Russia U20 National Team - WJC-2018

[Caser]

Yegor Zaitsev is out for at least 3 weeks, doubtful for the WJC.

 

[Fantomas]

I am having visions... of our blueliners getting severely outclassed... and I see myself pounding my shoe like Khruschev in complete agony.

 

[Caser]

I am having visions... of our blueliners getting severely outclassed... and I see myself pounding my shoe like Khruschev in complete agony.

Your visions are quite positive, as in those we are able to field a healthy blueline.

Btw, some good news: Kayumov is back to game action.

 

[Atas2000]

I am having visions... of our blueliners getting severely outclassed... and I see myself pounding my shoe like Khruschev in complete agony.

Is your shoe as nuclear powered as Khruschev's? It could help... somehow.

Yep, our projected D looks like a sieve right now.

 

[wings5]

Abramov at Center anyone? Look at his faceoffs game by game, seems he's taking quite a few. QMJHL – Includes live game day coverage, audio and video clips, exclusive stories, game tickets, stats, standings, schedules and features.

 

[Fantomas]

I doubt Abramov will play center. But it might make sense to pair him with Rubtsov, whereby Rubtsov plays the middle but Abramov takes most of the faceoffs.

 

[MaxV]

What's the story with Saveli Olshansky? It looks like he is killing it as a 18-year-old in VHL.

 

[Caser]

A bit of positive things, since the end of Can/Rus Series:

Berdin: saved 67 out of 72 in USHL
Melnichuk: saved 22 out of 25 in KHL and 86 out of 88 in VHL
Sukhachyov: saved 106 out of 111 in VHL

 

[Fantomas]

I think Berdin is the man. The way he handles the puck is simply great.

 

[JayZIH]

do you think svechnikov will be back for the WJC ?

 

[Caser]

It has been reported that Svechnikov will be back next Friday.

Meanwhile Sukhachyov stops 49 shots in a second game in a row (yeah, Chelmet's D is very good for goalie development).

 

[Caser]

Another 49 save game by Sukhachyov, this time out of 52 shots.
Berdin stopped 70 out of 76 in recent two games.

 

[MaxV]

Another 49 save game by Sukhachyov, this time out of 52 shots.
Berdin stopped 70 out of 76 in recent two games.

I don't know if it's a great thing that Sukhachyov is outplaying Melnichuk.

 

[Caser]

I don't know if it's a great thing that Sukhachyov is outplaying Melnichuk.

I don't know if he is outplaying him and also if it would be good or bad, for me it is a three-way tie right now with everyone having their pros and cons:

Sukhachyov can carry the team on his shoulders when he is at his best and we might need it with our D, but the cons... well, we've seen it at the Can/Rus series.
Melnichuk is not that high-upside, but looks like he has better consistency: if he is good or bad it is for a pretty long time frame. The issue here is that he rarely plays behind a bad D.
Berdin is a big unknown, as he almost didn't play for NT, but I tend to like him now (I wasn't a fan of him back in the U18 project days).

So in short, I'd say my Nr.1 at the moment is Berdin, closely followed by others... but Sukhachyov as a remedy for our potentially awful D is pretty tempting.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Any idea if Dronov is supposed to return soon?

 

[Caser]

Russian-based part of the camp roster has been announced. NA-based part will be announced later (waiting for Svechnikov I guess).

GK Ilya Konovalov Alexei Melnichuk Vladislav Sukhachyov D Dmitriy Alexeyev Grigoriy Dronov Alexander Kalinin Nikolai Knyzhov Nikita Makeyev Artyom Maltsev Alexander Shepelev Vladislav Syomin Anatoliy Yelizarov Yegor Zaitsev

FW Andrei Altybarmakyan Georgiy Ivanov Artur Kayumov Vitaliy Kravtsov Mikhail Maltsev Artyom Manukyan Danila Moiseyev Alexei Polodyan Damir Rakhimullin Maxim Rasseikin Ivan Romanov Pavel Shen Marsel Sholokhov Maxim Tsyplakov Danil Veryayev

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[JayZIH]

At first view, the Defense looks bad, i thought that Dronov and Y.Zaitsev were injured.
No Karpukhin, Yakovenko, Shvyryov and Slepets ??? Im surprised

 

[MaxV]

Shvyryov is snubbed again.

