Nikolai Kulemin News and Interviews

Team Russia defeated team Finland 5-0 in the last Qualification Group game of the 2010 World Championship. Alexander Ovechkin ended his goal streak.

Team Finland started well the first period, putting a lot of pressure over Varlamov. But despite a long 5-on-3 chance with Alexei Emelin and Dmitry Kulikov in the penalty box, the Finns didn't manage to score. With the teams back on even strength Kulikov had a good chance getting out of the sin bin, but he was hooked down by a defenceman, thus drawing a penalty for Bykov's team. On the consequent man advantage team Russia cycled well the puck, but couldn't get it into Vehanen's net.

Alexei Kovalev, Alexander Frolov, Sergei Zubov and Nikolai Kulemin are going to the Olympic Games in Vancouver as substitutes for the Russian team.

It is not officially announced yet but according to Russian site infox.ru Kovalev, Frolov, Zubov and Kulemin have received the Olympics equipment as well as other players from the official Team Russia roster. It means they are going to the Olympics in the status of substitute players.

Overall Russia will have 9 substitute players, three from the NHL and six from the KHL.

The list of Russian Olympics substitute players

NHL
1. Alexei Kovalev, Ottawa Senators
2. Alexander Frolov, Los Angeles Kings
3. Nikolai Kulemin, Toronto Maple Leafs

KHL
4. Vasiliy Koschechkin, Metallurg Magnitogorsk
5. Alexander Eremenko, Salavat Yulaev
6. Sergei Zubov, SKA St. Petersburg
7. Vitaliy Proshkin, Salavat Yulaev
8. Oleg Tverdovskiy, Salavat Yulaev
9. Alexei Tereschenko, Ak Bars

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Russian NHL forward Nikolai Kulemin of the Toronto Maple Leafs is improving and even if his point production is not very high, he finds other ways to contribute to the team's success.

"Kulemin has been one of our better forwards," said Leaf coach Ron Wilson to Toronto Star. "He doesn't get many points, but he forechecks well. He did a great job on the penalty kill, and he made a great play on the winning goal."

In a Tuesday game against the Florida Panthers Kulemin assisted to Alexei Ponikarovsky on the game winning goal doing most of the grunt work.

"Obviously, he had a full head of steam," Ponikarovsky told Toronto Star. "I knew he was going to get there first, so I just went to the net and hollered at him.

"[Kulemin] is a hard-working player and a pretty good skater. When he's going, the other team has got to trip him or do something to stop him. He's got a lot of moves."

Kulemin's improvement can be partially attributed to his English getting better.

"Coach wants us to play hard and I try to do that,” Kulemin said to Toronto Star. “It’s easy for me. I understand more English."

In 39 National Hockey League games for the Leafs Kulemin registered 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points, a -4 rating, 62 shots on goal and 14:56 average time on ice.

Kulemin wasn't included in the Russian Hockey Olympics 2010 roster.