Russia National Team discussion thread

[Caser]

Found rather strange that we don't have a thread for our main teams yet, only for juniors, so I decided to start it (and I think there is something to discuss, as a lot of new players are going through the team, not even mentioning the "Olympic" B-Team).

Click to read more...

 

[Caser]

Coming events:

Russia National Team:

• 9-th to 12-th of February - Sweden Hockey Games Eurotour stage
• 27-th to 30-th of April - Czech Hockey Games Eurotour stage
• World Championship:
  • 5-th of May - group stage game Vs. Sweden
  • 7-th of May - group stage game Vs. Italy
  • 8-th of May - group stage game Vs. Germany
  • 11-th of May - group stage game Vs. Denmark
  • 13-th of May - group stage game Vs. Slovakia
  • 15-th of May - group stage game Vs. Latvia
  • 16-th of May - group stage game Vs. USA
  • If we qualify further, quarterfinal games will be held on 18-th of May, semifinal games - on 20-th of May and medal games - on 21-st of May

Russia "Olympic" B-team:

• 8-th to 13-th of February - Slovakia Cup
• 18-th to 19-th of March - friendlies Vs. South Korea
• 1-st to 2-nd of April - friendlies Vs. Latvia
• 13-th to 15-th of April - Eurochallenge games Vs. France
• 21-st to 22-nd of April - Eurochallenge games Vs. Switzerland

Also, iirc, last year it was the B-team that played the Eurochallenge games, so those games Vs. France and Switzerland that are now in the main team's schedule might belong to the B-team actually.

 

[MaxV]

I want to see more of that young guns team. Fun to watch.

 

[Caser]

With Tampa currently residing at the last place in eastern conference, we might get a good reinforcement for the World Championship. Actually I would really like to see Vasya at the starter's role this year, I think it might give him a confidence boost to finally take it to the next level.

 

[Atas2000]

With Tampa currently residing at the last place in eastern conference, we might get a good reinforcement for the World Championship. Actually I would really like to see Vasya at the starter's role this year, I think it might give him a confidence boost to finally take it to the next level.

Nearly half the season is still ahead. A lot will change. But if you ask me Sorokin is the man to beat. I'd still enjoy some NHLers in Cologne, especially while I already have the tickets.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I know I'm biased and all, but Shestyorkin has outplayed Sorokin this season, and the last NT matches, he got two games, Sorokin got one game.

 

[Caser]

Just I mean that with all the respect to our young goalies, Vasya's talent is one of a kind and helping him fulfill his potential might benefit us long term. The ShestSorok would be a perfect backup pair, they could use the rock-paper-scissors to decide on who is #2 and #3. But yeah, of course, Tampa didn't give up yet, so I guess it is too early to think about that.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Just I mean that with all the respect to our young goalies, Vasya's talent is one of a kind and helping him fulfill his potential might benefit us long term. The ShestSorok would be a perfect backup pair, they could use the rock-paper-scissors to decide on who is #2 and #3. But yeah, of course, Tampa didn't give up yet, so I guess it is too early to think about that.

I don't think there's any doubt that Vasilevskiy is the best goalie prospect of any of them, but I would be really surprised if Tampa didn't take a playoff spot. That Atlantic division isn't very good. Are they better than Boston and Toronto? I think so, and even if they are the second best team of that group, they might be able to get in through the wild card, if they are better than Philly or the Isles. If Tampa makes the playoffs, I wouldn't expect a first round loss, especially if they are getting Stamkos back.

And while we're discussing which goalies might be available, I'd throw Bobrovsky's name out there. I'm getting ahead of myself, but if Pittsburgh plays Columbus in the first round, I think Bobrovskiy will be available for the World Championship.

 

[Atas2000]

I don't think there's any doubt that Vasilevskiy is the best goalie prospect of any of them, but I would be really surprised if Tampa didn't take a playoff spot. That Atlantic division isn't very good. Are they better than Boston and Toronto? I think so, and even if they are the second best team of that group, they might be able to get in through the wild card, if they are better than Philly or the Isles. If Tampa makes the playoffs, I wouldn't expect a first round loss, especially if they are getting Stamkos back.

