Photo credit: allhockey.ru

Over the last week, CSKA general manager and former Capital Sergei Fedorov has been a busy man, signing Ilya Bryzgalov, Pavel Datsyuk, and Mikhail Grabovski to lockout contracts. CSKA’s roster, which also includes former KHL MVP Alex Radulov, is much like the New York Yankees: they are rich, and they sign the best players.

Coming into Thursday’s game with Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s Traktor Cheylabinsk, it was obvious who the favorites were. But thanks to a stunning goal by Andrey Popov in the final minutes and a meltdown by Radulov, Traktor prevailed 4-3.

Highlights below.

We start with the game tied 3-3. Anton Glinkin skates behind the net, blindly passing to Popov in the crease. Popov turns his body and sends the puck home off his backhand. How in the world?

A few minutes later as CSKA tried to tie before the end of regulation, Traktor enforcer Andrey Vasilchenko shoved Radulov after a stoppage in play. You do not touch the Rads. Disdainful Radulov threw punches and shouted obscenities at the Traktor defenseman.

While both players seemed to deserve matching minors for roughing, the officials sure didn’t see it that way, only whistling Radulov for slashing. And that’s when Rads lost it.

For shoving the official, Radulov was immediately kicked out of the game and given two misconduct penalties. He finished with 34 PIMs.

Before you judge Radulov, it’s not like he has a history of this kind of behavior.

Oh, right.

With Fedor Fedin concentrating full-time on Prospect Watch, RMNB needed a new translator. After a few months of searching, RMNB is finally happy to introduce Igor Kleyner. Igor is a native of St Petersburg, Russia, who transplanted himself to the Washington D.C. area around the same time Peter Bondra came to town in the early nineties. He currently works at Nasa and designs electronics for their spacecraft. Yes, another member of the team that can now beat Peter at Words with Friends.

In Igor’s first translation, he has chosen to share with us a long, revealing interview with Caps 2010 First Round Pick Evgeny Kuznetsov, which was first published by Sports.ru this past Monday and authored by another Igor, Igor Zhukov. The story is entitled “A Hero of our Time,” which apparently is a reference to a novel all Russian Middle Schoolers are forced to read. (These are the details we love knowing.) Anyways, check out Igor’s first translation below!

Traktor-centric, the Sports.ru blog dedicated to the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, recently spoke with the top forward of the team, Evgeny Kuznetsov, whose nine goals this season make him the team’s second leading goal scorer. Fantastic North American defenseman Deron Quint, leads the Black-and-Whites with 13.

Our conversation occurred just before Zhenya’s departure for Russia’s WJC camp and it touched on a variety of subjects: Traktor’s recent string of bad luck, what it’s like to be coached by Valery Belousov, Evgeny’s post-game showmanship, and the upcoming U-20 World Junior Championships tournament in the United States.

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Igor Zhukov – The club’s business is left behind. The World Championship is now ahead of you. Nevertheless, is it possible to analyze Traktor’s trajectory in the standings so far this season?

Evgeny Kuznetsov – We are definitely not where we should be. It seems like we aren’t playing badly at all, but we are constantly coming up just a little bit short. Bad luck.

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IZ – Are you happy with your game and scoring? It appears you aren’t doing bad at all. Not every 18 year old manages to score 9 goals in the KHL.

EK – I don’t want to separate myself from the team. If I am doing well – but there is no result for the team – who needs that? I am working the same way I always have. I just happened to score a few more goals than last year, and am having a bit better luck. This is, after all, already my second season playing among adults.

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IZ – What is your best goal this season?

EK – Probably the first one. The one I scored in Magnitka. You remember the first one for a long time. And, we beat Metallurg at their arena for the first time in 16 years. So, that would be the one.

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IZ – You know, everybody says that your game is becoming more and more mature, and that you have progressed a lot this year. Do you feel that way?

EK – Yes, of course, I feel this. Most importantly, I’ve gained confidence. Also, Belousov trusts me. It’s very important. When you score the team benefits and you feel good and you become more confident. You feel much better.

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IZ – Traktor is forced to play catch-up against the competition. Obviously, this is more difficult than to maintain an advantage.

EK – Honestly, I don’t really think about that. No particular psychology here. At least, not for me. We have a goal – to win every game, get the points.

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IZ – For the first time in Traktor’s recent history, a new head coach was appointed during the season: Valery Belousov. How difficult are such changes for the players, since you need to adapt to the new coach’s methods and demands?

EK – It is not a problem for me at all. You simply have to accept the change and work in the new system. This is my first experience working with Belousov, and I am very happy to have him as a coach.

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IZ – How interesting is it to work with Belousov?

EK – Very interesting! Our training sessions are always changing, except for the game day skate-around. The coach explains everything in very simple and detailed terms. The most important thing is to understand what is asked of you and execute. If everybody follows the coach’s instructions, the team will be winning.

