Vyacheslav Bykov: “Sixty percent of today’s roster will play in Sochi” (Photo © RIA Novosti/Vladimir Fedorenko)

After the 2-1 loss to Czech Republic in the 2010 World Championship in Germany, Vyacheslav Bykov gave an interview to the popular Russian website Sovietsky Sport. Bykov stated that the sixty percent of today’s roster will be playin in the 2014 Olympics, talked about his future with the Russian national team, tried to analyze the reasons of the defeat and also talked about the foreigners policy within the KHL.

Bykov: “This was a dramatic game for us, since the first seconds of it. We allowed such an early goal. Fortune smiled our opponents when they needed it more. It took us a lot of time to get a chance to beat the Czech defense. And it wasn’t easy at all. Their goalkeeper [Tomas] Vokoun had a brilliant game. Our players didn’t manage to realize their moments, even if we had not a few of them. But anyway I’ve thanked the guys because they fought till the last second. I’ve told them that the Silver is a product of their hard work and it’s worthy of respect. I express regrets to our fans…we tried hard, but luck wasn’t on our side today.”

What’s next for Team Russia and in particular for its staff?

Bykov: “We arrived here to get a medal, and it looks like we reached our goal. But any medal but the Gold one gives you a bitter taste in the mouth. We are upset. In the first instance we are upset because we couldn’t give joy to our fans. But my future will be discussed by the Russian Hockey Federation and the Minister of Sports.”

Do you want to stay at the head of the national team?

Bykov: “I didn’t think about this yet.”

After the game you got a call from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

Bykov: “He congratulated the team – all the players and the coaches – for the silver medal. He thanked us for the good job. Because we got a decent result. He emphasized that the most important thing is not to get back to the level of the 90s, where Russia rarely got medals. And two golds and a silver in a row it’s not bad, really not bad. He understood that all the players are upset, but he did want to congratulate them all.”

Did the President talk about your future within the national team?

Bykov: “I don’t want to discuss this matter now.”

Today’s defeat in the final match was a casuality due to casual circumstances?

Bykov: “It’s hard to reply to this question. We created scoring chances and our players performed at a good level. We had to score! But we couldn’t…We have to give credit to the Czechs. They deserve the title of World Champions. They had a difficult path through the tournament. They deserved to win.”

This tournament looked a bit like the ones from the 80s, where Swedes, Czechs and Finns played without NHL players. And everyone was expecting the first place from Team Russia. Do you agree?

Bykov: “I don’t want to get involved into polemics concerning other teams. In the 2000 [World Championship in St. Petersburg] we had a line up full of stars and we could only get the 11th place in that home tournament. Why now we try to cancel the merits of the young guys who arrived to the tourney and worn the national team’s jersey? They made their duties of citizens, they gladdened the fans. Why we want to cancel all this?”

Do you think that the second place is your personal failure?

Bykov: “A failure is the eleventh place, as I said earlier. But the second place is surely bitter, because it’s not the first.”

But your roster was considerably stronger than the others.

Bykov: “Do you want me to resign right now?”

Your contract will run out in August.

Bykov: “Then wait till August. Or maybe until the executive committee will take an official decision.”

Will you go there?

Bykov: “If I have to then I’ll go.”

Don’t you think that combining the work with the national team and the work with a KHL club was a wrong decision?

Bykov: “No. Undoubtely no. Absolutely no.”

Do you still have motivations to work with the national team?

Bykov: “I need to sit and think. Even more so that it’s not up to me only, but it’s also up to the federation.”

If you could get back to the start of the tournament and change something, would you correct anything?

Bykov: “I don’t think so. Up to the finals we made the correct steps and we got the results. Even before the final I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Let’s say that [Alexander] Ovechkin didn’t start scoring on the powerplay playing as defenseman.

Bykov: “We are patient. Sooner or later Alex would have scored [this way]. But during this tournament it didn’t happen. Well, our hopes don’t come true every time. But in any case this was a plus for the team. Ovechkin’s appearance in our powerplay put further pressure on the opposition. Well, he had a couple of bad games…But the guys played to win.

