Russia vs. Slovakia
February 19, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles
Ru-Vak Musings and In-Game Scribbles
My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones).
Russia versus Slovakia (Early Rounds)
Thursday, February 19, 2010
Missed the game? Musings and In-Game Scribbles are typed during the game then edited and posted. Usually the RDS telecast of the game. Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, less waiting than for a looping highlight and good with morning coffee.
Olympic Dawg (watching)
Initially the Russian game broadcast was delayed due to some other event broadcast. So I mused a few minutes of the Canada-Switzerland game which was being rebroadcast. We join the Russia-Slovakia match midway through the first and about four hundred words into this Musing.
Swiss-Can Musing (short cameo to be followed by Ru-Vak)
Team Canada
Action looks very much like the previous two Olympic games I’ve watched; an NHL scrum at all times.
Jostling and bumping; unlike all other international competitions I’ve seen over the years, this one has no distinction from an NHL game.
Martin Brodeur is in net for Canada and looking alert and young. He reminds me of an eagle somehow, tonight. It’s his stance.
The Swiss are playing very well and the spaces close quickly.
Giveaway by the Canadians. Brutal pass from the right side. Houde gives an Olympic pass on it. It was Drew Doughty. Don’t expect much in the way of puck protection with this team.
Canadians get a chance. Nash. Crowd loses it on a weak shot. Stopped and the action goes the other way.
Whistle soon afterward. Because I’m watching this on tape delay, I will have to endure eight commercials per break instead of the usual two, I imagine.
We return to Vancouver’s arena and the Swiss are called. Staal was held going around the enemy net and Canada goes to the power-play.
Canadians dump it in and retain control. Dan Boyle handles it on the blue line.
Puck is sent down the ice. Canadians set up again.
Pass to Getzlaf results in a wide shot. And another clear.
Just under a minute in the penalty.
Canadians waste the opportunity and come up with zero quality chances. Brunet makes some excuses for us.
Five-on-five resumes.
Thornton line is on. They logged a lot of ice time in the last game and appear to be the designated number one line. Doesn’t make sense to me.
But it makes sense to this crowd as Heatley cruises through the slot and gets a pass in his skates which he quickly moves to his stick and it’s in the net.
Canada 1, Switzerland 0
Canadians get an emotional jump and are in control deep again.
Toews misses a puck and the Swiss exit.
Time moves quickly in the Olympic vacuum. We are at under ten minutes left in the first period.
It’s good to see the long visors worn by the players. They are mandatory. I think there is an exception for players who are fifteen-year veterans. Or something about as foolish as that sentence’s structure.
Swiss put on pressure. Shot from Thibaut Monnet goes wide. Houde says it was a great chance.
Houde has these names down pat. There are two NHLers on the Swiss team, Jonas Hiller and former Canadien Mark Streit. C’est tout. The Swiss team is very good and lost 3-1 to the USA a few days ago.
High shot from the high slot and Brodeur gloves it. The crowd loves it. The crowd loves Brodeur. Easier guy to like than Patrick. But that doesn’t make him a better goalie.
Finally, the Russian game is on. Some other event was interfering.
Ru-Vak Musings and In-Game Scribbles
First Period (joined in progress)
We join with the score tied 0-0 and eight minutes left in the first period.
Far more NHLers on the Russian team (than Switzerland).
Ovie makes a point-blank save on Ovie from the left circle. Puck goes high off the top of his glove and the Slovaks collect it. They have a brief possession deep are repelled but are able to regroup with the puck.
Marian Hossa moves his big whale self along the boards. Moving up to the blue line. He has it again.
Very quickly the Russians are down again and Halak makes a sharp-angle save.
Action slows to a Western Conference crawl and I reflexively wonder about continental shift, altitude and time-zones before remembering that this game is being played on North American soil. In a small quaint town called. Uh. I forget.
Commercial. Russia is wearing their white uniforms. Blue trim and red helmets. Slovakia is also a red, white and blue team; aren’t they all?
One commercial. Very short, too.
We see the Ovechkin shot. TSN compliments Halak’s patience for not dropping to the butterfly too soon.
