U20 WJC 2002 TEAM RUSSIA PLAYER REVIEW
PART II: Forwards
By: Eugene Belashchenko (Special thanks to Robert Neuhauser and a Finnish observer for their assistance on preparing this article.)
http://www.russianprospects.com
FORWARDSpre>ROUND ROBIN:1st line: Stanislav Chistov- Aleksander Svitov - Yuri Troubachev2nd line: Igor Grigorenko - Andrei Taratukhin - Aleksander Perezhogin3rd line: Alexander Frolov - Ivan Nepriaev - Alexander Polushin4th line: Alexander Suglobov - Sergei Soin - Ruslan Zainulin
QUARTERFINALS and SEMIFINALS:1st line: Stanislav Chistov- Juri Troubachev - Igor Grigorenko
2nd line: Alexander Frolov - Ivan Nepriaev - Alexander Polushin
3rd line: Alexander Suglobov - Andrei Taratukhin -Sergei Soin
4th line: Alexander Suglobov - Sergei Soin - Ruslan ZainulinFINAL:
1st line: Stanislav Chistov- Yuri Troubachev - Igor Grigorenko
2nd line: Alexander Frolov - Ivan Nepriaev - Alexander Polushin
3rd line: Sergei Soin - Alexander Svitov - Andrei Taratukhin
4th line: Alexander Suglobov - Sergei Soin - Ruslan ZainulinAlexander POLUSHIN
Position: Right Wing
Games: 7 G:2 A:3 Pts:5 PIM:6 +/-: +6 (6-0)
Alexander Polushin was Russia’s best two way forward. Alexander played wing on the line with Ivan Nepriayev at center and Alexander Frolov on the on the left wing. The three players formed Team Russia’s third line in the round robin, but the line was clearly Russia’s best and was promoted to second in the playoffs. Alexander was one of Team Russia’s most consistent players. He gave all he had each time he stepped on the ice. Alexander was very responsible defensively. He did not hesitate to work for the puck in the corners and boards. He was the only forwards to not have the unpleasant experience of being on the ice when the other team scored. Offensively, Alexander does not hesitate to drive towards the net. He has solid individual skills, but his physical tenacity and drive usually earned him his points.
Alexander FROLOV
Position: Left Wing
Games: 7 G:6 A:2 Pts:8 PIM:4 +/-: +5 (6-1)
Alexander Frolov was Russia’s offensive powerhouse. After not fairing well at the Four Nations Tournament, Alexander returned with a vengeance. He showed impressive balance between physical toughness, skill and size. Alexander showed the reason why he is one of the top scorers in the Super League this season. He handled the puck well and showed off his great shot. According to one of the observers from the tournament, Alexander’s most effective shooting spot was the slot. Alexander Frolov lead the Russian team in scoring and was named to the tournament’s second all star team.
Stanislav CHISTOV
Position: Left Wing
Games: 7 G:4 A:4 Pts:8 PIM:0 +/-: +2 (6-4)
Stanislav Chistov showed no rust from the ordeal he endured since being forcefully drafted into the army. Stanislav was Russia’s most skilled forward. He showed off he renowned ability to set up line mates as well as his ability to score. His shot, though not as hard as Volchenkov’s, was extremely accurate. Chistov showed great mobility with speed and excellent puckhandling. His hockey sense is very mature for a player his age. Stanislav sees the ice well and set up his line mates on numerous scoring chances. The only negative aspect of his game that arose from the WJC was his hesitation to play physical hockey. According to observers from the tournament, he did not fight for the puck in the corners or along the boards. While he did have a sizable force on his line for that in Alexander Svitov, a concern still exists regarding his ability to play well a physical environment.
Yuri TRUBACHEV
Position: Center
Games: 7 G:2 A:4 Pts:6 PIM:4 +/-: +1 (6-5)
Yuri Trubachev did not start the tournament well. In the beginning of the tournament he was completely miscast by Plyuschev in the grinding winger role. Once playing center again, Yuri’s intensity reached a new high and he was all over the ice. Yuri showed impressive passing skills and was one of Russia’s best centers. His skating and speed were great. Defensively, Yuri played excellent two way hockey. One observer believed he Russia’s best center.
Igor GRIGORENKO:
Position: Right Wing
Games: 7 G:1 A:2 Pts:3 PIM:4 +/-: +1 (5-4)
Igor Grigorenko had a solid first showing at the U20 WJC. He started the tournament on the top line with Alexander Perezhogin and Andrei Taratukhin, but was promoted to the top line for the playoffs when his line disintegrated with Taratukhin underachieving and Perezhogin suffering an injury. He showed huge offensive potential and showcased his impressive skating and puckhandling skills. He created plenty of scoring chances for himself – his 18 shots were the most on the team. However, all except one did not reach their intended target. Igor’s shot needs work; it was not well aimed well and was often lacked power. Defensively, Igor was not a liability, but more of a non factor.
