Russia's head coach, Mikhail Varnakov, let it be known after the 7-0 thrashing of Germany that his team is not afraid of the big, bad Canadians.
Varnakov, speaking with Sport Express, also defended his captain Nail Yakupov's comments that Canada plays a dirty style of hockey. The former OHL super star (Sarnia Sting) made his infuriating comments the week before the WJCs began in Ufa, Russia on Boxing Day.
Here's Varnakov, throwing gasoline on the fire:
- You do not mind that Shalunov was suspended for one match for a dangerous game high sticking, and the Canadian received the same punishment for an elbow in the face? -
- I do not understand why. If you recall, yesterday was another Canadian was a fine match, but this episode disciplinary commission not even considered. I think this is wrong, and it was necessary to punish both. And the sanctions should not have been limited to the omission of one match.
- And how our team is the case with psychological readiness? Also in yesterday's match Canada - Slovakia European team full game to do better, but could not stand the pressure of Canadians, was rude in response and missed an advantage ...
- At least the experience of playing in such conditions there is the coaching staff. We have behind them many various games with Canada. And in those days we called did not ask for it and be patient.
- In Canada, the very words stung by Yakupov, who said that the Canadians are playing dirty hockey. Not afraid to face the December 31 "best" examples of this style?
- What should we fear? Let the show that they want and they can, and we present their arguments. A Nail-headed guy, he's our captain, and understands that it is necessary to suffer and act only for the good of the team. After all, he is a fighter and he can force the fight. Just need to share the power of hockey fights.
- It is important to take first place in the group, or better to play in the quarter, not to drop out of the game rhythm?
- It is important to win every match. If victory gives first place in the group - so be it.
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Makarov is the likely started for Russia vs. Canada on New Year's Eve, a game that Russia forward Kosov has called "a war".
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Russia forwrad Daniil Zharkov plays with Canada goalie Malcolm Subban at the OHL Belleville Bulls.
Zharkov can't wait to face his team mate on New Year's Eve.
"A great goalkeeper. Cool guy. And a very nice dancer", Zharkov deadpanned after the 7-0 Russia trouncing of Germany.
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I know where I'll be on New Year's Eve. I'll park my carcass in front of the big screen so that I won't miss one minute of the soon-to-be epic Russia-v-Canada game.
Yaroslav Kosov scored a third-period hat trick and four teammates had two points (Grigorenko with two assist). Andrei Vasilevski went the distance, pitching the shutout in goal. Nail Yakupov busted his slump with a goal and an assist.
Props to German goalie Martin Cupper for withstanding an avalanche of vulcanized Russian rubber. His German squad was no match for the skating and stick skills of the bigger Russians.
Here's the up-to-the minute WJC tournament standings:
The Russians get a needed break, after playing three games in the past four days. They will rest until their soon-to-be epic New Year’s Eve grudge match vs. Canada, a game that might well decide first place in Group B (depending on the Canada-United States result tomorrow). Memories of Canada's infamous third period collapse in Buffalo at the 2011 WJCs will no doubt have top of mind awareness for Canada. This game has revenge written all over it.
Andrei Vasilevski posted a 41 save shoutout vs. Germany.
Sabre prospects, Andrey Makarov was given the day off vs. Germany today.
He made 41 sterling silver saves vs. USA to preserve Russia's 2-1 win on Friday.
@Makki1993 will likely start Russia's next game. Russian coach, Mikhail Varnakov, likes to rotate his goalies. Vasilevski was given the Germany game so that Makarov would be available to face the more formidable Canadians.
More on the Russian goalie situation later today.
Earlier this month, I shocked a few people by proclaiming that Mikhail Grigorenko is one of, if not the hottest hockey player in the world right now. Some snickered, some jeered me. Others agreed.
I'll say it again with empahsis:
Mikhail Grigorenko is the hottest hockey player in the world as we speak.
Grigo has been Russia's best player at the WJCs in Ufa, Russia. He's the most complete player in this short tourney. he's won faceoffs, made excellent pass palys, has screened goalies, set picks for line mates, cycled the puck, and generally been a thorn in th eside of his opponents with his skill and skating.
In today's game against Germany, Grigo fed a sweet pass to Nikita Kucherov for the game's first goal at 1:19 of the first period.
Thanks Kris Baker and sabresprospects.com
This kid is on fire right now. His confidence has never been higher.
Grigo also assisted on the game's fourth goal, a PP bomb by Yarullin. Grigo softly sent a saucer to the point where Yarullin blasted it past German tendy, Martin Cupper.
He's all yours, Sabres fans!
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I'll provide af ull preview of Russia-v-Canada later.
Enjoy your day and thanks for reading!