TSN adds that the Russian depth will become a factor at some point in this game. I forget that main dude’s name. And I don’t feel like looking it up. I never watch TSN. Unless I have to.
The TSN telecast is more of a story-telling approach and less play-by-play. Or so it seems for a fifteen-second period.
Boston’s Zdeno Chara is a member of the Slovak squad. He’s still six foot nine.
But this team, on paper, is no match for the most powerful team in the tournament. What a roster Russia has. And without the magician and artist Kovalev on the roster. He was not invited.
Puck is played by a high stick and the whistle goes.
Faceoff is outside the Slovak blue line and the Slovaks win it.
Hossa is controlling under the end line. His work results in a slot-shot that goes wide. Dangerous chance.
Russians move the puck out.
Slovakia’s Ziggy Palffy is tripped and it’s called.
Slovakia goes to the power-play.
We get a quick shot of Russian head coach Vyacheslav Arkadevich “Slava” Bykov. He speaks French quite well, I have been told. I’m serious. He coached in Switzerland and learned French there.
One day, he should coach the Canadiens. There was talk after Carbo was fired that Bykov was approached by Montreal but he turned them down. I have yet to get confirmation on this.
Early shot from Chara. Russians clear.
Slovaks move it in. Russia’s Fedor Tyutin beats everyone to the puck and fires it out.
Marian Hossa is along the boards again. He loses it in a near one-on-two behind Bryzgalov. And another Russian clear.
Puck goes out of play.
Slovakia has 13 NHL players. Russia has 14. Russia, according to NHLnumbers.com has only 28 (3%) players in the NHL. Sweden has 55 (6%). For comparison, Canada has 527 (56%) while the USA has 199 (21%).
Soooo. It’s interesting then, that five of the top twenty point-getters in the NHL as of the Olympic break are Russian. Ten are Canadian. That’s 25% Russian and 50% Canadian. It ought to be 11-0 in favour of Canada. So what’s up with that.
First Intermission
Slovakia 0, Russia 0
Dave Hodge, Nick Kypreos, Darren Pang and Bob McKenzie are the TSN game-discussion panel and first focus on Alex Ovechkin. Hodge sets Kypreos up with the first question. Kypreos has nothing important to say.
Second question is for Pang. They cover Ilya Bryzgalov. Pang says he doesn’t disagree with the decision to go with the Phoenix goaltender tonight. Evgeni Nabokov and Semyon Varlamov are Russia’s other two goalies. Nabokov is capable of taking this team to a championship while Varlamov is even better. But Varlamov has been struggling this season and is young. As one of my Montreal affiliates mentioned earlier this week, ninety percent is between the ears. Fair enough. Varlamov’s youth will keep him from being used extensively, I imagine. But this is good experience for him. He’ll start one day.
Hodge now asks McKenzie about Gaborik. McKenzie says that Gaborik is playing with a knee laceration. McKenzie that this robs the Slovak of his highest gear.
Hodge adds that nobody is taking anything for granted as today’s narrow shootout win for Canada over Switzerland demonstrated and we see a listing of tomorrow’s games.
Commercial. They’re all Canadian schmaltz. And my Canada ain’t on the screen. Remember that song by In Living Colour? Which Way To America.
Second Period
Russia 0, Slovakia 0
Grebeshkov works the puck out from behind the Russian net. Has to retrace and starts a rush that results in a Halak save on the other end.
Richard Zednik, an NHL refugee (now in the KHL) refugee, is playing for Slovakia. This site was almost named Life After Richard in his honour. Most folks would have assumed it was life after the other Richard. Rocket Richard. Ree-sharr.
I’m serious. Richard Zednik is an important player in Montreal history. In Montreal’s existential history. I can explain.
Faceoff. Won by the Russians but Slovakia comes up with the puck in the neutral zone. They are carrying the action; more time of possession but the puck stays in the perimeter areas. Russia seems to be taking it easy. Turning it on and turning it off never worked for the Rangers (another red-white and blue team) and it won’t work for Russia.
Malkin is hooked by Tomas Kopecky. Russia goes to the power-play. Malkin who? Yeah. Evgeni from Pittsburgh.
