Tag: Maxim Afinogenov News and Interviews

May182010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

2010 WC: Russia trumps Finland 5-0

2010 WC: Russia trumps Finland 5-0 (Photo © REUTERS/Grigory Dukor) 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. At the sixteenth minute team Russia scored the first goal of the game: the puck moved fast from...

May62010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

2010 WC: Russian preliminary roster is out

Russian National Hockey Team News

2010 WC: Russian preliminary roster is out (Photo © Sport-Express) Team Russia released the preliminary roster for the upcoming 2010 World Championship, that will be played in Germany from May 7th to 23rd.. Bykov and Zakharkin made some changes from the LG Hockey Games line-up. The roster is made up of 11 NHL players and 12 KHL players. The team's captain isn't decided yet. Most likely the starting goaltender duties will be shared between Eremenko and Varlamov, with Koshechkin acting as third goalie. Goalkeepers: Alexander Eremenko (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) Vasily Koshechkin (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) Semyon Varlamov (Washington Capitals) Defencemen: Konstantin Korneev (CSKA Moscow) Vitaly Atyushov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) Dmitriy Kalinin (Salavat Yulaev Ufa) Ilya Nikulin (Ak Bars Kazan) Alexei ...

Mar32010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

2010 Olympics: Team Russia aftermath

Russian National Hockey Team News

2010 Olympics: Team Russia aftermath (Photo © sovsport.ru) The 2010 Olympic Hockey Tournament has probably been the biggest disappointing ever for Team Russia. The early quarterfinal elimination against Team Canada was the worst result ever. As soon as the tournament was over for Russia, we published the Top 5 reasons for this fail, now RussianHockeyFans.com judged all the players on the roster. Goalkeepers Ilya Bryzgalov: B+ He played a good game against Slovakia, but he got a L and thus he got benched in the following matches. He should have get more chances. Evgeny Nabokov: D In the first match against Latvia he didn't look too good, but it was an easy game. Against the Czechs he did his job, but in the quarterfinals he had just a terrible night. He should have been benched earlier. He...

Feb242010 by Gary Laws6 Comments

Canada defeats Russia 7-3

Russian National Hockey Team News

Canada defeats Russia 7-3 (Photo © Alex Livesey/Getty Images) Team Russia lost 7-3 to Team Canada in the 2010 Olympic Tournament's quarterfinal. A goal by Ryan Getzlaf gave the Canadians an early lead. Team Russia didn't use a powerplay chance and Dan Boyle made it a 2-0 game at the twelfth. Rick Nash scored the 3-0 goal some seconds later with a quick counterattack. But the Russians didn't give up and with a blue line shot by Dmitriy Kalinin cut down Canada's lead after fourteen minutes. After a good scoring chance wasted by Ilya Kovalchuk, Brendan Morrow restore Team Canada's three-goal lead with less than two minutes to go in the first period. In the second period Canada scored two quick goals with Corey Perry and Shea Weber, and Bykov decided to bench Nabokov in favor of Ilya Bryzgalo...

Feb162010 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Semin, Kovalchuk-Malkin-Afinogenov and other lines at Team Russia practice

Russian National Hockey Team News

Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Semin, Kovalchuk-Malkin-Afinogenov and other lines at Team Russia practice (Photo © Reuters) The Russian team practiced for the second time in Vancouver. According to the Russian channel "Russia 2" the lines were: Ovechkin - Datsyuk - Semin, Grebeshkov - Korneev. Kovalchuk - Malkin - Afinogenov, Gonchar - Tyutin. Zaripov - Zinoviev - Morozov, Markov - Nikulin. Radulov - Fedorov - Kozlov, Kalinin - Volchenkov. "I was sure that our line would look like that", said Evgeni Malkin to Russia 2. "I agree with the coaches, it's an optimal combination". "I supposed that our line would look like that because we played together during the Olympic camp", Ilya Kovalcuk told Russia 2. "It is a good, interesting and dynamic line. I think if we try hard we can be very useful to the team....

Dec252009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Russian Olympics roster released

Russian National Hockey Team News

Russian Olympics roster released (Photo © vancouver2010.com) The official Russian Hockey Federation site has released Team Russia's roster for the Olympics in Vancouver. Goalkeepers Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks, NHL Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Semyon Varlamov, Washington Capitals, NHL Defencemen Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Ilya Nikulin, Ak Bars, KHL, Dmitriy Kalinin, Salavat Yulaev, KHL Konstantin Korneev, CSKA, KHL, Denis Grebeshkov, Edmonton Oilers, NHL Fedor Tyutin, Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Anton Volchenkov, Ottawa Senators, NHL Forwards Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Sergei Fedorov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers, NHL Maxim Afinogenov, Atlanta...

Dec232009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Andrei Markov and Maxim Afinogenov like to joke

Russian Players In NHL

Andrei Markov and Maxim Afinogenov like to joke (Photo © allhockey.ru) Habs' Andrei Markov and Thrashers' Maxim Afinogenov liked joke when they played for Dynamo Moscow of the KHL in the 2004/05 season, according to their former partner Yakov Rylov. Rylov gave an interview to Russian site sports.ru where he recollected some stories with Markov and Afinogenov. RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation of some parts of the interview. "Once Max Afinogenov made a bad pass and [Dynamo's head coach] Krikunov exclaimed: "What are you, blind?". The following day the team gathered in a room for the game analysis. Max took a seat in the first row and put on strong glasses. You know, the ones that enlarge your eyes considerably. Krikunov came in and started laughing. At one moment there were r...

Nov252009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

Afinogenov is back to his old production

Russian Players In NHL

Afinogenov is back to his old production (Photo © Curtis Compton/Ajc.com) Darryl Dobbs, a popular The Hockey News writer, wrote on his blog about Maxim Afinogenov's very good start this year in a new scenario, opposed to the last two years' bad numbers. The Moscow native signed this summer a one year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers worth a relative low amount of $800,000. The shifty Russian had 134 points in 133 games for the Sabres between 2005 and 2007. In 2007-08, he was pretty much a write-off due to injury and then last campaign he got off to a slow start. In this case, Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff didn’t have a whole lot of patience. And who would? Afinogenov was coughing up the puck on a regular basis and was also snake-bitten in the scoring department. Things are different in Atlanta...

Nov222009 by Gary LawsNo Comments

KHL » Barry Melrose: “Filatov came to the NHL too early”

KHL News and Interviews

Barry Melrose: "Filatov came to the NHL too early" (Photo © Doug Benc, Getty Images) In this translated interview with Telekanal Sport by Vladimir Italyantsev, Barry Melrose, former NHL head coach and now TSN analyst, talks about Filatov's career in the NHL, about the reasons of his return in Russia and tried shading a light over Nikita's future. - What do you think about Filatov's decision to return to Russia? - I think it's not a thoughtful act from his side. But what is even harder to understand is why Columbus signed this player at all. With Ken Hitchcock as coach it's very tough for finesse players like Filatov to make the team. - But what about Rick Nash, another finesse player? - Nash is bigger and he can hit. This is not what you can say about Filatov. To tell you more, Columbus i...