Photos courtesy of IIHF, Russian Ice Hockey Federation
Cody Hodgson scored a pair of goals for the second consecutive game and David Leggio turned in a brilliant 36-save performance as the Rochester Americans cruised to a 4-1 win over the Lake Erie Monsters in front of a record-setting crowd of 19,070 Friday night at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo. The game was a great diversion for the Sabres fans in the building, considering they haven't seen a live hockey game since the Amerks last played the Hamilton Bulldogs there back in October. To say that diehard Sabres fans are starving for hockey is the understatement of the century.
Its worth noting that on Friday morning the NHL owners made their best offer to date to the NHLPA in an attempt to end the 100+ day old NHL lockout. Its fitting that Hodgson has upped his game in the month of December. CoHo was forced to sit out six weeks ( missed 10 games) of meaningful hockey due to the broken bone in his right wrist that he suffered back on October 27 vs. Adirondack. He attempted to play through the pain, however, he could not. He was forced to sit and watch his Amerks team mates struggle to find consistency on a nightly basis.
His four goals in the past two games may be more of the rule than the exception. You see, Hodgson is an above average scorer as well as relaible playmaker. When healthy, the sky is the limit for CoHo.
thanks, amerks.com
Fan expecations of Hodgson have been high since he was acquired from Vancouver with Alexander Sulzer in exchange for Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani, 2/27/12.
Hodgson finished the 2011-12 regular season recording eight points on three goals and five assists in 20 appearances with the Sabres. He appeared in an NHL-record 48 road games, breaking previous NHL record (47) held by Darryl Sydor and Niklas Hagman. He was one of 16 rookies selected to participate in the 2012 NHL All-Star weekend. The Sabres were 12-5-3 with Hodgson in the lineup. Hodgsin led all NHL rookies with seven power-play goals. He recorded seven points (3+4) in five games from 3/19 to 3/27. He scored his first two goals with the Sabres (his second career multi-goal game), including the game-winning tally, vs. Montreal on 3/21. He registered his first assist and first multi-point game with the Sabres with two assists at Tampa Bay on 3/19. He was named NHL Rookie of the Month for January.
Hodgson has the goods to be the #1 centre that the Sabres have craved since Drury and Briere skated out of town six and a half seasons ago. Has it really been that long??!!
The Sabres are in need of a true #1 centre, and the general concensus around Buffalo is that Hodgson is the right man for the job. Right now, Lindy Ruff is doodling line combos on a legal pad in anticipation of the end of the NHL lockout. When the doors to training camp open in the next week and a half, the Sabres will be putting their players through an abbreviated training camp. The one thing that the Sabres need more than anything else right now is a pivot to get the puck to Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. It appears that Hodgson is going to be the man for the job. He's healthy and productive. He skated well and makes plays. He plays PP and PK. Tyler Ennis has carved out a niche for himself between Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno. Russian rookie rockstar, Mikhail Grigorenko, will be flying back Quebec City for the remainder of the Remparts season after the World Junior Championships conclude in Ufa, Russia. I was hoping that Grigo would get his nine game NHL tryout once his WJC experience had come to an end, however, Remparts GM Patrick Roy broke the news before Christmas that Grigo would be sticking and staying put in Q City for the duration of the season. Grigo ceratinly was more of a long shot option to fill the #1 centre position, albeit temporarily. Ruff and Regier have been charting CoHo's progress, along with Amerks coach, Ron Rolston. The Sabres coach and GM like what they see of Hodgson and are clamoring to get he and Foligno back to Buffalo the very moment that the NHL lockout ends.
Speaking about stud prospects looking to transition th the NHL after the lockout ends, what does the near future hold for Amerks rear guard, T.J. Brennan? He of 29 points (12 goals) in 29 games played in Rochester.
Brennan's play in the offensive zone has been white hot since the Amerks season began in October.
Brennan is currently ranked #10 in the overall AHL scoring race. Just ahead of him on the scoring leaders list are some guys named Taylor Hall, Nino Niederreiter, Brayden Schenn, and Jordan Eberle to name a few. Were it not for NHLers playing in the AHL during this work stoppage, Brennan may be ranked higher in the scoring race.
Brennan currently ranks #2 among all AHL goal scorers and point getters. Edmonton D prospect stud, Justin Schults, leads all AHL defenders with 16 goals and 26 assists in 30 games.
In most NHL organizations, Brennan would be positioned as a team's top one or two prospects. He's served his four year apprenticeship admirable in Buffalo. The Willingboro, New Jersey native has done everything he can to convince Sabres management to give him a regular job in the top six D group in Buffalo. The only problem is, there are no jobs available for Brennan at this time, or in the foreseeable future. The Sabres blue line is a crowded house right now with Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff, Reggie Sekera, Jordan Leopold, Robyn Regehr, Mike Weber, Brayden McNabb, and newcomer Adam Pardy (traded to Buffalo with Steve Ott for Derek Roy July '12) all vying for ice time.
