KHL, NHL, Russian Prospects and Team Russia

After the defeat against Team Sweden in the 2010 U18 WJC semifinals, Team Russia lost the third place to Finland losing the bronze medal game 5-1.

Team Finland got the lead only during the second period with a goal by Teemu Pulkkinen, then in the third period they scored four unanswered goals (with Pulkkinen getting the hat trick) to get a five goals lead.

Team Russia lost the nerves and at the 57th minute a fight broke out and six players were sent off, three for Finland, Hovinen, Partanen and Moisio, while for Russia Nikita Nesterov, Zakhar Arzamastsev and Maxim Shalunov.

On the 58th minute team Russia scored the consolation goal with Emil Galimov.

"I have no claims toward players", declared team Russia's head coach Mikhail Vasiliev, who once again iced 15-years old Andrei Vasilevski between the pipes.

Team USA won their second straight Gold Medal after defeating Team Sweden 3-1 in the April 23rd final. Team Russia captain Evgeny Kuznetsov has been included into the tournament's All-Star team.

During an interview with popular Russian website Sovietskiy Sport Nikita Filatov, currently playing for CSKA and who recently got a call from Russian national team, talked about his future, about NHL players' participation to the Olympics and about the upcoming season.

Nikita Filatov: "I am determined to return to the NHL next year. Surely the salaries are better in the KHL, but overseas the level of play is higher. I'll try to make the first team in the NHL. And I'll try getting on the roster for the World Championships too.

I don't really think that NHL players won't come to Sochi for the 2014 Olympic Games. The best players in the world want to play there. And no one can force them out."

In the 2010 U18 WJC's fourth game Team Russia defeated Team Slovakia 3-1. Thanks to this result Vasiliev's team clinched the second spot in the Group B standings and will face Team Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

Team Russia scored all three goals with defensemen and interestingly all the game's goals have been scored in the first period. Team Russia got the early lead on the first shift with 93-born blue liner Nikita Nesterov. After five minutes third line defenseman Efim Gurkin made it a 2-0 game for Russia. At the fifteenth minute Tomas Matousek cut down Russia's lead by one goal, but less than three minutes later Efim Gurkin scored again and restored Russia's two-goal lead.

In the second and third period Team Russia controlled the game. Goalie Sergei Kostenko finished the game with 19 saves. Team Russia's next game will be played on Tuesday, as said, against Switzerland. Just like at the U20 WJC. The winner will face Team Sweden on Wednesday.

In the third match of the 2010 U18 WJC Team Russia lost to Finland 4-5. Markus Granlund opened the score after less than two minutes in the first period, but Emil Galimov made it an 1-1 game just before the first horn.

In the second period Finland got a quick two goals lead thanks to two goals by Teemu Pullkinen. After Finland's third goal, head coach Mikhail Vasiliev swapped goalie Sergei Kostenko for Andrei Vasilevski.

In the third period Russia tried hard to get back on track and it paid off when captain Evgeny Kuznetsov cut down the opponents' lead spoiling a mistake by a defenseman midway through the latest stanza. Two minutes later center Vladislav Namestnikov scored the game tying goal. But it didn't last long as Makinen scored another goal that allowed the Finns to go ahead. Later on Vasiliev called the goalie on the bench, but Finland scored the 5-3 on the empty net with Asten. Russia added another goal at the 59th minute with Sergei Barbashev, but it was too late and the game thus ended 5-4.

Team Russia's next match will be played on Sunday against Slovakia.

In the second day of the 2010 U18 WJC Team Russia faced Team Latvia and easily beaten them with a score of 9-0. Head Coach Mikhail Vasiliev decided to give Sergei Kostenko a rest and thus 94-born Andrei Vasilevski started between the pipes.

In the first period team Russia got the early lead with young defenseman Nikita Nesterov during a powerplay. Two minutes later, at the seventh minute, Vladislav Namestnikov gave team Russia a two goals lead.

In the second period team Russia pushed the gas and scored four unanswered goals. Team Russia's captain Evgeny Kuznetsov made it a 3-0 game, then Namestnikov added other two goals to complete his hat-trick. After the fifth goal Latvia changed the goalie and iced Kristers Gudlevskis, but after seven minutes Grigori Zheldakov scored once again to put Russia up by six goals. Namestnikov assisted this powerplay goal.

On the third period Kuznetsov scored other two goals and got a hat-trick too giving Russia a 8-0 lead. 93-born Maxim Shalunov at the fifty-seventh scored the ninth goal of the game.

Vasilievski finished the match with 18 saves.

Team Russia won its 2010 U18 WJC inaugural match against Czech Republic with a comfortable 4-1 score. Sergei Barbashev opened the score after Vasiliev's team killed a penalty whistled against Roman Berdnikov. On the last minutes of the first period team Russia had a powerplay, but they weren't able to score.

