Igor Bobkov News and Interviews

With a determinated performance and some help from luck, Team Switzerland knocked out Team Russia at the World Junior Championships. The Swiss will face Team Canada tomorrow at the tournament's semi-finals.

This was definitely not Team Russia's best game and it showed already during the first period, in which Plyuschev's team wasn't really dangerous until the sixteenth minute, when Vladimir Tarasenko hit the post after a breakaway launched by a great pass by Maxim Chudinov.

In the second period Igor Bobkov stood up and made some good saves to rescue the result, but after eight minutes Michaël Loichat scored the go-away goal for Switzerland, surprising the crowd at the Credit Union Center in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Team Russia tried to react, failing to capitalize the bigger number of moments. But after a big save by Benjamin Conz on Nikita Filatov something happened for Plyuschev guys.

Maxim Kitsyn got a good puck in the offensive zone and served Tarasenko without thinking twice. The Russian Number 10 lifted the puck over Swiss goalie Benjamin Conz in style and tied it up at the 38th minute.

Just a bunch of seconds later Filatov fed nicely the rushing Kirill Petrov right in front of Conz and that was an easy chance for the Islanders prospect, who scored the go-ahead goal.

In the third period Russia relaxed and controlled the match. Just like last year's during the semifinals, team Russia allowed a key late goal: 2010 eligible Nino Niederreiter fired the puck from the blue line, the shot hit defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and went in past Igor Bobkov, sending the game to the overtime.

Russia controlled the flow of the game for most of the extra period, but there were chances for both teams and Bobkov was rather busy. Once again though team Russia lacked the concentration to finish up the plays and with only twelve seconds to the final horn another shot by Nino Niederreiter has been deflected in and that meant that Russia will have to play for a hugely disappointing fifth place on Monday, while Switzerland will try to surprise Canada too tomorrow in the WJC semi-finals.

With a phenomenal performance and 46 saves, goalkeeper Igor Bobkov left no way out to Finland as they couldn't score for the whole game despite a complete control of the match for more than two periods. Finland's inability to convert chances into goals costed them the game as Team Russia walked away with a comfortable 2-0 win in World Junior Championships' second match. Plyuschev team's now tops Group B ranking, sharing the lead with Sweden, with six points in two matches.

In spite of Bobkov's one-man show, Nikita Filatov has been elected as player of the game for Team Russia. He did play a great game, assisting on Petr Khokhryakov's first goal of the night and scoring himself the second one with a rocket-like shot from the blue line.

Team Russia's start was quite good as they got the go-ahead goal after six minutes only, when Petr Khokhryakov deflected in a superb pass from Nikita Filatov after a quick counterattack sparkled by Kirill Petrov. After this goal they held back and Finland started controlling the game rather easily, but without getting the puck past Bobkov. The referees were busy tonight as they whistled a combined total of 50 penalty minutes and this spoiled the flow of the game especially on the second and third periods.

Midway through the game Nikita Filatov, with the man advantage, made it a 2-0 game with a great blue line shot after a pass by Maxim Chudinov.

The rest of the match was pretty much a Finland vs Bobkov show, with the latter getting the victory, stealing the match for his team with a huge 46 saves performances.

Team Russia's next game is scheduled for tomorrow against Team Sweden.

The roster for the World Junior Championships has been released today by head coach Vladimir Plyuschev and Russian Hockey Federation. Just as usual it looks like that the team's strongest area will be the offensive front, with many high quality forwards. The defense looks a bit thin and there isn't a clear starting goaltender. The team's leader will be Nikita Filatov.

Today coach Vladimir Plyuschev released the extended list of the players called for the WJC. Nikita Filatov is there, as well as Evgeny Grachev, who recently has been ruled out by the Rangers. Kirill Kabanov isn't part of the roster.