Dmitry Orlov: “I still don’t know if I’ll go to the NHL this summer” (Photo © mhl.khl.ru)

During an interview with portal Sport Novokuznetsk, Washington Capitals’ prospect Dmitry Orlov stated that he still doesn’t know where he will spend the 2010-11 season.

Dmitry Orlov: “I still don’t know if I’ll go to the NHL this summer. I still have two more years of contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. I don’t really know, we’ll see what will happen.”

The blue liner, who did skate in last year’s rookie camp with the Capitals, has just been in the roster of the MHL runners-up. The Kuznetsk Bears lost the Russian Junior League finals 3-1 to the Steel Foxes from Magnitogorsk. Playoffs’ top scorer was 2010 eligible Maxim Kitsyn with 20 points in 17 games, while Dmitry Orlov was third in the standings with 19 points (9+10).

Team Russia to face Switzerland in WJC quarterfinals (Photo © fhr.ru)

After finishing the group stage with nine points in four games, Team Russia earned the second seed of the B Group and thus is going to face in the World Junior Championships quarterfinals the third seed of the A group, team Switzerland, who managed to skate past Slovakia 4-1 despite being without their top two defensemen, Luca Sbisa and Roman Josi.

The game is scheduled for Saturday, January 2nd at 4 PM local time.

In the last two group stage games Team Russia faced Team Sweden and Team Czech Republic. The match against Tre Kronor wasn’t good for Plyuschev’s guys, as they were down 2-0 already after the first period. During the second period Team Russia tried to react and scored a goal with Kirill Petrov, but it wasn’t enough as Team Sweden added a further marker in any period to finish the match 4-1.

In the very last group stage match Team Russia downed Team Czech Republic. The game’s breaker was Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored a double and added one assist in Plyuschev’s squad 5-2 victory. Tarasenko himself opened the score in the first period after a beautiful combination between Maxim Trunev and Alexander Burmistrov. Kirill Petrov doubled the advantage for Team Russia in the second period, who allowed a powerplay breakaway to Jan Kana at the thirty-sixth minute that meant the 2-1. The third period was quite until the 54th minute mark, when Stepan Novotny tied up the match.

But less than one minute later Vladimir Tarasenko took control of a loose puck in the neutral zone, launched Maxim Kitsyn, who returned him the puck seconds later. After a couple of strides Tarasenko shoot the puck in and scored with an eye-catching wrist shot.

Team Russia added a couple of goals later, first with Maxim Chudinov and then with Alexander Burmistrov.

The winner of the quarterfinal match will face Team Canada in the semifinals on January 3rd.

WJC Final roster released (Photo © fhr.ru)

On December 25th, Russian national junior team head coach Vladimir Plyuschev named the final roster for the World Junior Championships. He took some drastic decisions as he decided not to call goalkeeper Alexander Pechursky, defenseman Kirill Yuriev, forwards Mikhail Fisenko and Dmitry Kugryshev.

This is how the final roster looks like:

Goalkeepers
Igor Bobkov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 1991
Ramis Sadikov, Erie Otters, OHL, 1991

Defensemen
Anton Klementyev, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL, 1990
Dmitry Orlov, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 1991
Maxim Chudinov, Severstal Cherepovets, 1990
Dmitry Kostromitin, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL, 1990
Nikita Zaitsev, Sibir Novosibirsk, 1991
Nikita Pivtsakin, Avangard Omsk, 1991
Alexander Tarasov, HC MVD, 1990

Forwards
Nikita Filatov, CSKA Moscow, 1990
Alexander Burmistrov, Barrie Colts, OHL, 1991
Vladimir Tarasenko, Sibir Novosibirsk, 1991
Pavel Dedunov, Amur Khabarovsk, 1990
Ivan Telegin, Saginaw Spirit, OHL, 1992
Maxim Kitsyn, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 1991
Maxim Trunev, Severstal Cherepovets, 1990
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Traktor Chelyabinsk, 1992
Evgeny Timkin, Avangard Omsk, 1990
Vyacheslav Kulemin, CSKA Moscow, 1990
Kirill Petrov, Ak Bars Kazan, 1990
Magomed Gimbatov, SKA St. Petersburg, 1990
Petr Khokhryakov, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, 1990

Team Russia’s first match will be played on Boxing Day against Team Austria.

Maxim Kitsyn: “I think I earned a spot for the WJC” (Photo © iihf.com)

2010 NHL Entry Draft Eligible Maxim Kitsyn scored four goals in six matches in the 2009 Subway Superseries. He talked about his performances in this challenge, his impressions of Canada and about his chances in the upcoming WJC in an interview with Sport Novokuznetsk.

RussianHockeyFans.com offers you a translation:

Maxim, could you describe your impressions of your trip to Canada?? Did you have good ice time? With whom did you play?
It was an interesting trip. We didn’t had the time to go out in the cities, but we seen junior teams’ arenas and we even managed to watch two games in Quebec and in Ontario. I played in the first line, but the partners constantly changed. At one moment it was Kirill Petrov, then it was guys who play in Canada. And I’ve spent good time on ice, after all I played on the first line (smiles).