And while we're discussing which goalies might be available, I'd throw Bobrovsky's name out there. I'm getting ahead of myself, but if Pittsburgh plays Columbus in the first round, I think Bobrovskiy will be available for the World Championship.

There is a lot of doubt here Sorokin and Shesterkin are in any way lesser prospects than Vasilevskiy by now.

 

[MaxV]

Vasya is maddeningly inconsistent.

Someone posted a chart of Sv% off rebounds and only Mrazek was worse. That's an issue. He isn't the most sound positionally also.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Vasilevskiy is more talented, and through all the different age groups has performed better than all of them.

 

[Caser]

Sweden Hockey Games roster:

GK
Ilya Samsonov
Igor Shestyorkin
Ilya Sorokin

D
Viktor Antipin
Zakhar Arzamastsev
Alexey Bereglazov
Vladislav Gavrikov
Ilya Lyubushkin
Yevgeniy Medvedev
Damir Musin
Yegor Rykov
Albert Yarullin

FW
Artyom Fyodorov
Anatoliy Golyshev
Kirill Kaprizov
Maxim Karpov
Alexey Kruchinin
Maxim Mamin
Konstantin Okulov
Nikolay Prokhorkin
Stepan Sannikov
Maxim Shalunov
Sergey Shumakov
Andrey Svetlakov
Vladimir Tkachyov (1993 born)

 

[Caser]

B-team roster for the Slovakia Cup:

GK
Igor Bobkov
Vasiliy Demchenko
Alexandr Sharychenkov

D
Fyodor Belyakov
Gleb Koryagin
Roman Manukhov
Andrey Mironov
Mikhail Naumenkov
Rushan Rafikov
Alexey Vasilevskiy
Dmitriy Yudin
Yegor Zaitsev

FW
Artyom Gareyev
Artyom Ilyenko
Alexandr Kadeikin
Vladislav Kaletnik
Maxim Kazakov
Yaroslav Kosov
Pavel Kraskovskiy
Vyacheslav Leshchenko
Ilya Mikheyev
Vyacheslav Osnovin
Kirill Rasskazov
Pavel Varfolomeyev
Daniil Vovchenko

 

[MaxV]

Yea, that looks more like D- team.

 

[Fantomas]

Rykov is earning some respect.

 

[MaxV]

Arzamastsev with the NT for the first time.

 

[Caser]

Vasya is maddeningly inconsistent.

Someone posted a chart of Sv% off rebounds and only Mrazek was worse. That's an issue. He isn't the most sound positionally also.

Actually that's why I started the discussion about him, as I thought that he could benefit from the change of environment and the NT role. I feel that most of his issues are in the psychological field (ok, maybe not the rebound control though).

 

[Yakushev72]

Vasilevskiy may be slumping with an S team in front of him, but he has unbelievable talent combined with great size. He will recover and be better than before.

 

[Caser]

Maxim Osipov replaces Medvedev on NT roster; Vladislav Provolnev and Anton Shenfeld replace Mironov and Ilyenko on thr B-team roster.

 

[MaxV]

Love these young rosters. I think this should be the case at these EHT always.

Maybe put some top vets at Channel1, but mostly youth.

 

[Caser]

Kaprizov with the hat-trick today... I think he should be on the World Championship roster.

 

[Fantomas]

I'd like to know who doesn't think that.

 

[Caser]

I'd like to know who doesn't think that.

I think it is not that obvious for coaches: Kovalchuk, Mozyakin, Gusev, Dadonov + NHL wingers is quite a competition for the Top9 roster spot.

 

[Fantomas]

Good point. I think I much prefer the old days where the Soviets just forcefully retired most of their players in their 30s.

I'd rather see Kaprizov at the WC than Kovalchuk or Mozyakin, but business is business.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Thoughts? Of course, thats assuming a bunch of teams get to round two and certain teams don't.

World Championship roster

Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Kucherov
Radulov-Namestnikov-Tarasenko
Gusev-Shipachyov-Dadonov
Mozyakin-Grigorenko-Kaprizov
Kulemin

Provorov-Zaitsev
Zadorov-Voynov
Tryamkin-Nesterov
Yakovlev

Vasilevskiy
Shestyorkin
Sorokin