Alex Ovechkin arrives in Germany wearing a Capitals Hat. (Photo via Sovetsky Sport. Top Photo via Soviet Sport)

(Original Story by Soviet Sport’s A. Lipkin, English translation by RMNB’s Fedor Fedin)

As of a few weeks ago, the prospects for the Russian National Team at the World Championships did not look very rosy. Injuries to Zaripov, Morozov, coupled with not very good play of the goalies in the Gagarin Cup gave Russian fans legitimate concerns. And the failure of Vancouver is far from forgotten, which will cast a negative shadow on everything regarding the Russian team.

However, the results from the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs were like balm to the soul of our fans. New Jersey Devil Ilya Kovalchuk, Los Angeles Kings Alexander Frolov, and Nashville Predator Denis Grebeshkov were eliminated. And the Washington Capitals struggled against the Montreal Canadiens and ended their season, thus releasing Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and Semyon Varlamov to the national team.

As it turns out, throughout the season we can root for our hockey players in the NHL, but when it’s playoffs time, we are all together in wishing them defeat.

But the real question is, what’s the mood of the NHL players who are coming to the team? Especially of those who were looking for a better result in their NHL seasons.

- The atmosphere of the team is good. We’re ready to fight. Everything has just begun. On Friday we fly to Germany (interview was published yesterday). We’ll fight for the gold. – says Alexander Ovechkin.

- Is there a desire to take revenge for the defeat of Canada at the Olympics?
- As I said, the world championship and Olympic Games – these are two very different tournaments, so we can only take revenge in Sochi. So we go to Germany to protect our title.
- Have you managed to forget the failure of Washington in the Playoffs?
- Here it is a different atmosphere, different people. I arrived back home in Russia. Of course, we can not say that we’ve already forgotten the defeat in the Playoffs, but I’ll begin to gradually readjust. If I did not want to come here, I would not come, so I have strength and desire to play for the national team.
- Will the losses of the NHL players have an affect on the team’s emotional conditions?
- No, it will not. There’ll be new emotions. Emotions are always a part of hockey.
- Waiting for Datsyuk?
- Of course, we all wish him good luck. I wish him once again to win the Stanley Cup, God willing.

Malkin to center Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin on the first line for tomorrows tilt against the Czech Republic.

Earlier today, RussianHockeyFans.com broke the news that Team Russia’s First Line was getting an upgrade for tomorrow’s game against the Czech Republic. Alex Ovechkin & Alex Semin will now be centered by Evgeni Malkin. Talk about instant offense…

Yes that’s right, the Russians have now reunited the friends-turned enemies-turned friends again in Ovechkin and Malkin. Awesome. Also, RussianHockeyFans.com has the new Powerplay & Even-Strength Line Pairings for tomorrow as well:

New power play lines
According to Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express, here are the new powerplay lines:
1. Alexander Ovechkin – Pavel Datsyuk – Evgeni Malkin, Kovalchuk – Gonchar
2. Alexander Semin – Viktor Kozlov – Alexander Radulov, Andrei Markov – Ilya Nikulin.
Ovechkin and Radulov were positioned in front of the goalie, screening him.

According to sports.ru, the new top two lines look like this:
1. Alexander Ovechkin – Evgeni Malkin – Alexander Semin, Sergei Gonchar – Fedor Tyutin.
2. Ilya Kovalchuk – Pavel Datsyuk – Maxim Afinogenov, Konstantin Korneev – Denis Grebeshkov.
The other two lines remain the same:
3. Alexei Morozov – Sergei Zinoviev – Danis Zaripov, Ilya Nikulin – Andrei Markov.
4. Viktor Kozlov – Sergei Fedorov – Alexander Radulov, Dmitriy Kalinin – Anton Volchenkov.
Evgeny Nabokov will start in Goal

And don’t worry, nothing’s changed on the PK. Viktor Kozlov is still one of the forwards. Man, if that’s not a chink in the armor, I don’t know what is.

Anyways, a few hours ago, Ovechkin discussed Evgeni Malkin moving to the first line with Soviet Sport’s V. Slavin. And RMNB has the translation first. Check it out:

V. Slavin – Why are you playing with Malkin instead Datsyuk?
AO – I think, with Malkin our line will get more force and speed.