Was it hard to play against Canadians? What can you say about their level of play?
They constantly hold you in tension, there are many fights for the puck. They play pretty well there, facing them is really interesting.

Why team Russia could not win a single match during the Super Series?
You need to finish your chances. If we have managed to score half of them, then the result would have been completely different.

In this tournament, the refereeing was against Team Russia?
My task is to play and not to discuss referees’ conduct. But I’ll say that there were moments in which it was at the same time offensive and laughable. As a matter of fact, the refs punished us, they made up some calls and sometimes they “closed an eye” for the local teams.

What do you remember the most of this trip?
I remember the QMJHL game we seen before the start of the Super Series. It was a match between Drummondville Voltigeurs and Quebec Remparts. Besides, Dmitry Kugryshev plays there. After the first goal scored by the home team, the crowd scattered the ice with toys. And they took some fifteen minutes to be removed.There were many toys. There were still five minutes to play until the end of the period, Quebec’s players even went to the locker room.

What did surprise you more during your trip in Canada, both on and off ice?
On ice almost nothing. Canadians usually play aggressive. Regarding off the ice moments, the locker room in Windsor. It’s possibly three times larger than the one we have at Metallurg Novokuznetsk. I’m not complaining, of course, but in Canada, the attitude towards junior hockey is different than in Russia. I hope that the situation will quickly improve.

What were you doing during your free time?
We weren’t always staying in the city’s centre, there was no special places to go to, only somewhere to sit and eat. During the free time I personally spent almost all my time lying on the bed or watching TV, i didn’t want to go anywhere, haven’t had the forces.

Are you satisfied by your game in the tournament? What did the coaches say to you?
I’d say I played well. It’s really a pity that we couldn’t win even a game. Like when you give out everything, try hard, but it’s not enough anyway. The coach said: “Gear up, there’s not much time”. I think that I showed him enough to be called for the WJC.

What can you say about your stats at the Super Series? Did you finish all your chances?
I was the team’s and even the tournament’s top scorer, but while we played six games, the Canadians just two. I missed some chances, that’s why I was a bit criticized. About this, my coach told me that I need to play more minutes with my KHL club.

Was this roster the best available for Russia?
There were many young players. As I understood, some seven players from this roster should be invited to the next training camp, including two goalkeepers.

Did you talk with Ivan Telegin? What did he say about the OHL?
Of course we talked. We played where his team bases. He likes almost everything in Canada, but he wants to talk only in Russian because he doesn’t know English.

Did these games in Canada give you confidence? Your ice time was much more than that you have in the KHL with Metallurg

It sure did. Playing in the first line or in the fourth it’s completely different. You can play on the powerplays, during the key moments of a game. It’s really important for me, I prefer playing into the opponents’ zone rather than defend.

Are you fully restored after your injury?
The full health doesn’t exist for hockey players, as for sportsmen in general. You heal from a thing and another one strikes back.

Extended WJC roster for Team Russia released (Photo © Shaun Best/Reuters)

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. isn’t part of the roster. The team will start the training camp in Novogorsk on December 7th and will go on until December 18th.

This is how the roster appears to be:

Goalkeepers
Igor Bobkov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, 1992
Alexander Zalivin, Dinamo Moscow, 1991
Ramis Sadikov, Erie Otters, OHL, 1991
Alexei Trifonov, Lada Togliatti, 1990

Defensemen
Anton Klementyev, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 1990
Dmitri Orlov, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 1991
Maxim Chudinov, Severstal Cherepovets, 1990
Dmitri Kostromitin, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL, 1990
Nikita Zaitsev, Sibir Novosibirsk, 1991
Nikita Pivtsakin, Avangard Omsk, 1991
Konstantin Plaksin, Traktor Chelyabinsk, 1990
Alexander Tarasov, HC MVD, 1990
Ildar Isangulov, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, 1992
Kirill Yuriev, Lada Togliatti, 1991
Vyacheslav Voinov, Manchester Monarchs, AHL, 1990
Dmitry Kulikov, Florida Panthers, 1990

Forwards
Nikita Filatov, CSKA Moscow, 1990
Alexander Burmistrov, Barrie Colts, OHL, 1992
Vladimir Tarasenko, Sibir Novosibirsk, 1991
Pavel Dedunov, Amur Khabarovsk, 1990
Ivan Telegin, Saginaw Spirit, OHL, 1992
Maxim Kitsyn, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, 1991
Maxim Trunev, Severstal Cherepovets, 1990
Sergei Plotnikov, Amur Khabarovsk, 1990
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Traktor Chelyabinsk, 1992
Evgeny Timkin, Avangard Omsk, 1990
Vyacheslav Kulemin, CSKA Moscow, 1990
Egor Dugin, Traktor Chelyabinsk, 1990
Kirill Petrov, Ak Bars Kazan, 1990
Magomed Gimbatov, SKA St. Petersburg, 1990
Petr Khokhryakov, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, 1990
Dmitry Kugryshev, Quebec Remparts, QMJHK, 1990
Evgeny Grachev, Hartford Wolf Pack, AHL, 1990