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IZ – Belousov is known for his powerful psychology. Have you had any individual conversations with him?

EK – Not just myself, he talks one-on-one with many guys. He speaks very calmly and confidently. It’s always a pleasure to talk to such a person.

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IZ – During the first couple of weeks Valery Konstantinovich [Ed note: Belousov] tested his team a lot – high player turnover, lots of experimenting with line combinations. But then the lines settled. You are now always playing on the line with Andrei Popov and Anton Glinkin. Do you feel more comfortable playing with the same partners, or is it not that important?

EK – Of course, when you play with the same partners – you get used to each other, understand each other better. But the lineup is determined by the head coach. He knows who fits better with whom.

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IZ – Are the “young guns” the best Traktor line?

EK – ::laughs:: That is not for me to decide. We try our best in every game, every moment to show our talents to the max.

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IZ – How do you explain the jump in your goal scoring lately? Did it have anything to do with the upcoming World Junior Championship?

EK – From the very beginning of the season, I really wanted to make the WJC team, so I tried to prepare myself to peak in time for the New Year. But I have to admit, in some cases it was just sheer luck – a few pucks just found their way into the goal by accident.

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IZ – So far you are not doing very well in the shootouts…

EK – I never score in shootouts! In practice I always score, never a problem. But in a game situation… I don’t know, maybe I am jinxed, just like Jagr. He doesn’t even participate in shootouts, because he never scores in them.

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IZ – You are one of a few Traktor players who put on a show after the game. Why do you do that?

EK – The fans come to the game, and I want them to go home happy. By the way, I am not the only one who does it. We have done it with Petr Vampola a couple of times. It’s not an unusual practice in many European countries, especially the Czech Republic and Sweden. It’s no big deal. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.

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IZ – Do you always improvise, or prepare something in advance?

EK – Nothing in advance. It’s always improvisation. After the final horn, we quickly agree on our act, and then we go ahead and implement it. For example, the last time Petr and I performed a canoe racing number ::smiles::.

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IZ – Your contract with Traktor is good for another year and a half. Of course, everybody in Chelyabinsk would like for you to play here, but obviously, sooner or later you will leave to pursue your dream and play in the NHL. How do you envision your last game for Traktor?

EK – ::laughs:: Well, I think it’s too early to talk about it.

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IZ – Earlier this year, Zenit St. Petersburg was honoring their player who was leaving, Radek Sirl. So, he spent a half of the game among the hardcore fans, on the platform from which the chants are lead. [Ed note: Imagine Ted building a special platform at VC for Goat.] Can you imagine a similar role for yourself – surrounded by your fans?

EK – When it is time for me to play that last game for Traktor, I will know in advance. If the fans want me in the stands among them – I will be there. But I would rather spend that game on the ice, wearing Traktor colors, and winning the game.

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IZ – With the World Junior Championships coming up, how is your mood?

EK – Positive, of course. The main thing is to quickly become a team, for all of the new guys, including myself. The faster we do that, the better luck we’ll have. There is only one goal: to be first.

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IZ – Will you feel more comfortable if Traktor teammate Anton Burdasov also goes to WJC?

EK – Of course, it’s always nice when you are not the only one from Chelyabinsk on the national team. We are good friends too.

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IZ – Valery Bragin referred to your first round group at WJC as “the group of death”. What do you think about your opponents?

EK – It’s just a first round group. You just need to go out there and play, and not think too much, no matter if it’s Canada against you, Sweden, or somebody else. It’s just like playing for Traktor: it doesn’t matter if you are playing against Magnitogorsk, Kazan, or Novokuznetsk. You have to go out there fully-focused, and prove that you are the best. At my age, every game is worth its weight in gold. And for me personally, since I was drafted by the Capitals, every game I play I need to prove that I want to go there and am ready to play for them.

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IZ - In the US, there will be representatives from the Capitals watching you. Will that be a motivating factor, or create an additional psychological burden of responsibility?

EK – I don’t ever pay attention to anybody. Even if my parents, my girlfriend, or my friends are in the stands. During the game, I don’t focus on anything except for the ice rink and I am fully into the game. When it’s over, I can acknowledge those who came to support me.

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IZ – Are you familiar with coach Bragin?

EK – Not until I was picked for the team. I talked to him on the phone once.

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IZ – What does he see your role on the team being?

EK – Valery Nikolaevich [Bragin] wants to play me in the middle. I like playing center. I play on the wing for the club though. Just because you need experience to play as a center.

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IZ – Who are going to be your linemates?

EK – I don’t know. Everybody who makes the team is a good player.

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IZ – Russia is opening the tournament against Canada. I can’t think of a better opening game. Will the atmosphere surrounding this affect your concentration?

EK – I think it is good that we are facing Canadians right away, and then the Swedes. We’ll be in it right away, we’ll have to prove our worth in the very first couple of games.