VS – When was the last time you played on the same line as Malkin?
AO – In Torino Olympics – against Canada and in the World Championship in Riga.

VS – How do you interact with Evgeni?
AO – All right. The main thing is not to be obsessed with finding each other on ice. Play like you can. Play your game. If you’re trying to play for someone else, and try something special, you’ll get nothing in return.

VS – Earlier in the Olympics, you played on the point for the Powerplay. Today in practice you were in the paint. What do you think about your new role?
AO – How’s it new? Every time I play for Russia I play in the paint. That’s why it’s no problem.

Alex Ovechkin + Olympics = Happy. (Shaun Best/Reuters)

Tonight, RMNB is pleased to present our first translated interview from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Earlier today, Sovsport.ru caught up with Alexander Ovechkin after Team Russia’s Morning Skate and posed The Great Eight questions about one of Russia’s biggest rivals in the Olympics: The Czech Republic and their enigmatic superstar Jaromir Jagr. Many people have been overlooking the Czechs in the Olympics, but don’t lump the Russian Machine into that group.

The Czech Republic has been a huge thorn in Team Russia’s side over the past decade. They beat the Russians 1-0 in 1998′s Nagano Winter Games to win Olympic Gold behind the stellar play of Dominik Hasek. And then they kicked the Ruskies completely off the podium in the 2006 Olympics, beating Team Russia 3-0 to win Bronze in Torino.

Below the jump, RMNB’s Fedor Fedin translates the interview between Ovechkin and Sovsport. Find out how Ovi compares himself to Jagr in his prime, what the Czech’s chances are to win the Olympics and his opinion on fellow Caps Tomas Fleischmann and Michal Neuvirth .

Soviet Sport – Alexander, what do you expect from Jaromir Jagr in Vancouver?
Alexander Ovechkin – He’ll try to prove that he’s still good. He’ll relive a bit of the past.

Soviet Sport – If we’d compared the Alex Ovechkin now to the Jaromir Jagr at his best – who’s the better player?
AO – Let journalists answer that question. I’ll only say this – about 10 years ago he was a crazy forward. Do you remember when Jagr played with Lemieux? It was amazing hockey.

Soviet Sport – What do you think about Jagr’s bold promise in an interview for Soviet Sport where he told the interviewer that the Czechs will win the Olympics?
AO – Anything could happen.

Soviet Sport – Does it hurt you?
AO – No. What could he say? He’s Czech, he’ll play for his country. Could he say that they have weak team and gold will go to Russia? Never!

Soviet Sport – Russia lost to the Czech Republic in the Torino Olympiad and at the World Championships in 2006. Do you desire to get revenge?
AO – It’s long forgotten. Vancouver will absolutely be a new challenge. And we got revenge – we defeated the Czechs at 2007 World Championships in Moscow.

Soviet Sport – Don’t you think that the Czechs have worsened since the 1998 Nagano Olympics?
AO – Time doesn’t spare anyone. Leaders of the past became older.  There are new players still at hand.

Soviet Sport – What do you think about Czech #1 goalie Tomas Vokoun?
AO – He plays for Panthers in our division. He’s a good goalie.

Soviet Sport – Like Hasek?
AO – No, just a good goalie.

Soviet Sport – Have you ever played against Dominik Hasek?
AO – Yeah, he was in Detroit while I played.

Soviet Sport – How was it?
AO – I scored.

Soviet Sport – Once you came up to Vokoun [on the ice] and said: “Hey, I’ll score twice!”. And you scored!
AO – Words mean less. I have moments when I’m lucky, for example, I get rebounds. I was lucky there.

Soviet Sport – Who’s the best Czech player in the NHL?
AO – Defenseman Tomas Kaberle from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s one of their leaders. He’s reliable and an experienced player.

Soviet Sport – What can you say about the Czech players on the Caps – forward Tomas Fleischmann and goalie Michal Neuvirth?
AO – Top-level young players. Flash becomes better every year. Neuvy has been growing before our very eyes… Czechs will have a very interesting team at Vancouver. But I don’t think that they’re our only opponent in our group. The Slovaks and Latvians are not easy teams either.