They set up.
Kovalchuk and Malkin work the puck on the left side. TSN suggests there is a small quandary when so many shooters are on the ice.
Slovakia bursts out. Two-on-one. Hossa. Snow flares up. He brakes. Passes it across. Perfect timing. Bryzgalov got across.
Russia changes lines.
The rest of the power-play is inconsequential. Bryzgalov makes a save from a circle-shot that goes high and hard.
Penalty ends.
Russia has it again. They’re in. They score.
High shot over Halak’s shoulder.
I never know with these international tourneys. And I usually don’t consciously realise it til a goal is scored. I’m cheering for Slovakia in this one.
Russia is Russia. It’s complex. And the kid in me still bears the old resentments.
It’ll be easy to like Russia again on another day.
You know what day.
Russia 1, Slovakia 0
TSN mentions what I notice; Slovakia is a step slower since being scored on. Jozef Stumpel nearly causes a turnover on an “I’m tired and at the end of my shift” lack of effort on a line-change, for example.
Faceoff to Halak’s right.
A year ago, Carey Price might have been invited to play for the Canadian team. Just on reputation and expectation. Now even those supporters are off the band-wagon. Neither position was fair. Just like a quarterback; too much credit. Too much blame.
Kovalchuk is in. Makes one of his moves. Keeps it as he slides across the rear of the net area. Sends a pass to the slot.
We see a photograph of Alex Ovechkin’s mother who was a gold medalist in the Olympics many years ago. In some other event.
We hear a bit more about Ovie’s family.
TSN is so much more balanced than CBC. Objectivity, journalism and balance all come to mind when watching TSN hockey telecasts. Hey, there are some good players on CBC. Just more at TSN.
But RDS is even better than those two. Though, as you may be aware, I feel the French network has a few knuckleheads on board. Just far less than the other two.
Slovakia works it out. Hossa is on.
Puck bounces around the boards here and there.
Russians seem casual on the forecheck.
Demitra is in for Slovakia. Drops it for Hossa. Long shot is wide. Hossa is a big player. And his deceptive skating stride makes it seem he is doing things in slow motion. The big players create optical illusions.
Malkin has it deep. Pass to Gonchar at the point. Blast. Wide.
Puck goes out of play. Faceoff outside the Russian zone. Slovakia wins yet another faceoff.
Sloppy passing by the Russians and the Slovaks nearly make them pay.
They collect the puck. Move it through the neutral zone. Go offside.
Slovakia played last night. They lost to Tomas Plekanec and the Czechs, 3-1. I don’t know what Russia’s excuse is. Stromboli attitude comes to mind. Well, the demeanour, anyway. How about Death Star attitude, then. “Dangerous to your Starfleet, Sidney, NOT to this battlestation.”
Faceoff is to Halak’s left.
Michael Handzus wins it for Slovakia.
Russia gets a chance. We’re on the other end and again Hossa is handling the puck. He reminds me of Gordie Howe somehow. He skates more slowly than the other players but controls the puck far longer. And he isn’t allowed to elbow as much as Gordie was.
Game’s changed daddy-o.
He gets a one-man burst down the left and with decent coverage has to shoot from a bad angle.
Referees are NHL-sanctioned. And this would explain the tenor of these games. Mistake. As I’ve said, get the pros out of the game. And let’s see a return to a truly international set of rules for the rest of the Winter Olympics. For however many centuries we have to put up with them.
A fast game for amateurs on a large ice surface with rules forged for elegance.
TSN says that Ovechkin has foreign immunity. He breaks a rule in getting a stick from somewhere. Somewhere behind the bench. He holds the game up. I’m not clear on the rule and TSN doesn’t explain (or I’m too hungry to notice). Russia is on the power-play.
This power-play is more convincing for about eight seconds. Diamond formation with one defenceman at the centre of the blue line. Ovechkin gets a one-timer from the circle.
But two dump-outs follow.
Zednik is one of the penalty-killers.
Demitra is taken down and the Russians get away with it. Ovie, I think.
Penalty ends with no further control by Russia.