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IZ – The team looked very good in the Subway Series. Don’t you think it improves the outlook?

EK – Of course. We all feel more confident in ourselves. A lot of us now have experience prevailing over Canadians. Let them be slightly shaky in anticipation of our meeting. Because they can not learn to play our style of hockey, while we can learn to play theirs. We can accept and understand their hockey and play with them. And succeed. [Ed note: Wow, trash talk.]

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IZ – This is your fourth World Championship. You played in two U18 tournaments and one U20. So far, you have only managed to collect a silver medal for the U18 team in 2009. Are you determined to win the gold this time?

EK – Of course we would like to be in first place. There is no alternative – you’re either number one, or you have lost the tournament. But I don’t want to talk about that right now. All three tournaments I went to, we always talked about winning, and we never did. We need to learn to be calm. Less talk, and more action.

When a Caps Prospect goes above and beyond the call of duty, a one paragraph summary in Prospect Watch does not suffice. Today, we detail the fantastic first half of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s sophomore KHL season. Take it away, Fedor.

Kuznetsov gestures to Traktor fans during a post-game celebration. See the video below for more.

During the 2010 NHL Entry Draft on June 26th, General Manager George McPhee had his sights set on one player. In his eagerness, he even tried to trade away a prospect for a move up ten spots in the first round to get his man. That would prove to be unnecessary.

Evgeny Kuznetsov fell to the Caps at pick number 26. “We think he’s a very, very dynamic player,” McPhee said of Kuz at the time. ”He can skate, he thinks the game well, he moves the puck, he really attacks the net.” Braden Holtby agrees.

Fast-forward five months. You’ll find the 18 year-old tearing up the KHL in only his second season. Since being put on the “Young Guns Line” with Andrei Popov (a Philadelphia Flyers ’06 draftee) and Anton Glinkin, Kuznetsov has found some serious chemistry with his linemates. He has four goals and two assists in six games since the EuroHockeyTour break ended on November 17th. His team, Traktor Chelyabinsk, has won five straight games.

Kuznetsov and the team’s development has also been aided by legendary coach, Valeri Belousov. He has been the bench boss for all of the Big Siberian Three teams (Traktor, Avangard, and Metallurg Magnitogorsk) and has coached both Jaromir Jagr– during his lockout stint with Avangard– and Sergei Fedorov last season with Metallurg.

The official blog of Traktor lays it out:

The November break allowed Belousov to get the team closer to the version he wants to create. He went to great lengths to reassure his players– despite the pressing responsibility of making the playoffs– and has made them believe in themselves more. To create the line combinations he has found a balance between veterans and youngsters.

In the realm of statistics, Kuznetsov has scored 8 goals and tallied 4 assists in 25 games. 25 games remain in Traktor’s regular season. Kuz projects to finish the year with 16 goals and 8 assists. How would this compare to the seasons Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Alex Semin had the year after they had been drafted?

* Year of the NHL Lockout where the level of competition in the RSL was considered higher

Pretty favorable comparison. Kuznetsov is on pace to score more goals than all three players at the same age. Does that mean Kuz will be a slam-dunk, 50 goal scorer when he inevitably joins the Capitals? Goodness, no. But it does mean that George McPhee’s comment that “[Kuznetsov's] probably talented enough to play in the NHL”  sounds awfully sage.

To get a better idea of Evgeny’s skillset, burgeoning creativity, and talent, let’s take a look at some of his most recent goals (Kuz wears #92).

Evgeny scores on a curl-and-drag move against CSKA to tie the game at two. Traktor went on to win 3-2. Remind you of a anyone?

After the game, Kuznetsov was asked about how it felt to score such a beautiful goal during the locker room interview: “I’m just trying to be ready to score if I can,” Kuznetsov said, “and it doesn’t matter how. The main thing is to get a goal up on the scoreboard.”

At 1:35 in this video, Evgeny fakes a wraparound, curls back around the net, and scores in front. This goal came late in a game with Dynamo Riga, making the score 3-1.  Traktor won 4-1:

In his interview after the game, Kuznetsov reflected on chance. “I think it’s luck when you get a good opportunity to score. Whether you use it or not depends on the skill to make everything right. The puck went the right way, I tried to get it low, and it hit the five hole.”

At 7:01 here Kuznetsov scores a tie-breaking PPGWG via wraparound. This extended Traktor’s winning streak to four games:

Finally, at 4:07, Evgeny Kuznetsov expertly deflects a shot from the paint to tie the game at 2. Traktor went on to win 3-2 in the shootout:

For Kuznetsov, it doesn’t matter how you score. His play reminds this writer of Claude Giroux.

Bonus. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Petr Vampola celebrate with their fans after a win. Nice showmanship, better than those tame Ovechkin-Backstrom’s jump-bumps. [Ed. Note: Please watch until the end. You'll be glad you did.]

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.