After such defeats, it is extremely difficult to gather thoughts. I just do not want to believe that this damned puck in overtime, like a year ago, preferred the gates of the Russian team. The fact that we had been waiting for gold for fourteen years, and now are doomed to wait again.
In this semifinal, everything went wrong for our team from the very beginning. We will not talk about Morozov, who did not reach the match with the Finns. Those, too, had a serious loss nowhere. Let's start right away with Markov, whom Sean Bergenheim - in the Finnish national team not only senior Ruutu knows how to break opponents - met knee to knee. Then, well, just an accident - the captain of the Russian team Peter Happy after a completely mundane collision with Tomi Kallio could not return to the ice. So, back in the first period, Vyacheslav Bykov had only one full link of the four that he had been playing since the beginning of the championship. And even that is the fourth.
The Russian team was supposed to take the Finns with their trump cards - a quick flank game and pressure in a foreign zone. Neither one nor the other happened. Erkka Westerlund presented his plan, and he - what a sin to conceal - proved to be more effective. The Finns tied the Russian team all over the site, forced to fiddle on the sides and go astray on individual actions - there was simply no space or time to search for options for the transfer, but they did not go blindly.
Our hockey players needed to retire as rarely as possible, but this could not be done. And even if they were never allowed in the minority, they spent so much on this minority that perhaps they were not enough in the third period, not to mention overtime. And not even to not miss this unfortunate goal - to score for yourself.
Now all that remains is to sort out and sort through episodes in memory when everything could be different - well, at least a little bit. Alas, this is the lot of the losers. Ilya Kovalchuk could not run into removal and allow the team to spend in the majority after the boorish act of Bergenheim, not three minutes, but all five. I ran into.
The same Kovalchuk could not leave in the majority (when Nepryaev already got it) - the position was clearly not the most convenient. Then Ovechkin could hit the puck and prevent Kapanen from sending Hentunen face to face with Eremenko. Probably, even the goalkeeper could help out if he had luck on his side or did not play the Finnish forward so jewelry. Threw, did not hit, did not help out and played.
You can recall about those moments, albeit not very numerous, when the forwards of the Russian team could score, but did not score. About the puck missed in overtime ...
You can let the dogs down to Ilya Nikulin, who lost to Koiv in front of the goal in the fight, or Alexander Eremenko, who has recklessly - yet recklessly - decided to play with a club. You can criticize Vyacheslav Bykov, who released Kharitonov and Radulov in those seconds, who appeared on ice in overtime for the first time - remember how a year ago Krikunov got for Emeleev and Gorovikov in the quarter-finals with the Czechs? When you lose, misses are best remembered.
But for this World Cup, although it is still not finished - it is necessary, it is necessary to fight for the bronze - the Russian team should not be ashamed. Neither Alexander Eremenko, who in spite of everything proved that we have strong goalkeepers, they only need to be trusted. Forget about that puck - even the great ones are wrong. And the best from the Russian side is not for his beautiful eyes, after all.
Neither Andrei Markov, who returned to the ice in the second period. Even for a while - he tried. And how much good has done for the national team in previous games, not to list.
Neither Sergei Gonchar, who was catching up, was catching up, but never caught up with the nimble Hentunen.
Neither Ilya Kovalchuk, who presented himself as a truly team player. Not to all the other nineteen national hockey players. This is really a team, part of which it is simply impossible not to become. Kovalchuk will not let lie. She just had a bad day today.
The Russian team did not deserve reproaches. That is why, seconds after a missed goal, barely moving away from the shock, the stands charged “Well done! Well done! "
They are really great, these guys. As well done a year ago. Well, it didn’t come, then it’s still time to win. It turns out that something still needs to be learned. Add in something. And just wait.