Midway through the second period 93-born Maxim Shalunov doubled the score for Team Russia, but Michal Vacovek made it a 1-2 game at the thirty-ninth minute of play.

In the third period defenseman Viktor Antipin restored team Russia's two goal lead during a double powerplay, then center Vladislav Namestnikov sealed the deal with a goal at the fifty-seventh minute.

Team Russia's star of the tournament is supposed to be Evgeny Kuznetsov (pictured), who got an injury during the second period. Sergei Kostenko of Metallurg Novokuznetsk was the starting goalkeeper and finished the game with 14 saves.

On the other today's games, Switzerland surprised Canada 3-1, Finland defeated Latvia 7-2 and the USA lost to Sweden 2-4. Team Russia's next game will be tomorrow against Latvia and then on Friday against Team Finland.

Kirill Petrov of Ak Bars Kazan was invited to New York Islanders' rookie camp. The 20 years old player will most likely leave the KHL this summer and will report to North America, according to Petrov's agent Vyacheslav Makhrensky.

Petrov was U20 team Russia's top scorer at the latest WJC. He's got little chances with Ak Bars this year and he has been demoted down to Kazan's affiliates in the Russian First League, Neftyanik Almetievsk. In the KHL he played only eight regular season games, without getting any point.

Swedish players Johan Harju and Linus Omark decided to leave KHL and Dynamo Moscow. Both players had an out clause in their contract after the first season and they decided to use it.

"I was happy about the KHL, but one season is enough", Johan Harju told Aftonbladet. "Not everything went according to my plans. There was the possibility to walk away from the contract with Dynamo after the first season and I decided to do so. I can't say anything about my future right now, we'll see."

Harju finished the season with four goals and 18 points in 55 regular season games, while he scored one goal in two playoff clashes. Omark scored more in the regular season, 20 goals and 36 points, but was pointless in the post season.

During an interview with Sovietskiy Sport Jaromir Jagr declared that he would like to spend another season with Avangard Omsk.

Jaromir Jagr: "I really love Omsk and its inhabitants, their character. Maybe it's strange to hear this from a Czech, and they won't believe me. But I like everything here. I would like to stay in Russia, but I want to get something serious next year. My career will be over soon and thus I can't waste my chances. I wanted to win something with Avangard, but we couldn't.

This is my fault too. I never blame others. I've always hoped that if I would be playing well, then also other players would perform better. I'm not looking for other teams now. I would like to stay in Avangard, but it's not up to me only. I still don't know about my future. I believe that God will help me in getting another chance.

I don't think about the money, that's for my agent. But I will understand if Avangard will reduce its budget. We didn't play like we should. Who can pay big salaries to players which don't give results on ice?"

All quotes translated by RussianHockeyFans.com

After the reported interest in Evgeny Bodrov, the Philadelphia Flyers seems to be going after young goalie Sergei Bobrovsky of Metallurg Novokuznetsk, as per Sport-Express.

Bobrovsky, 21, spent his entire career with Metallurg Novokuznetsk and is the team's starter goalie for the past three seasons and he always had a saves percentage of more than .900. Playing for one of the weakest KHL teams he faced every night a good amount of shots and showed that he can deal well with pressure.

In his career Bobrovsky represented Russia at the 2008 WJC and at the 2007 Super Series against Canada. His contract will run out in April and the Flyers will have to work hard to secure him as surely most of the top KHL teams are going to offer him good deals. SKA St. Petersburg were among them.

Evgeny Bodrov of the Ak Bars Kazan might be under the radar of the Philadelphia Flyers, as reported by Tatar-Inform. The Flyers signed Evgeny's brother, Denis Bodrov, on the last January.

Bodrov started the season with Lada Togliatti, then was traded to the Ak Bars Kazan when the season was still young. He scored a total of 25 points this season, with eight goals and 17 assists. He won the bronze medal at 2008 WJC.

He is a center who plays hard and is good on the face-off dots. He has a very good technique and stickhandling, as well as good skating abilities. He plays with poise. Bodrov's contract is set to expire in April 2011.

Andrei Nazarov, head coach of the Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, invited Vyacheslav Voinov and Evgeni Dadonov to get back to their mother club during an interview with Sport-Express.

Andrei Nazarov: "Both Evgeni Dadonov and Vyacheslav Voinov have a valid contract with Traktor and, according to KHL rules, we hold rights on them. I was really upset when they left for North America and didn't get an NHL spot. We had the chance to get them back through the court's decision, but we decided not to harm the players' careers. But now there is such a scenario in which it would be better for them and for their development to get back to Traktor in the KHL."

- Did you already talk to them?
Andrei Nazarov: "It's all up to the players' wish. Dadonov would be capable of scoring more than 20 goals a season in the KHL, just like our team's top scorers Evgeny Skachkov and Oleg Kvasha. I see both Voinov and Dadonov as key members of Traktor."

All quotes translated by RussianHockeyFans.com