Just under four minutes in the period as the penalty comes to an end.
They jostle at the red line. Russians shoot it in.
It’s back out just as quickly.
Viktor Kozlov line is on for Russia. Sergei Fedorov is on with him. Alexander Radulov is also with them.
They get some decent control. They work the boards.
Lines change. Malkin line is on for Russia.
Point-blank shot. A Russian raises his hands in celebration. Why. Halak stopped it.
Slides left to right pad down and glove up and it should have been a goal. What a great save. Like a magician and his curtain. One hand up. Blocker down.
How good is Jaroslav Halak?
Handzus is in offside. Or no. It’s too many men on the ice. Second time tonight.
I wonder who has to play the most and least midnight games in this tournament.
Markov handles it for Russia on the blue line. He advances. He’s in his spot.
But Chara clears.
Fifty seconds left in the period.
Russia re-enters offside.
Slovakia wins the faceoff but mishandle the puck. Russia has it inside the blue line but are corrected.
I know none of these names. Ghastly.
Malkin. Makes some magic.
Stopped by Halak.
Zednik nearly get a breakaway. Ovechkin slashes and is called. Replay shows it is more of a tripping call.
Period ends.
Shots on goal are 24-15 in favour of Russia after two.
Second Intermission
Russia 1, Slovakia 0
I have a late-night snack and skip the commercials. There is something odd about these new Olympics-created messages that is disturbing me. I’ll have to observe a few more games before deciding if what I’m seeing is true.
Third Period
Russia 1, Slovakia 0
Slovakia puts the best pressure of the night on. No goals.
Ovie exits at the end of the penalty. In and alone for the kill. Halak stops him.
Pang is doing colour and he is in admiration of Bryzgalov’s improvement over the years. He notices and points out Bryzgalov’s patience on a recent shot.
Afinogenov enters. Shoots. Goes to the slot. Golfs at a returning puck. Nope.
Four-on-two the other way. Wasted chance. One shot. Crest-high. Trapped and held for a faceoff.
Malkin enters. Uses the screen. Shoots. Halak stops it.
Faceoff soon afterward. Kovalchuk and Malkin are on together.
TSN informs us that Druzilla (Drucilla) is painted on Bryzgalov’s mask. (Old legend of a goalie, Druzilla)
They just found that out. If, say Gary Bromley, was on Brodeur’s mask, we’d have been talking about since December.
Ovie is in. Shot. Wide. It bounces it in front in a bizarre way. Halak pounces on it. Pang remarks on Ovie’s athleticism. All I can see is Halak’s. Is this kid for real? He has been very good for a long time. But like Damon Allen, will his play be ruined by being declared number one? Allen was great coming off the bench for Dunigan but as a starter could never replicate those head days for long.
It’s a CFL reference. Uh, that’s a football league. Not soccer. Oh, forget it.
These commercials are an affront to people of intelligence. Some will hate them sooner, some later. Christmas deluge. When does it end.
We resume play. Just under thirteen minutes left in the third.
When does it end? When you turn it off.
Action is in the corner to Halak’s left. Another Russian is taken off the puck. Another Russian fans. What is wrong with these guys?
When you turn it off.
Stoppage.
Pang discusses Bryzgalov’s improved game. We hear that goaltending coach Sean Burke, a Canadian, has a lot to do with it. It’s always some Cowboy saving all the Indians.
Dances With Goalies. Starring your favourite perceived, thoughtful Kevin Costner of the month.
I guess these days it would be Tom Hanks. No. Tom would play the goalie with an accent. Because nobody with a real accent is available.
Tip o’ the hat to ya Hellywood.
Russia tries some Hollywood of their own. Semin. Tries the lift a stick and wait for the puck go-around. But it fails. And results in a turnover.
Simple hockey isn’t the best answer for everyone. The lesson for Rocky in Rocky III was that he was a plugger. A plodder.
But his buddy Creed tried to turn him into a dancer. It worked for a time.
Hossa scores. Crowd loses it. Sounds like very anti-Russian. That’s unpatriotic. Cheering against other countries. Just un-Canadian. But it’s going on at a deep level tonight.
