Ishmatov (finally) close to be fired

See

http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?80768

To summarize:
The committee of the federation met and expressed its dissatisfaction with the results at last WJC. Ishmatov did not offer to resign. Apparently, the committee will decide at the next meeting in March.
Then, Ishmatov was interviewed. Unbelievably, he denied the comments saying that it was not the best team that was called. Then, as usual, he blamed everything on the players (weak defense (NB: he would not have a conflict with Babchuk, may be it would have been better), lack of defensive play by the forwards, injuries of Stonkus and Mirnov, Zherdev going to the US (NB: Zherdev offered to play in Finland before the WJC provided he would not be forced to return to CSKA, Ishmatov ignored him)...of course no responsability for himself.

Compare his analysis with Russianprospects.com's

http://www.russianprospects.com/public/article.php?link_id=161

or mine:

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=38646

See

http://www.sport-express.ru/art.shtml?80768

To summarize:
The committee of the federation met and expressed its dissatisfaction with the results at last WJC. Ishmatov did not offer to resign. Apparently, the committee will decide at the next meeting in March.
Then, Ishmatov was interviewed. Unbelievably, he denied the comments saying that it was not the best team that was called. Then, as usual, he blamed everything on the players (weak defense (NB: he would not have a conflict with Babchuk, may be it would have been better), lack of defensive play by the forwards, injuries of Stonkus and Mirnov, Zherdev going to the US (NB: Zherdev offered to play in Finland before the WJC provided he would not be forced to return to CSKA, Ishmatov ignored him)...of course no responsability for himself.

Compare his analysis with Eugene's

http://www.russianprospects.com/public/article.php?link_id=161

or mine:

http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=38646



Ishmatov: Last year our team was stronger. We had Tjutin Kondratiev, Grebeshkov, KOLTSOV (???) , Ljubushin, Korneev. (Source: Sport-Express)

Did Koltsov play for Russia??
last WJC ??

Ishmatov: Last year our team was stronger. We had Tjutin Kondratiev, Grebeshkov, KOLTSOV (???) , Ljubushin, Korneev. (Source: Sport-Express)

Did Koltsov play for Russia??
last WJC ??

Kirill Koltsov did, not Konstantin Koltsov.

Lets face some facts.

Ovechkin the best junior player in the world did not perform as expected. We can't blame Pestunov for that. The real greatest players make great players around them as Lemieux and Gretzky did for example. Or like Crosby is doing with Rimouski. They do not depend on linemates.

Semin the second best player of the team and a rare NHLer in the WJC neither did not play well at all. On the ice, he was selfish. Don't blame the coach for that. At some point, a hockey game is played on the ice... by the players.

About Zherdev, by the time he left his country few weeks before the WJC, it was almost impossible he could represent his country at the WJC. For two reasons. The Russian Hockey Federation contested his departure from CSKA and Russia. Doing so, RHF couldn't accept Zherdev on U-20 National team... had Columbus agreed to release him. To my knowledge, Columbus never said they would accept to release Zherdev. So it was easy for Zherdev to say he would consider this possibility when he knows this wasn't a possibility.

Most observers knew that Russian team was weak on defense. The addition of Babchuk would not had change it drastically.

Most observers recognized Barulin was not a great goalie. To win it all, you need a top goalie. Ask to Canadian fans.

I'm not saying Ishmatov does not have to look himself in the mirror about his team's performance in Finland. But it is too easy to blame the coach for a bad performance. Just to give an example, in the NHL the Habs changed their coach few times since 10 years and results has not changed at all.

Lets face some facts.

Ovechkin the best junior player in the world did not perform as expected. We can't blame Pestunov for that. The real greatest players make great players around them as Lemieux and Gretzky did for example. Or like Crosby is doing with Rimouski. They do not depend on linemates.

Semin the second best player of the team and a rare NHLer in the WJC neither did not play well at all. On the ice, he was selfish. Don't blame the coach for that. At some point, a hockey game is played on the ice... by the players.

About Zherdev, by the time he left his country few weeks before the WJC, it was almost impossible he could represent his country at the WJC. For two reasons. The Russian Hockey Federation contested his departure from CSKA and Russia. Doing so, RHF couldn't accept Zherdev on U-20 National team... had Columbus agreed to release him. To my knowledge, Columbus never said they would accept to release Zherdev. So it was easy for Zherdev to say he would consider this possibility when he knows this wasn't a possibility.

Most observers knew that Russian team was weak on defense. The addition of Babchuk would not had change it drastically.

Most observers recognized Barulin was not a great goalie. To win it all, you need a top goalie. Ask to Canadian fans.

I'm not saying Ishmatov does not have to look himself in the mirror about his team's performance in Finland. But it is too easy to blame the coach for a bad performance. Just to give an example, in the NHL the Habs changed their coach few times since 10 years and results has not changed at all.