Don’t you think that the goalie had some mistakes in the final game? We allowed the first goal too quickly.

Bykov: “No. We had no regrets about letting Semyon [Varlamov]’s play. The goals weren’t his fault.”

How does Fedorov feel?

Bykov: “He picked up a concussion. He doesn’t feel very well. And [Artem] Anisimov has a broken hand. He couldn’t hold the stick even after an injection. Many players played with injuries.”

Some people took off the silver medal immediately after the ceremony. And you arrived to the press conference without it. Maybe the silver medal was so bad that you wanted to put it in the pocket?

Bykov: “Maybe, no…But you can understand us. Our aim was to get the gold medal. We fought hard for it for the whole year. And then it steamed away. Emotions had the best of us. Bitterly…”

Your career with the National Team started with the 2007 World Championship in Moscow, where we got only a bronze medal. Now your team got a silver. What was worse?

Bykov: “Of course, having lost in the finals, you can joke yourself out, for example, say that we are the winners among losers. But for the Russian national team this is sad, especially now.”

Even before the finals you said that the higher level of our rivals is a consequence of their play in the KHL. And the final game confirmed that since goals and assists came only from KHL players.

Bykov: “If the FHR and the KHL don’t reach a mutual understanding then we won’t have hockey anymore in Russia. In the clubs the place of Russians is took by foreigners, teams can already dress six of them, soon going up to seven, without considering Latvians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, which aren’t counted. And what happens? Youngsters will start going away. Simply, there is no space for them in the KHL. Are we going to be better than the NHL soon? Instead of that we’ll be in a hole. Into a very deep hole.

Can you explain us why?

Bykov: “Because then we won’t have home grown players. And without it there is no future for Russian hockey.”

Between the staff of the national team and the KHL there is a dialog or troubled relations?

Bykov: “This is a question for the FHR.”

If the situation doesn’t change then [team Russia’s performance] in Sochi will be under threat?

Bykov: “Undoubtely. Young players that we might want to consider for the 2014 Olympics don’t have space to prove themselves in the KHL. The limit for foreign players needs to be not raised, but diminished, like they did with goalkeepers. They didn’t let foreigners to get signed, and then some talented Russian goalies immediately appeared. Because they got a chance to play and progress. As one of the National Team coaches I say: the number of foreign players must be limited. Or otherwise in the future we will have huge problems. Including Sochi.”

Two young stars were brought – Artem Anisimov and Dmitry Kulikov. Were they called for the future?

Bykov: “Both have a bright future. We know that we needed them to play here in order to get them acquainted with the national team as soon as possible. Sixty percent of today’s roster will play in Sochi. This is clear. But we need more young players. Besides, we are really satisfied by Anisimov and Kulikov’s play with the national team.”

2010 WC: Czech Republic gets the Gold (Photo © REUTERS/Grigory Dukor)

Team Czech Republic won the Gold Medal in the 2010 WC Finals. The Czechs prevailed 2-1 after an early goal by Jakub Klepis assisted by Jaromir Jagr and a marker from Tomas Rolinek late in the second period. Pavel Datsyuk cut down the Czech advantage with a third period goal, but Bykov’s team didn’t manage to revert the score. Surely this wasn’t the best season for Team Russia.

Ovechkin and other Russian players didn’t manage to tie it up despite a couple of powerplay chances in the second half of the first period as Tomas Vokoun played solidly between the pipes. Pavel Datsyuk managed to put the puck in the back of the net during a last second rush, but the clock hit the zero before the puck went in.

During the second period Team Russia pushed the gas trying to tie it up, but without much luck. At the eighteenth minute Ovechkin and Fedorov collided deep in the zone, Karel Rachunek got the puck and brought it up, then centering for the rushing Tomas Rolinek, who deflected the puck in with the skates, but the refs ruled the goal valid.

