Team Russia head coach Vyacheslav Bykov in an interview to Sport-Express explained why he didn't invite Alexei Yashin to the national team.
Bykov: "Why didn't we include Yashin in our Olympics' candidate list? We need different energy from the one he displayed in the Eurotour, where he disappointed us. We have no conflicts with Alexei. I know that it made him feel bad but that's life."
Most likely Yashin won't play at the Olympics in Vancouver.
Translated by RussianHockeyFans.com
Team Russia head coach Vyacheslav Bykov had an interview with Sport-Express in which he discussed many things about the Olympics and the Russian national team.
RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of the most important parts:
- I think that among the top teams only Finland has little pressure. The Americans will try hard to show that they aren't inferior to Canada and thus they'll do all the possible to disappoint their neighbors. Pressure on the Canadians is heavy, since they play at home and they got to the last two WC finals. It's heavy also on Sweden, because they the reigning Olympic champions. Czech Repubblic will have to deal with pressure too, they didn't manage to repeat their Nagano triumph and people still haven't forget it. People will demand a lot from us too. In this sense probably Team Finland can play more quitely. But everything depends not on the pressure itself, but on how you can deal with it.
-Would you call the silver medal a failure?
Absolutely. Anyone who goes to the Olympics want to get the Gold.
Russia's opponents in the preliminary round at the Olympic Games in Vancouver will be the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia.
Games schedule:
Tuesday, 16 February. Russia - Latvia.
Thursday, 18 February. Slovakia - Russia.
Sunday, 21 February. Russia - Czech Republic.
After stating that the Olympic starter should be Evgeny Nabokov, team Russia assistant coach Igor Zakharkin makes an u-turn and says that the first goalie will be known in February only.
Russian Hockey Fans offers you a translation of an interview with Sovietskiy Sport interview in with Zakharkin speaks about goalies' chances and about Ovechkin's need not to change his style.
In this interview with Sovietskiy Sport, Team Russia's assistant coach Igor Zakharkin stated that Evgeny Nabokov will most likely be the starting goalkeeper in Vancouver. He also indicated that they plan to reunite the famous ZZM (Zaripov, Zinoviev, Morozov) line.
- Did you have talks with Evgeny Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov? Did you talk with Evgeny Nabokov and Ilya Bryzgalov? Who of them will have to be a backup goalie and resign himself to this decision?
- There can't be two first goalies in a game and there is no doubt that Evgeny Nabokov should be the starter. He's a great goalkeeper with undeniable qualities. He excellently commands the defense. He’s a player with a winning soul who can turn up the team’s spirit. All this makes in my sight Evgeny Nabokov a first goalie.
Former Russian superstar Pavel Bure shared his view on the upcoming Olympic games in an interview with Chris Johnston of the Canadian Press. After scoring nine goals in the 98's edition, adding a bronze medal in Salt Lake City 2002 and serving as GM in Turin, he's going to simply sit on the stands for the 2010 Olympic Games.
I think [the Olympic tournament] is the best. All of the best superstars can go and participate, that’s why it’s really hard to win this tournament. All the teams are pretty even. You need a little bit (of) luck in this tournament and all the games are really important because you lose one game and you’re out. It’s really interesting for fans and it’s a great promotion for hockey in general around the globe.
[I'm doing] no predictions. There’s probably going to be like six or eight teams that can go all the way. Eight teams will be in the quarter-finals, anything can happen. There’s possibly going to be some huge upsets. You never know, that’s why it’s interesting.
You know you don’t have too many chances to go there. Maybe like once in a lifetime. You never know what’s going to happen in the future - maybe the NHL won’t let the players go to Olympic Games, that’s why it’s the opportunity of your life.
"The Russians will enter the tournament with the two best players in the world (or two of the top three, at worst, if you wish to include Sidney Crosby in the mix with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin). And it's a known fact that Ovechkin jersey brings luck to team Russia.
In addition to Alex the Great and Geno, Team Russia also features two other all-world goal-scorers in Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Semin. Both are a danger to find the back of the net every shift and are superior to any one pure-sniper option Canada has to offer.
It’s not as though the Russian squad will be top heavy, either. Beyond the aforementioned four, there are plenty of players both in the NHL (Alexei Kovalev, Alexander Frolov, Slava Kozlov, Maxim Afinogenov, Sergei Samsonov) and Kontinental League (Alexei Yashin, Alexei Morozov, Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Radulov, Maxim Sushinskiy, Nikolai Zherdev) to fill out the other nine forward spots.
The ‘D’ is nothing to sneeze at, either.
Last time I checked, the team that scores the most goals still wins the game and, for my money, that team will be Russia" - said The Hockey News' editor Edward Fraser in his own blog.
