The Russian national hockey team lost to Canadians and flew out of the World Cup, which takes place in Riga. At the same time, the Russians were the favorites of not only this meeting, but the entire tournament. About the richest of the world championship and the most striking moments of the sad match for Russia – in the material Lenta.ru.

“This is a fantastic disgrace” Russian hockey team lost to Canadians and flew out of the World Cup

The Russian national hockey team has not won Canadians at the World Championships for ten years. For a long time she was not so close to interrupting this series, but she missed her chance. In the quarterfinals of the world championship, which takes place in Riga, the team of Valery Bragin lost to the “maple leaves” in overtime. But before the starting throwing, the Russians were considered the favorites of not only this meeting, but the entire tournament. Principal rivals arrived in Latvia not in optimal compositions-the same Canadians barely made their way into the playoffs. About the richest of the world championship and the most striking moments of the sad match for Russia – in the material Lenta.ru.

Strong composition

The World Hockey Championship has not made such a strange impression for a long time. Everyone can lose to everyone – there should be his slogan. From the sensations: the victory of Kazakhstan over Finland (2: 1 in bullets) and Germany (3: 2), the defeat of Canada from Latvia (0: 2), and then the defeat from the Americans (1: 5). And the fact that Belarus is able to beat Sweden (1: 0) is also unlikely to believe.

The fact is that the leading hockey powers did not bring the strongest compositions to the tournament. The World Cup this year is somewhat reminiscent of the full surprises of the Olympic tournament of Pyeongchang. There, however, this was due to the lack of representatives of the National Hockey League (NHL). Now, the teams replenished part of the players who completed the performance in the Stanley Cup, but there are practically no star surnames in Riga. Neither American Patrick Kane, nor Swede Oliver Ekman-Larson, nor Canadian Mark Stone. By the way, one of the leaders of the current Canadian national team is Maxim Komatui from Anaheim Dax, a debutant of adult World Cups.

If you analyze the composition of Canadians in more detail, then the main attention should be paid to protection. This is the weakest place of “maple leaves”. The most experienced player, Colin Miller from Buffalo, did not shine in the end season. And Troy Stecher generally became the owner of one of the worst performance in Detroit. In the attack, everything is a little better: except for cometo, the second scorer of Ottawa Connor Brown and Andrew Manzhipan with Gabriel Vilardi, playing in the top greens in Kalgary and Los Angeles, look relatively good. At the same time, this team, which albeit compiled from not the last NHL players, is drawn in level to the third or fourth composition.

The Russian national team against the background of the rest looks pretty strong-therefore, it seems, it seems that the sensationally lost at the group stage did not fall. Even before the start of the tournament, the Russians were well equipped. For example, Nikita Zadorov from Chicago Blackhox, and Ivan Zavorov from Philadelphia Flyers, and Mikhail Grigorenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets were immediately included.

Photo: Grigory Sysoev / RIA Novosti

In the course of the championship, the Russians intensified a little more: the team “St. Louis Blues” Vladimir Tarasenko, the Washington Capitals defender Dmitry Orlov and the goalkeeper “Florida Panthers” Sergey Bobrovsky joined the team. And although for the last season the NHL did not set, they do not refuse the help of players of this value. Of those who were very expected, only the striker of Capitals Alexander Ovechkin did not come to Riga. I was going, but health problems prevented.

In Russian, I will say: they punish the pezons!

The Russian team started at the tournament on May 21 with the victory over the Czechs. The match turned out to be difficult: the teams in turn fired at each other and also in turn celebrated abandoned goals. The point was set by Mikhail Grigorenko 19 seconds until the end of the main time – 4: 3. At the same time, the head coach of the Russian team, the 65-year-old Valery Bragin, for whom this world championship became debut at the post, any mandrake denied during the match. “At this age, it is no longer shocking me. We worked to the end. If they went to overtime, they would have started to think, ”he said at a press conference. The next day, nervousness was not really felt – the Russians defeated the British with a score of 7: 1.