I agree with you that the players have to be blamed too. However, I believe Ishmatov is still the main responsible. keep also in mind, that the same 1984 team played fairly well at the 2002 U18 WJC.

- Ovechkin: I agree with you his individual performance was not as expected. I also agree with you that you do not have to depend on your teammates, but it's better to create collective actions rather than individual efforts (which in the past have been the reason for the failure of the Russian teams with ovechkin when they were playing too much on him). Part of that is not Ishmatov's fault as Ovechkin was called with the senior national team several times before the WJC. So, with a limited time to form the lines and create automatisms, do you try to use previous combinations with Ovechkin that worked in the past or you try a complete new first line? Facts were Ovechkin made great players around him at the U18 WJC in 2002 (Krikunov and Ignatushkin), in 2003 (Malkin and ****ikov), and the 2003 WJC (Trubachev, Polushin none of whom could play this time). You know that a line Ovechkin-Pestunov-Shkotov has never played together in the past although these players have been selected on the same team for 3 years, there must be a reason. I am not saying it's Pestunov's fault. The guy has been playing all his career on the 4th and 3rd line of Metallurg, and the 85, 84, and 83 teams. He may not be prepared to receive 1st line duties
With respect to comparisons with Gretzky, and Lemieux, I think I will wait 2020 to have a better assessment.

- Semin: exlcuding the guy before the championship because he skipped a practice he was sick was probably not the best decision to give him confidence. I agree with you that he did many mistakes and seemed tense. A reason could be that Ishmatov pointed at him in many press conferences (for turnovers, etc.). Pointing at individual mistakes has never been a good way to motivate your players I believe. THis year, Ishmatov pointed at Semin more than he even did last year with Zherdev.

- Zherdev: you have a point.

- Babchuk: may not be drastically, but should clearly change something. Some observers were also very surprised not to see Shinin and Pervyshin.

- Ishmatov has had some bad or so-so records as a coach in the past (Ska, Ufa). Some people were surprised as to why a coach who was left with such a failure with SKA was appointed coach of the juniore team. He won last year, but the group was split in two: the ex-Plyushev players and the others.

I was very surprised with Pervyshin's absence.

If the roster was up to me, the team would have looked very different.

I think that the line combinations was the most visible problem - just by the looks of the team's problems (with locker room confrontations, if any, not visible to the neutral viewer). Ovechkin played very solid hockey, actually, and put Russia ahead 3-2 against Finland with pretty much an individual effort - one he wouldn't have to make had Malkin and Krikunov were on his line.

Chemistry is important, no matter how great you are. And it's hard to look great when you are surrounded by headless chickens and a bullheaded coach.

At least the 2001 team had the excuse that they were simply a poor class, for Russia's expectations, in terms of skill. There are no excuses here for Ishmatov at all - or shouldn't be.

You were not the only one wondering about Pervyshin. He is loading a lot of IT with Spartak.

I am not sure I would call Pestunov and Shkotov headless chicken... but I agree with you.

The 1981 generation failure was in my opinion the result of (i) poor coaching by Vorobiev with trap/ultra defensive system that goes against instincts of young Russian players and Russian hockey tradition, (ii) bad relationships between the coahc and the players (some said that they played poorly in order to get Vorobiev fired), (iii) overall poor quality of the 1981 generation (best players at that time were Muratov, Buturlin Shefer, Khlebnikov, add Saprykin and Konstantinov who were not released by their NHL teams), and a generation that matured later on (some of the best 1981 players were not great junior players). Overall, they had many young quality players: Kovalchuk (who did not play too well with his linemates by the way), CHistov, Svitov, Volchenkov, Grebeshkov (that's the event who got the guy known), Vorobiev Yakubov Shastin, Chernov Medvedev...

This is a great discussion.

A couple of comments:

Regarding Zherdev, you (Paul99) have a point, but also keep in mind that logic doesn't always work with Russian politics. He could have been allowed to join the squad as part of good will if the coach asked for it and the agent forked over some cash.

As far as defensemen that were missing, Pervyshin would have been a solid addition. Shinin has not performed well this season, hence his presense would have been questionable. Babchuk would have been a significant addition just for slap shot, even if you ignore his size and everything else. Russia's defense scored one goal (Ermolin's) in the entire tournament!!! It was a poor poor showing. A blue line option would have spread out Russia's strenght on offense and probably given them more chances down low, drawing the defense further out....or at least bruised some players on the opposition while they tried to block his shots!!!! Vorobiev's absense was also surprising, he did well with Lada before the tourney.

Regarding the top line, Shkotov and Pestunov are solid players, but as Guillaime put it, they never really played together. Ovechkin never played for the U18 squad before this year. Malkin would have been a better choice, as the two have played together before at least on one occasion and melded together well. Shkotov was good, but they may have tried Krikunov instead.