In the final stanza the Czechs controlled the game and kept playing a slow tempo hockey. Team Russia looked tired and couldn’t build good offensive rushes until a late goal by Pavel Datsyuk with the man advantage and Varlamov sitting on the bench. Bykov’s team kept on pushing, but the clock ran out, gifting Czech Republic a well deserved win.

Semyon Varlamov had a good game between the pipes, with 23 players. But his good performance and a roster with 13 Olympians wasn’t enough to get past a well organized Team Czech Republic.

Alexander Ovechkin: “Jagr made a move to my side and I just hit him” (Photo © Gene J. Puskar, AP)

Team Russia forward Alexander Ovechkin commented on his hit on Jaromir Jagr of the Czech Republic in a game between Russia and Czech Republic at the Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver.

“I see him coming and my first reaction was to play the puck,” Ovechkin said to NHL.com . “He made a move to my side and I just hit him.”

Alexander Ovechkin switched the moment in favor of Russia with a bone crushing, open ice hit on Jaromir Jagr in the first few minutes of the final stanza. The puck then ended up on Alexander Semin’s stick, who served Evgeni Malkin with a great cross ice pass. Malkin one-timed the puck in for the game winning goal in Russia’s 4-2 win over Czech Republic.

Ovechkin told Russian site sports.ru, “I hit Jagr automatically. I’m happy that we managed to score a few seconds later. We hugged each other after the game. Jagr bears no grudge at me. This is hockey, this is the Olympics, anything can happen here.”

After the game Jagr told SovSport, “I wish I had a concussion, I would forget Ovechkin sooner. I don’t think the hit was legal.”

Jagr, quoted by Craig Custance of SportingNews.com, acted like a true teamplayer, not looking for excuses after losing the puck to Russia in the neutral zone. “The hit I don’t really care, the mistake, the turnover I made…that hurts. That hurt me the most.”

Kovalchuk, quoted by Craig Custance, added: “That’s a great hit. It’s a clean hit… It was a big moment for us.”

Video of Ovechkin’s hit on Jagr.

Russia defeats Czech Republic 4-2 (Photo © REUTERS/ Scott Audette)

In the round robin’s last game Team Russia defeated Team Czech Republic 4-2 and got a bye to the quarterfinals as they finished the Group B on the top of the standings with seven points against Czech Republic’s six, Slovakia’s five and Latvia’s zero. Team Russia’s first game of the medal round is scheduled for wednesday.

During the first period of the game the teams are still 0-0. Alexander Ovechkin had a couple of good chances, but Tomas Vokoun saved both attempts. Later on the Russians wasted a powerplay opportunity.

At the fifteenth minute Evgeni Malkin scored the 1-0 goal for Russia tapping in a rebound after a shot from the point by Sergei Gonchar.

At the end of the first period the Czechs tied it up with Tomas Plekanec taking full advantage of a double powerplay.

At the start of the second period Alexander Semin had a great chance during a delayed penalty against the Czechs, but his backhander went wide of the crease despite the open net. In the consequent powerplay Team Russia pressured well the opponents, but without creating havoc.

Five minutes to the second horn Viktor Kozlov broke the tie, scored the 2-1 goal for Russia after a scramble in the high slot.

Later at the end of the second period Sergei Zinoviev suffered from a knee injury after a play on the board caused by Alexander Radulov and had to be helped out of the ice.

Right on the start of the third period team Russia scored the third goal: after a big hit by Ovechkin on Jagr, Alexander Semin run down the left and with a great pass served Malkin right in front of the goalie. One-timer and 3-1.

But the Czech Republic didn’t give up and scored the 3-2 goal with Milan Michalek five minutes to the end of the regulation. The Czechs eventually pulled the goalie, but Pavel Datsyuk scored the emtpy netter with thirteen seconds to go.

