Ice Hockey World Championship 20: Slovakia – Russia (analysis, sample)
BRATISLAVA. Slovak hockey players take part in the third duel of the Under-20 World Championships. After losing to the Americans and Swedes, the Russians are waiting for them.
In particular, the performance against Sweden revealed the potential of the junior team. The young team was – as the Swedish coach acknowledged – better in almost everything.
However, shooting efficiency was lacking. Visibly disappointed players and the coach suffocated that it would break. According to them, the helplessness in the end will soon fall and thus it will get complete well-being.
Before the match with Slovakia, Russia has three points for a 4: 2 win over Switzerland. So the “defeated” lost to Sweden 3: 6.
Slovakia and Russia last met in the basic group of the Junior World Championships on December 31, 2016. The match ended in a 2: 0 win for Russia. The last playoff match was the quarterfinals in 2019, the Slovaks lost 3: 8.
Slovak hockey players feel a chance to score. The situation in the group made it even more confusing for the Swiss-USA match, after which the Swiss received three points for free.
“It’s a bit of a bad story for us. But I think this fact starts us. When we get six points, we will advance to the quarterfinals,” defender Šimon Nemec told hockeyslovakia.sk.
“The Russians have a very good team every year. But we have this year as well. If we play at least as against the Swedes, I believe that we will finally be able to score goals, we can give the Russians. I believe that we will overcome them from below,” he added. Dalibor Dvorský joined him.
What opponent is waiting for Ivan Feneš’s charges today?
Strengths
Let’s be honest – we have already seen stronger Russian teams. For some reason, the Russians did not take a single player from North America, which had a positive impact on this team.
But the Russians are still and have a quality team for several years. The Slovaks will have to pay particular attention to the first two attacks, which consist of two highly drafted players and a possible future draft unit.
Attacking pairs will be dangerous Chusnutdinov – Mičkov i Čibrikov – Svečkov. Mičkov has three goals after two matches, Chusnutdinov and Čibrikov both have two assists and Svečkov has scored a goal.
He is also doing well Daniil Jurov, which is a prospect for draft 2022. He still has a point for assistance after two duels, but he moved very much from the position of the thirteenth striker to the position of the main creator of the third formation game.
Russian goalkeepers are reluctant to underestimate. In general, the Slovak team has a problem with the opponent’s goalkeeper so far – he did not beat the strong Wallstedt and Drew Commesso also caught the Slovaks surprisingly well.
Russia has a quality pair. Jaroslav Askarov aj Yegor Guskov started very negatively, there is no need to connect to their numbers. Askarov in particular is still one of the world’s greatest goalkeepers.
Weaknesses
Defensive game. Sergei Zubov is a legend and was a great offensive back, but his commentary on the Russian overseas defenders was strange at the very least.
He said those playing in Russia support better, what the scouts shook their heads. Overseas defensive defenders than Ján Kuznecov or Daniil Čajka, or also the offensive and at the same time productive defender Pavel Minťukov from OHL.
Russia’s first two duels indicated that these types of teams were missing.
The current defensive of the Russians is composed mainly of offensive, no unproductive defenders, who stagnate in five against five and have not yet convinced at all. Russian defenders are taught to play rather statically, which adversely affects the transitional phase of the game.
The Russians’ best defenders are Shakir Muchamadullin or Kirill Kirsanov, which in the Russian defense “goes against the current” and showed quality in the defensive and in the offensive phase and also in the transition game.
Who to pay the most attention to …
Matvej Mičkov, wing, # 17
Matvej Mičkov is a phenomenon. Creating records wherever he moves. He creates opportunities for his team and for himself in most substitutions, and at such a young age he is one of the biggest stars and the best tournaments.
Despite the lower stature, it has the nature of a bulldog and compensates for this height, which the scouts like very much. It excels from the technical side of the game. He needs to make skating a little more efficient, but that should come with age.
His role is not and will never be a defensive game. This is a weakness in his game, but once he scores forty goals per season in the NHL, few will deal with his defense.
The Slovak defenders will pay special attention to the Russian super-talent and a possible unit of the 2023 draft.
Nikita Cibrikov, wing, # 19
Čibrikov is a dynamic two-way creator of the game, which for several years has been a very effective duo with the center of Fyodor Svečkov in the national period and, since the 2021/22 season, also in the SKA St. Petersburg system.
He is a predatory wingman who has both skating and technical skills to one day be the creator of the NHL game in the Winnipeg Jets jersey.
They drafted him last summer in the second round of 50th place and it seems that he will belong to the famous “draft thefts” (ie a very valid player who appears late in the draft).
This season, he has more than a point per game in the junior and junior MHL and is the dominant winger at every level he enters.
As expected, this tournament started well and the Slovaks will have to be very careful, because even physical play often does not apply and does not stop it.
Danila Jurov, wing, # 24
Jurov is a top prospect for draft 2022. He is a dynamic two-way player who can play both wing and center positions.
As a center he has not played at all in recent years, but his range of abilities would suit him if necessary.
He is the ideal creator of the game for the types of formations, as he is very versatile in terms of its style and can adapt to whoever he plays with.
Vasilija Ponomarjova, who is also a versatile type of striker and a very intelligent player, is currently in the ideal position.
What is the recipe for Russia?
Constant forcing, the development of pressure on the defenders’ pass. Forcing mistakes will be key with a full chance of winning.
The Russians are playing this year as expected by scouts and experts, that is, below their classic level, which we are used to. On the other hand, they did not change the fact that they are still Russians, most of whom play in the KHL or are close to the KHL.
The holes in their game are visible and they are definitely seen by the coaching staff of the Slovak team. He will say a lot about the course of the match, how Slovakia copes with two elite fights. In both previous matches, the Slovaks played very responsibly against these changes and kept only three goals for the USA and the Swedes.
Slovakia’s victory over Russia is likely to be based on responsible defense and pressure on defense, which tends to make mistakes.