Right now, Brennan is Buffalo's #9 D man. In an NHL market like Edmonton, Carolina, NY Islanders, New Jersey he'd be considered among the team's top six NHL blue liners.
Personally, I can't see Ruff and Regier off loading a veteran right in order to create a roster spot for Brennan. What I can see is a possible trade in order to create a spot for Brennan. No, I'm not suggesting a blockbuster. Myers, Ehrhoff, Leopold, Regehr, Weber, and McNabb are not going anywhere. What I'm suggesting is that the Sabres may trade Reggie Sekera in order to create a roster spot for their home grown talent in Brennan. At age 23, Brennan has a ton more upside than Sekera does.The sabres selected Brennan 31st overall in the 2007 NHL entry draft because they were looking for Brian Campbell's successor. They wanted a puck moving D, who could thrive in a unit of five and join the rush. They identified Brennan as just that guy. Ironically, they targeted Reggie Sekera (71st overall 2004 NHL entry draft) for the same reasons. Both Brennan and Sekera are very similar in skill and physical stature. Brennan is 6'1, 215lbs. Sekera stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. Each are fluid, strong skaters.
Brennan is 23. Sekera is 26.
Some would argue that its a law of diminishing returns with Sekera. We've seen the best that he has to offer. Have we seen his ceiling, or, does he still have more to give? Sekera, when healthy and motivated is a game changer. Conversely, when Sekera is dinged or unfocused, he can be an enigma to his coaches and his fans. Reggie has all the skill in the world, as evidenced by his superior play at the World Championships last season for his native Slovakia when he stole the offensive show awat from some NHL heavy hitters. Sekera has even outplayed fellow Slovak D monster Zdeno Chara at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Sekera has proven his worth as an NHL player. I'm a big fan of his offense, however, I'm not a huge supporter of Reggie's D-zone coverage at time. He tends to wander and get caught out of position. When he gambles and wins, its magical. However, when he gambles and loses, it fills the air with a malodorous air.
Ladies and gentleman, I submit to you that a proposition that sees the Sabres moving Sekera to make way for the younger, more productive, and defensively buttoned-up Brennan.
Sekera will earn $2.75 million for the next three season. He's an attractive cap hit for many teams in the NHL. Sekera's contract is considered a value right now by most NHL standards. He's locked in to a team-friendly cap number for a long term. He has the type of contract that NHL GMs crave in the trade market, just like Derek Roy's six year, $24 million deal from years back.
During this klockout, while Brennan has been scorching the AHL, Sekera has been playing for KHL Bratislava, where he scored 3 goals and added 9 assists in 23 games played. Personally, I thought for sure that Sekera would be tearing apart the KHL during this lockout due to the larger ice surface (200' by 100', instead of NHL standard 200' by 85'). Sekera's been good, not great. Brennan's been great, not good, while playing against locked out NHLers and top pro prospects in the ultra-competitive AHL.
Now that I've told you why I'd trade Sekera, you are likely wondering where I would trade him, right?
My first phone call would be to Steve Tambellini in Edmonton. I would make a Reggie Sekera for Sam Gagner trade offer.
Gagner is a hybrid centreman who has tremendous success of special teams. He'll earn $3.2 million this seaosn, then he'll become UFA in July 2013. The Sabres are in need in depth down the middle of the lineup. Gagner can play the pivot and the wing.
The Oilers are stacked up front with the likes of Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, Yakupov, and Hemske, however, who do they have on their backend leading their breakout?
Justin Schultz, a rookie will likely be in their top pairing and he'll thrive there just like he is right now with AHL Oklahoma City. However, Ryan Whitney, Latislav Smid, Theo Peckham, Nick Schuktz and Jeff Petry don't exactly play world-class hockey the way that the Oiler superstar kids do. The Oilers need a veteran puck mover with vision and passing ability to lead their breakout and to tutor Schultz in the nuances of the NHL game. I submit that Sekera is the perfect man for this job. With the group of forwards that the Oilers have, Sekera can easily pile up 50-60 points a season
Remember this key point when considering my proposal:
When the lockout ends in the next ten days, the Sabres will have to expose Brennan to waivers in order send him back to Rochester. Brennan signed an AHL contract earlier this season in order to avoid being exposed to waivers. The Sabres could gamble and send Brennan through waivers and hope that none of the 29 other teams claim him off waivers. Or, they can make a proactive move to insure that they will retain one of their most valuable assets for years to come.
Brennan becomes UFA in July. He's earning $550,000 this season in Rochester. His stock is sky rocketing in value with every point he collects this season. The Sabres should do everything in their power as an organization to prevent Brennan from leaving.
Review my proposal and let me know what you would do if you were Darcy Regier.
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