“We were hungry for the win after the defeat against Slovakia”, Malkin told Russian TV channel Russia-2 after the game. “All the four lines played very well and I think we got a well deserved win. I like this new line I’m playing in, we are three quick players and we played very well today. We played very actively. Ovechkin played a great game, we really wanted to win. We still make some errors in the defensive zone, we will work on them in the next practices.”

Evgeny Nabokov finished the match with 23 saves.

2010 Olympics: Russia – Czech Republic preview (Photo © Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Team Russia‘s opponent in the third round robin match of the 2010 Olympic Tournament will be team Czech Republic. The Czechs, lead by the evergreen Jaromir Jagr, feature a very good lineup with plenty of NHL caliber players.

Russia has to skate past Czech Republic in order to secure the first seed in the Group B and get a bye into the quarterfinals. The Czechs are on the top of the standings with six points in two games. The Slovaks follow with five points, but they played three games.

Team Russia will try hard to put the 1-2 defeat against Slovakia in the past. “It’s always tough to lose, but it’s good to have it happen now in the tournament,” Alexander Ovechkin told espn.com.

Most likely team Russia’s lineup will undergo many changes. Vyacheslav Bykov will swap Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk. “We try different combinations”, said Bykov to sportbox.ru, “so that it would be possible to vary the lines if necessary.”

With this changes Ovechkin and Malkin will be paired together. “I think that now in our line there will be more speed and physical play”, Ovechkin told Sovietskiy Sport. “We have to play our game and try not to do too much, or we won’t be successfull.”

Evgeny Nabokov is going to get another start after the first win over Latvia, while Sergei Fedorov is going to play after missing a practice.

The puck is going to be dropped at the local 12 AM.

Team Russia latest news: Fedorov misses practice, Kovalchuk out of Malkin’s line, Nabokov to start against Czechs (Photo © Shaun Best, Reuters)

Here is the latest news from the Russian team at the Olympic Games 2010 in Vancouver.

Evgeny Nabokov will start in the game against the Czech Republic
Igor Zakharkin, Russian coach to Pavel Lysenkov of SovSport: “We think that with Nabokov in the net our players feel more confident.”

Sergei Fedorov missed a practice
Zakharkin: “Fedorov has an individual program. But he’s alright, there is no injury.”

New lines in the game against the Czech Republic
Zakharkin: “Maybe we are going to swap the center forwards. We think that Kovalchuk’s efficiency should be higher. We remember what chemistry Malkin and Kovalchuk had at the World Championship 2008, but two years have passed and they are different players now, their styles changed too. There is a bit of imbalance on the Kovalchuk-Malkin-Afinogenov line. We hope to fix it.”

Only first three shootout players were known beforehand in the game against the Slovaks
Zakharkin: “We knew who would have first three shootout attempts, but when it went on… Bykov has a good intuition, but this time it didn’t work. We hoped that the game wouldn’t get to the shootout. Now we are going to make a list of players beforehand.”

New power play lines
According to Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express, the new power play lines look like this:
1. Alexander Ovechkin – Pavel Datsyuk – Evgeni Malkin, Kovalchuk – Gonchar
2. Alexander Semin – Viktor Kozlov – Alexander Radulov, Andrei Markov – Ilya Nikulin.
Ovechkin and Radulov were positioned in front of the goalie, screening him.

Update: Team Russia’s coaches swap Malkin with Datsyuk
According to sports.ru, the new top two lines look like this:
1. Alexander Ovechkin – Evgeni Malkin – Alexander Semin, Sergei Gonchar – Fedor Tyutin.
2. Ilya Kovalchuk – Pavel Datsyuk – Maxim Afinogenov, Konstantin Korneev – Denis Grebeshkov.
The other two lines remain the same:
3. Alexei Morozov – Sergei Zinoviev – Danis Zaripov, Ilya Nikulin – Andrei Markov.
4. Viktor Kozlov – Sergei Fedorov – Alexander Radulov, Dmitriy Kalinin – Anton Volchenkov.

Translation by RussianHockeyFans.com