Haters.
Slovakia 1, Russia 1
Regarding Rocky, it was fine for Balboa to return to a simple fight style in his rematch against Clubber Lang. Rocky went back to basics. But that’s all he had, really.
But can you imagine the dancing Ali-like Apollo Creed fighting a basic one bull forward fight? You have to go with what you’re good at. If you’re good at passing and more creative plays, go with that.
The “let’s shoot more” formula is for the less-talented teams. Like Team Canada. Plodders and bunglers. Let Russia and Sweden go with their respective styles. Russia is a creating, skating team. Sweden is a bit hardier but great passers and skaters themselves. And let Canada “get more shots on net”. That’s all they can do anyway (except Sid).
Russia goes to the power-play.
They are only one of twelve with the man-advantage so far in the Olympics.
Passes work. Four of them. Long shot. Bounces off and out.
Next incursion sees Malkin creating in the high slot. Going right to left. Halak makes a sharp save.
Last segment sees another good Halak save and several wide, wild and deflected shots. Russia is playing like Tyson late in his career. Just looking for that one big hit and not willing to do the dirty work. That kind of arrogance can’t be turned off easily for the next game. It builds poor habits.
Commercial. Disturbing.
Halak is on his game. We see a replay and though the puck went high, he had stretched across very well yet again.
His bearing and demeanour are the same as when he plays with Montreal. Some guys exude differently when they play for their national teams; Afinogenov and Markov come to mind. Not Halak.
It’s an indication of his self-containment. With the other type, they are just hiding their true selves. Halak is naturally self-effacing. Unlike the artificial “I am an immigrant so I’d better not rock the boat” modality of certain of our favourite players. Or so I would guess.
Just over five minutes left in the game.
Shootout is the rule in the Olympics, too. Not sure about the preceding four-on-four.
Pang says that at this point of the game that the ice consistency is such that the puck behaves like a tennis ball. It’s harder to control on the surface now. Passes need to be crisper, he says. More deliberate.
Gonchar dumps it in after a won faceoff.
Russian forecheck fails again.
Whenever Hossa is on, Russia seems to do their worst. No. Their worst.
Malkin is in. Leaves it for Kovalchuk. The control lasts about six seconds. Puck bounces as Pang had ordained.
Malkin gets a direct shot from the slot, sliding left to right. Halak.
Now Datsyuk is in. Direct shot. Not a lot of power. Halak stops it.
Stoppage in play.
Russia starts to care about the game. They increase their tempo. Slovakia responds immediately. They’ve been in and close for too long. They believe they can win. That’s what happens when you let an underdog stay with you on the scoreboard.
Demitra is in. Leaves it for Hossa as the puck crosses the blue line.
Possession doesn’t last.
Russians efforts are comical in light of their previous lack thereof. Do they really expect to be rewarded? Well, this is hockey. But they won’t deserve it.
Halak is up to 34 saves.
Faceoff to Bryzgalov’s right.
And it goes out of play soon afterward.
TSN mentions the overtime rules but I am busy verifying some player spellings.
Oy.
Under two minutes.
Thicker members of the crowd start to chant something unintelligible. What are the beer rules tonight, I wonder.
Rush attempts by Russia are easily parried at the blue line. What was Russia thinking? Slovakia is a smart, NHL-player loaded team.
And they played last night. One desperate Russian rush, two. Forget it.
Now Slovakia rumples the Russian collar. They are in.
In front. Puck bobbling. Coverage bungles. Bryzgalov has trouble trapping it. Chaos of the seven-second near-crease variety occurs. The voices in the booth crack and stretch. Russia survives.
Period ends.
Overtime
Coke commercial. “Let’s make sure they know whose country this game belongs to”. Reminds me of how school-mates used to beat me up to remind me what country I was in. Guess they didn’t know about the born in Sept-Iles thing.
Four-on-four.
Hossa is on. Malkin and Kovalchuk are Russia’s first pairing.
Early control is Russia’s. Malkin carries it in for two good incursions.
Halak is earning praise from the Anglophones in the booth.
Faceoff.
