Did Russia Blow a Golden Opportunity to Win?

[Planet Hockey]

When the score was tied late in the 3rd period and it was obvious a 0-0 deadlock could result in OT, why didn't Russia simply "lock" its wings and go into the same shut-down defense mode Finland was in?

Team Russia hasn't played 3-on-3 at this WC but I'm sure they practice it plenty. I feel that the Russian 3-on-3 would have been as deadly as a normal Worlds team's 4-on-3.

And even if Finland somehow, someway managed to stave off 10 minutes of the best 9-12 Russian skaters in 3-on-3, I like my chances with Russia in the shoot-out too.

Why didn't Vorobiev realize his best shot was to put Finland in the same OT dilemma Germany fell to in Korea? Russia appeared to keep pressing and getting reckless when Finland should have been the desperate team, because 3-on-3 would have been a big-time bummer for them.

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[Eye of Ra]

sweden, usa, russia all did bad

 

[mattihp]

How do you get a russian team to play tight team defense without Tikhonov?

The guns and the sheer horrifying offense is their weapon.

 

[hyperion]

Yeah. I don't think Russian team would do that defense so well. It would have been a game of bad defense vs good defense at that point, giving edge to Finland. Russia decided to play good offense vs good defense which makes more sense. I think.

 

[Monaakko]

1) Russias lack of focus on defence wasn't the problem, it was their lack of offensive synergy and aggression. The only players that showed any sort of drive prior to Finland scoring were Kaprizov and Ovechkin and Ovechkin for the most part was a solo performance.
2) Having Ovechkin, Malkin, Dadonov and company playing lock down defence is misusing the talent on the roster.
3) Finland wasn't exactly playing lock-down defence. Sure they played competent defence and prevented Russia from breaking into the slot, but they weren't passive without the puck, just look at the forecheck leading to the goal.

 

[Peter25]

The coach should have left Kovalchuk, Ovechkin and possibly Anisimov out of the team and went with guys such as Plotnikov, Barabanov and Tkachyov.

I just saw it from the first game that Ovechkin and Kovalchuk will kill any chance for this team to win. They play a combined 30 minutes per game which meant that Russia had to play half a game without cohesive offense and defense.

 

[NyQuil]

Yes.

So did Canada, I suppose, but this seemed like a pretty stacked Russian squad.

 

[Madifer]

Russia had by far the best team during this competition. But as always, their coach was poor.