The Bragin team made the first and only misfire in a match with Slovakia, when only one was able to answer three opponents. Having missed the first in the middle of the second period, the Russians a minute later rehabilitated due to the exact throw of Alexander Barabanov, but at the final segment they looked sluggish and hardly tried to contrast something for the opponent. After the match, the coach, and players, and experts unanimously said that the problem was in their heads, in the mood.

“The opponent won with good dedication. This is a lesson for us, ”Bragin confirmed on the air“ Match TV ”. Zaporov remarked: The main conclusion from the match with the Slovaks – you need to start from the first minutes, there is no time to swing in this tournament. Boris Mikhailov’s two-time Olympic champion reacted a little more emotionally: “In Russian, I will say: they punish the pizons! If you arrive at the World Cup, you give all the best in every game from beginning to end. Slovaks showed a very disciplined and organized game. They deservedly defeated our team. ”

Russian striker Maxim Shalunov (right)

Photo: Grigory Sysoev / RIA Novosti

Did you manage to improve? One way or another, then there were 3-0 with Denmark, 4: 1 with Switzerland, 6: 0 with Belarus.Only the Swedes rested – it came to the shootouts with them, but the victory still remained with the Russians.

This is a shame, why did you go there at all?

So, Russia with six victories confidently led group A, and the Canadians almost left without playoffs. In the last match of the group stage, against Finland, they could not solve this issue “maple leaves” independently – they lost on shootouts (2: 3). After that, they could only follow Latvia and Germany and hope that they would lay down in regular time. Only this nuance would allow the Canadians to remain in fourth place in group B to relieve them, the score 2: 1 in favor of the Germans was established in the second period and preserved to the final whistle.

Of course, Russia against Canada is a sign worthy of the final. That’s why it may seem that at such an early stage as now, at the world championships and the Olympiads, the teams rarely met. Nevertheless, over the past 15 years, in the quarterfinals of these tournaments, the Russians played with “maple leaves” five times, and won three times. At the 2011 World Championship in Bratislava with a score of 2: 1, a year earlier in Cologne (5: 2), at games in Turin (2: 0).

The excitement around the new meeting was, as always, colossal. It is clear that, taking into account all the successes of the Russian national team at the group stage and a clear advantage in the composition and skill, the Bragin team was immediately recorded in favorites. Two -time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov, for example, said he was not worried about the result of the game. “Canadians? Here, in general, everyone can go through. You should not even say here. Why are you so worried? And what about Canadians? Is there at least one well -known hockey player? If we do not beat these Canadians, why did we go there at all? – he asked questions.

Goalkeeper of the Russian national team Sergey Bobrovsky (in the center)

Photo: Grigory Sysoev / RIA Novosti

And the three -time world champion Vyacheslav Anisin predicted that Russia will first beat Canada, and then take the gold of the tournament. “Let them bring at least pioneers, at least juniors. This is called the primacy of the planet, and Russia will have gold medals, ”the former hockey player emphasized. In fairness, the cautious “Canada in any composition remains Canada” also sounded periodically – even from the players of the Bragin team themselves.

I think Canada is Canada. This is a quarterfinals, all the teams that left the group set the task of winning. All the remaining games will go bone into the bone, so we tune in to the hockey war

In Canada, well, well, completely skeptical, they reacted to the possibility of success. This was especially true for fans: they carried the team on social networks during the tournament after each missed puck and even did not particularly believe in the playoffs. On Twitter you can find such comments about the failures of “maple leaves”: “I did not expect a miracle. But I didn’t expect this either ”,“ This is a shame, why did you go there at all ”,“ just a mediocre team.I hope they will be able to win at least a couple of matches, They have been waiting for the World Cup for two years. Apparently, to see the normal team, you will have to wait for three. ” And on Instagram, the most attacks were addressed to the goalkeeper Darcy Cemper, behind which in Arizona they repeatedly noticed ridiculous mistakes.

All results of the Canadian national team at the group stage of the World Cup 2021. 0: 2 with Latvia, 1: 5 with the USA, 1: 3 with Germany, 4: 2 with Norway, 4: 2 with Kazakhstan, 7: 1 with Italy, 2: 3 (b) with Finland.