Ovechkin takes a bead. High and wide. Russia has wasted what few chances they have created for themselves tonight.
Halak makes a mild save a few seconds later as the puck rounds up along the boards.
Faceoff is to Halak’s left.
Semin loses the draw to Handzus.
Slovakia is much better than I thought they would be.
This Lubos Bartecko guy for Slovakia is good (he was born in Sweden. Kinda like how Ben Cahoon is born in America. But because Cahoon lived in Canada for long enough, he gets non-import status. Tricksy.) Smart. Bonk-type patience. No panic this time as he carries the puck out and resists the urge to try a reckless two-on-one that would quickly have become a two-on-three.
Russia’s Morozov line is on (Alexei; just assume Alexei or Sergei from now on). Puck goes out of play.
Two minutes left.
Fedorov won the faceoff but Hossa just took it from him.
Overconfident Russia.
Where have we seen this before? Yeah, 1980. But not just Russia is guilty of this.
Chara leads a rush. Right in. Net goes off. TSN thinks it’s a goal. It’s not. But they deliberate.
Pierre Houde is much sharper. He’s probably the best play-by-play guy in the biz. Colour? Don’t know. During the game is one thing. Between periods is another. I like Hrudey for between periods. Game colour, I dunno. I’ll try and figure it out this season.
Chara gets plaudits from Pang.
No goal.
Fifty-two seconds. Faceoff to Bryzgalov’s right. Puck goes out of play.
Pang tells us that this is a tough draw because of handedness. Slovakia wins another faceoff. They’re at seventy percent or something.
Russia’s hubris has gone from potential to kinetic. But it’s too late. Period drains out with the Russians legs and souls akimbo. We’re going to a shootout.
Slovakia keeps their composure.
Shootout
Chevy or Ford ruins a clever commercial idea by spelling it out at the end. The “human” commercial. You Tube it. Then go to Adbusters spoof ads for a lark.
Chara is tall. Coin toss and he’s out for it with Russia’s captain Morozov. I’ve never seen a coin toss at a hockey game.
Pang jokes that you’d think they’d have something more expensive than a penny to flip. Go ask Steve. He’ll have something. I know he makes more than me, anyway.
We begin.
Slovakia will shoot first. Jozef Stumpel is first. Pang says that Stumpel loves to get the puck up high. And some other stuff.
Fakes glove. Deke. Clean. Scores. Pang says that is his money move. It’s gorgeous.
Slovakia 1, Russia 0
Halak. I get nervous for the first time tonight.
Morozov. Halak saves it. Shot. Pang says Halak was patient.
Demitra is next. Wearing the “A”.
Advances. Goes right. Waaay right. To the Plekanec spot. Drives in. It’s poke-checked away.
Great save.
Ovie is next.
Yellow skate-threads. Shoots. Scores. Five-hole. Nice.
Slovakia 1, Russia 1
Marian Hossa.
Stopped. Waited, waited, waited. Couldn’t get it over the pad.
Datsyuk. Igg.
Too much Hollywood. Poke-checked. I chuckle a few times.
So now it’s one and ones.
Ovie.
Pang says that Ovie was surprised.
Advances. Tries a deke. Fans. Halak got over.
Goalie has to leave the ice after each shot.
Stumpel.
Shot. Stopped. About ten feet.
Kovalchuk.
He still makes me ill. He is ill. But he misses the net.
Handzus for Slovakia.
High speed. Shoots from the grill. Stopped very close.
Ovie again.
What are the rules?
Deke. Misses the net.
I shake my head.
I think it’s tied.
Gaborik. Shoots. Save.
Malkin. Ugly red helmet.
Malkin is so dangerous. Very slowly silks in. Keeps it, keeps it. Fakes it. Or rather the puck goes over his stick. Misses on the second one.
Demitra next. Waits cuts left to right. Scores.
Jingos in the crowd love it. As do I.
Pang says it’s gutty and gritty a win.
Slovakia 2
Russia 1
HDS Stars: Jaroslav Halak, Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra
TSN Stars: They don’t do that kind of thing tonight. Or perhaps at this station.
Decevant.
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