdates from 1983 or later.
Coaching: Vladimir Krikunov returns as coach of Team Russia for his second straight World Championship, which is a feat. In 2003 and 2004, Viktor Plyuschev, Viktor Tikhonov, and Zinetula Bilyaletdinov headed up the national team in various tournaments, so longevity is tough to achieve in this position. But keep this in mind: with the resignation of Alexander Steblin as Russian Hockey Federation President and the election of Vladislav Tretiak, there might be changes in the near future. Krikunov, appointed by Steblin, could be coaching his last tournament if Tretiak decides to pursue a different direction. Reports have circulated that Krikunov is widely unpopular with players. The apparent disharmony between the coach and his players in Torino affected this World Championship squad, as numerous available players from the NHL turned down requests to come to Riga. Such discord hurts Russia's chances of icing an effective, cohesive team. Krikunov, a former defenseman, coached Dynamo Moscow to the European Champions Cup in January. Vladimir Yurzinov and Boris Mikhailov will once again be behind the bench as assistant coaches. A former captain of the Red Army and the national team, Mikhailov coached Russia to its last gold at the 1993 IIHF World Championship in Munich, Germany.
Goal: This is a critical piece of the puzzle for the Russians. Their most reliable World Championship backstop, Maxim Sokolov, might miss this tournament due to a knee injury. Sokolov had surgery on his meniscus a week ago and was given four weeks to recover. But all indications are that he is making progress and has an outside chance of joining his teammates in Riga. Sokolov is the old man of the national team. Not since Vladislav Tretiak has the national team entrusted its netminding duties so regularly to one person. Sokolov has been a mainstay on the national team since 2001, including Russia's last two medals: silver (2002) and bronze (2005). Quietly and without fanfare, Sokolov has done the job even when betrayed by freelancing defensemen in front of him. His absence could be a devastating loss. The pressure falls to Sergei Zvyagin and Alexander Fomitchev. Zvyagin, who plays for Dynamo Moscow, made his World Championship debut for Russia last year when he earned a shutout against Belarus. Zvyagin had a win and a loss in his two appearances, posting a GAA of 1.50. Fomitchev, a 1997 Edmonton draft pick, plays for CsKA Moscow. Expect Krikunov to carry two goalies while leaving a spot open for Sokolov. If Sokolov can play, it would, without question, be an inspirational boost for this team.
Defense: Russia's defense is potentially steady but certainly won't be spectacular. Missing from the roster is a prototypical puck rushing defensemen who can create
ense and quarterback the power play. The most experienced members of the corps are Sergei Zhukov and Dmitri Bykov. Not only are they the oldest defensemen on the team, respectively, but they are also the only ones with World Championship experience. Krikunov has gone with a lineup of Russian Superleague players but will miss the contributions of Dmitri Ryabkin and Vitaly Proshkin, who are both out. From Lada Togliatti, Andre Kruchinin and Alexei Emelin are ready to contribute. Watch out for Emelin, who is one of the most hard-hitting players to be included on a Russian World Championship roster in recent memory. The 20-year-old uses every opportunity to take the body, so it will be fascinating to watch and see if he can succeed with that style at this level. Emelin also showed some surprising
ense with two goals and seven assists at the 2006 U20 tournament in Canada. He was suspended for five games during the Russian playoffs for an assault on Metallurg Magnitogorsk captain Evgeni Varlamov. Forwards should also keep their head up when facingGeorgi Misharin, who collided knee-on-knee with Sweden’s Jorgen Jonsson in an exhibition game last week.
Forward: Up front, Russia has talent and experience. The team's top six forwards are world-class competitors. Overall, it's a who's who of recent Russian junior hockey talent. Igor Grigorenko, who suffered a terrible car accident after the 2003 IIHF World Championship, is one good example. A 2001 second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Grigorenko was considered one of the most talented players of his age in Russia before the accident. Stanislav Chistov, a fifth overall selection by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, is being counted on to add some punch. At the 2001 U18 tournament, Grigorenko and Chistov combined for 10 goals and 16 points while leading Russia to a gold medal. And of course, Alexander Ovechkin, fresh
a wildly successful NHL rookie season, is back. Ovechkin, the odds-on favorite to win the Calder trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, scored 52 goals for the Washington Capitals and registered 106 points. In addition, Ovechkin scored five goals for Russia at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. A passionate player with a flair for the sublime, the 20-year-old virtuoso winger will be expected to lead the
ensive charge for this team. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Kings forward Alexander Frolov will be making his second appearance in the tournament. In his World Championship debut in 2003, Frolov scored three goals and five points in seven games. Former NHL forward Alexei Morozov is coming
an impressive campaign where he led Ak Bars in scoring during the regular and post-season and helped them to their first-ever Russian Superleague
le. Everyone's talking about Evgeny Malkin, who is expected to impress North American spectators next year in much the same manner as Ovechkin already has. Malkin, who was drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, has a chance to really shine here. There is depth with other Superleague talents and World Championship veterans like Maxim Sushinsky to balance the roster. But will there be enough of an overall physical and defensive presence?
Projected Results: The Russians will make it into the playoffs but once there it is anyone's guess as to how they'll finish. Offensively, Team Russia will be capable, but they'll need to take care of their own end or it'll all be in vain. Russia will make mistakes. The question is whether they can limit errors against elite competition deeper in the tournament. Another bronze medal is not out of the question, but gold would require a monumental effort. Once again, Russia is a team to watch, but mostly out of curiosity in terms of seeing what this fresh-faced group can do.
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. Хотя это можно отнести к твоему п.1