Officially, of course, it was stated that Canadians would fight in a match with the Russians to the end, as they consider themselves a hockey nation. This was told by the head coach of the team Gerard Gallan. “We know that we play against a very strong team of Russia, but we will not go out for the match with our thoughts:“ If we lose, we go home, ”he emphasized in the commentary“ Championship.com ”. And the observer of the website of the International Hockey Federation (IIHF), the leading podcast The Totally Ice Hockey Show, Lucas Eikroyd completely declared Sport24 that the advantage of the Russian national team is not so obvious. He also recalled the defeat of Russians from Finnish Nomami at the 2019 World Cup (0: 1). And it turned out, not in vain.

The whole country is upset

From the first minutes, Canadians grabbed the puck and worked out in advance in defense, preventing the Russians from turning around. They themselves, however, almost did not reach the gates of Bobrovsky, and acted a little timidly in the penalty area. A pair of nervous clashes – these are the main dangerous moments of the starting segment. Canadians lacked determination, and Russians – a powerful shake.

Canadian player Owen Power and player of the Russian national team Sergey Tolchinsky (right)

Photo: Grigory Sysoev / RIA Novosti

The break more beneficial to the Canadians. They owned the puck more and easily stopped the counterattacks of the Bragin team. By the sixth minute of the period, the Russian national team had only one, unsuccessful, goal on goal – performed by Nikita Nesterov. True, the “maple leaves” themselves continued problems with the completion of attacks – for the same segment they managed to apply only three shots.

Pressing performed by the opponent was active, but neat, progressive: without violations and gross struggle. At the same time, it seemed as if they were controlling all the zones of the site – before that, there was no such impression of their game at the tournament. True, when by the end of the period they slightly weakened the grip, the Russians immediately took advantage of this. Dmitry Orlov fought at the gate and rolled out the puck on a nickle, from where Evgeny Timkin threw it under the crossbar with an uncomfortable hand. 1: 0!

This led Canadians to their senses. At the very beginning of the third period after the removal of Tarasenko, Adam Henrik sent a puck over Bobrovsky’s shoulder in touch. 1: 1, and the Bragin team was to start all over again. In the remaining time, the Russians crushed the match, but Canadians began to play more compact. During the third period, Russian players recorded seven shots at their own expense, but everything is to no avail. Everything went along the clearly unplanned scenario, to overtime.

It was dangerous to play the first puck with such Canada – the opponent acted too actively. And the chance of “maple leaves” really appeared in the first seconds of additional time. Brown went beyond the gate and gave it to the nickle, and Bobrovsky reacted to Henrik’s throw point blank. But the Russians did not have time to exhale, as Stecher accepted the puck, gave it to Mandzhapan, who closed in touch. 2: 1, Canada goes on!

Canadians are Canadians

One of the first to the result of the match was the commentator Alexei Andronov. “This is some kind of fantastic disgrace. To lose with the composition with Bobrovsky and six defenders from the NHL of this Canada. – he wrote. State Duma deputy Dmitry Svishchev also called the result unacceptable. “I think there will be serious showdowns at the headquarters of our coaches. Unpleasant. We are all upset, ”he emphasized.

Bragin said that the installation was to play actively and aggressively, but the opponent did not always allow it. “There are such matches. The most important thing – the enemy played from defense, almost without failures. They could not hack their defense. The level of our hockey? It is difficult to say, we must analyze everything, think. Canadians are Canadians. They always play well. Somehow comparing is unethical, ”the specialist added.

Bobrovsky, after leaving the ice, said that the team was beating and gave everything. “I, like everyone else, are very upset, difficult to find words. I think everyone was preparing for victory, upset. It is very disappointing and sad to lose in overtime. For many guys, this was the first experience, for their development it was an invaluable experience. Of course, the whole country is upset, ”said the goalkeeper. And the captain of the national team Anton Slepyshev added: “I would not say that the guys played poorly, they banged. If they scored in overtime, there would be no such questions. Not ashamed of these guys. ”

Ten years, the Russian team does not win Canada at the world championships. Seven years – does not win the gold of the planet’s championship. Ahead of the team – returning home, analysis of flights, a lot of criticism, perhaps dismissal. Canada has a semifinals against the United States. But they can win a tournament on a success! Now no one will be surprised at this.