“You call the players louder,” the press officer of the Russian national team advised reporters before they appeared in the mixed zone. - And then on Thursday they did not hear anything. And then we get a misunderstanding. Slander them that they do not stop.
Indeed, when you shouted louder, all the hockey players turned around and went to the microphone. Even those who were not called. Alexei Morozov refused to give an interview in English.
“I won’t say anything in English,” he told the journalist. “I speak this language very poorly.” Yes, played in the NHL. But I already forgot everything. And then we are in Russia. In Russian, I’ll tell you what you want.
The appearance of the author of the winning puck, Peter the Happy, corresponded to his last name.
- Thanks to what the victory over the Finns was obtained?
- We just played better.
- You scored a lot in the Eurotour. Do you think your chances of participating in the World Cup have increased?
- This will become known immediately before the tournament. And everything will depend on the coach. I would like to be on the team.
- Have you kept the first puck of the Russian team, abandoned in the new Sports Palace?
- No, the judge took it away.
- The Russian team could not score for a long time, the forwards of the team were not complex about this?
- No, why? You just had to play patiently. First of all, we must strictly act on the defensive.
- This is not the first time you have been helping a team in Eurotour. A special mood for matches for the national team?
- Yes of course. In addition, I have very good partners in the link. They give open.
The head coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov, entering the press conference hall, gallantly let his colleague Errka Westerlund forward. Earlier, the happy president of the FHR, Vladislav Tretyak, ran up to Bykov, who kissed his subordinate on the cheek.
“I’ll go and congratulate the guys,” the president said shyly.
None of them seemed to be able to turn their back on the kiss.
“We were preparing for the match with an aggressive opponent,” the head coach of the Russian team began to make out the meeting at a press conference. - The fact that the Finns play this way was evident in their first match with the Czech team. There were very decent speeds. In the same meeting, we succeeded for the first period, and then the initiative passed to the opponent. Not enough realization of the moments. The goal scored by Happy, liberated my guys, and then it became easier.
“But in most of you, not everything is going so well,” they shouted to him.
- Yes, it does not work out for everyone, - the coach raised his voice a little. - Now this hockey has gone. Teams act tightly, harmoniously. Look, and the Finns did not have a moment in numerical advantage.
Finally, Vyacheslav Bykov threw a stone into the garden of former national team coaches.
“In general, we play with very strong teams,” he said. - The teams have very good rosters, experienced hockey players are assembled. And we are only now trying to catch up and overtake them.
In general, it was not clear what they were doing before. But then, the Tretyak did not kiss anyone either.
Alexey Shevchenko