Ivan NEPRIAYEV:
Position: Center
Games: 7 G:0 A:2 Pts:2 PIM:14 +/-: +4 (5-1)
Ivan Nepriayev played on Russia’s most stable line along with Alexander Frolov and Alexander Polushin on his wings. He is a natural center and showcased his excellent passing skills. He did not score a single goal in the tournament, despite having several great chances. According to an observer from the tournament, as a result of his lack of production, it appeared that Ivan was a bit frustrated and took a couple of questionable penalties. Ivan was Russia’s second best center of the tournament.
Alexander SUGLOBOV:
Position: Right Wing
Games: 6 G:1 A:0 Pts:1 PIM:4 +/-: +1 (2-1)
For a player who has been commented by some to have super skills and little hockey sense, Alexander had an impressive tournament, considering the expectations. He started the tournament on the fourth line with Ruslan Zainullin and Sergei Soin. He used his size well, skated well and displayed solid defensively. Alexander also showed an precise wrist shot. He did not use his line mates enough, but his hockey sense has developed well since the draft year. During the playoffs he was promoted to Russia’s third line and played along side of Andrei Taratukhin, while Sergei Soin was moved to the wing, his natural position. Alexander showed a lot of potential and should have gotten more ice time.
Sergei SOIN:
Position: Center/Left Wing
Games: 7 G:2 A:0 Pts:2 PIM:0 +/-: -1 (2-3)
Sergei Soin showed great physical ability and talent. However, while he showed his skating and puck handling, he also continued to show his inability to share. He started the tournament on the fourth line, but was then moved to the third line for the playoffs. He first played center and proved able, but not natural in that role. Once moved to the wing, his game improved. He has a solid shot, but did not use it enough in the tournament. According to an observer, Sergei also needs to play better defensively and become more aggressive, though he tried hard in the “grinder” role. Alexander had an average tournament and it remains to be seen if he can learn to be a team player.
Andrei TARATUKHIN:
Position: Center
Games: 7 G:0 A:2 Pts:2 PIM:37 +/-: 0 (2-2)
Andrei Taratukhin played the entire tournament on Russia’s mobile, defense oriented third line. It appears that Andrei may have taken his defensive responsibilities a bit too seriously. Though he was intense, Andrei’s careless penalties were often uncalled for. According to an observer from the tournament he often resorted to dirty illegal hits rather then play straight up physical hockey and as a result incurred some costly penalties. His potential is unquestionable, but Andrei’s behavior at the tournament was quite different compared to what was expected from this highly skilled forward. Andrei did not fare well at the tournament and compared to the expectations, he delivered one of the poorest performances.
Alexander SVITOV:
Position: Center
Games: 5 G:2 A:1 Pts:3 PIM:43 +/-: +3 (4-1)
While it appeared that Stanislav Chistov put his frustration behind him and played one of the best tournaments of his career, Alexander Svitov was not as fortunate. Almost the entire time he was on the ice, Alexander played physical, but often questionable style of hockey. Alexander often used his size advantage, but did not showcase the skill level that made him more then just a big guy. He did produce, but is capable of much more. Alexander started the tournament on the first line with Stanislav Chistov, but finished on the third line responsible for physical defensive play. Alexander Svitov took too me unnecessary penalties, but represented a physical presence that Russia needed. He was suspended for two games due to an incident in the game against Canada. Alexander is entering dangerous territory – his skills are not yet sufficiently developed and he is beginning to increasingly rely on his size, instead of his talent. This may carry him through in competition against his peers, or even the Super League, but will not be enough for the NHL.
Alexander PEREZHOGIN:
Position: Left Wing
Games: 4 G:0 A:0 Pts:0 PIM:4 +/-: 0 (1-1)
Alexander Perezhogin started the tournament on Russia’s second line, but only managed to play three games before suffering an injury in the fourth game. He was really a non factor in most games – lacking any offensive production. He plummeted in the team’s depth prior to his injury and received little ice time to improve his performance. His overall performance was poor compared to the previous tournaments.
Ruslan ZAINULLIN:
Position: Right Wing
Games: 4 G:0 A:1 Pts:1 PIM:4 +/-: -1 (1-2)
Ruslan was never expected to be a big factor at the WJC. He played the entire tournament on Russia’s fourth line and did not show anything that merited a promotion. According to an observer from the tournament, he had trouble keeping up with the pace of the game and did not play well defensively. He has the size and the talent to develop into a solid two way player, but the tournament made it quite apparent how far away he is from being NHL ready. Nevertheless, it was an achievement for Ruslan to make the Russian junior squad ad get some ice time, since he has never been a consistent member of the Russian National Team.