I guess Bragin just isn't a fan.

 

[JayZIH]

How many Russian players playing in NA will be added ?
My guess is Kostin, Abramov, Rubtsov, Sokolov and Samorukov..
I hope A.Svechnikov will be back too

 

[MaxV]

How many Russian players playing in NA will be added ?
My guess is Kostin, Abramov, Rubtsov, Sokolov and Samorukov..
I hope A.Svechnikov will be back too

Yeah, that seems about right. Berdin also.

 

[Caser]

At first view, the Defense looks bad, i thought that Dronov and Y.Zaitsev were injured.
No Karpukhin, Yakovenko, Shvyryov and Slepets ??? Im surprised

Defense was expected to be bad, just it is a question if it will be bad or awful (if Dronov and Zaitsev fail to recover in time).

I hoped that Karpukhin will be there, as he was getting good minutes in the VHL. Yakovenko wasn't expected to be there like at all, and Slepets pretty much too.

Shvyryov is snubbed again.

I guess Bragin just isn't a fan.

I think Svyryov is just too one-way for Bragin and you can afford that only if you're Malkin.

How many Russian players playing in NA will be added ?
My guess is Kostin, Abramov, Rubtsov, Sokolov and Samorukov..
I hope A.Svechnikov will be back too

I hope Lipanov is there too, as I'm not a fan of both of Rasseikin and Moiseyev at center. Btw, there is still no confirmation that Kostin will be available.


As for other roster surprises, no Kurashov (I thought he wasn't that worse than others at the Series, but I totally don't miss him), no Kara (also not like he would be irreplaceable). Konovalov is invited, which might make our goalie situation even more interesting, although it's hard to imagine Bragin taking him unless there is an injury or Sukhachyov is having another meltdown. Kravtsov and Shen look to me more as a 'see you next year' guys. Also it is nice to see Sholokhov back in the conversation.

 

[Yakushev72]

The defense pretty much eliminates hope of a Gold or Silver. The team has fewer good defensemen than last year's Bronze Medal team, and no Kaprizov, Polunin or Guryanov to produce offense. This looks like the first team since 2010 that could likely finish without a medal.

 

[RossiyaSport]

I'm probably not even going to watch. IIHF usual bs plus hosting in the US means they are screwed.

 

[malkinfan]

Please no more Sukhachyov, I dont care if he lets no goals in the VHL. Some of the players said in an interview the Super series was below the KHL but above the level of play at the VHL. Canada has some world class shooters that picked apart Sukhachyov. I dont know what type of quality shots he is getting in VHL but I am certain its no where the caliber he will see at the WJC. He has proven garbage at this level, if he is the goalie then the team is toast.

I dont know why we cant be happy with Berdin/Melnichuk, both guys were solid. Maybe take a look at Konovalov for the 3rd guy but please let us not be cursed with Sukachyov.

Difficult to see Kravtsov not making the team at this point.

 

[Caser]

Please no more Sukhachyov, I dont care if he lets no goals in the VHL. Some of the players said in an interview the Super series was below the KHL but above the level of play at the VHL. Canada has some world class shooters that picked apart Sukhachyov. I dont know what type of quality shots he is getting in VHL but I am certain its no where the caliber he will see at the WJC. He has proven garbage at this level, if he is the goalie then the team is toast.

I dont know why we cant be happy with Berdin/Melnichuk, both guys were solid. Maybe take a look at Konovalov for the 3rd guy but please let us not be cursed with Sukachyov.

Difficult to see Kravtsov not making the team at this point.

I don't know, obviously I'm biased, since I've been following Sukhachyov for quite a long time and have had a pretty high opinion of him, but I'm not exactly sure if we should write him down after just two bad games (in I don't even know how many years). Of course, if he is bad again at the camp, I don't have any problems with coaches cutting him.

Kravtsov will face quite a competition if both Kostin and Svechnikov are available.