Photo credit: Richard Wolowicz

On Sunday Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov returned home after Russia lost to Sweden in the 2012 Word Junior Championship gold medal game. Kuznetsov, who was named the MVP of the tournament and to the WJC All-Star team for the second year in a row, did not smile for photos or wear his silver medal after the game.

When he arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, Kuznetsov was greeted by SovSport correspondents and asked his thoughts about winning silver, beating Canada, and his plans for next year. Below the jump, I offer a translation.

SovSport: What’s your thoughts on the World Championships?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I wanted to come back home with the gold, but was unable to do so. It’s pleasant that we beat Canada in the semifinals. We had a great team that stood up for each other.

SovSport: Did luck play a big role in the final?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: The Swedes outshot us. That’s inarguable. We were able to even the game up a little in the third, but they again attacked more in overtime. Though they were lucky to score.

SovSport: Do you remember that chance you had when you hit the post?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I didn’t even know it hit the post. I only saw it after the game.

SovSport: What about that chance Nikita Gusev had with 30 seconds to go in the third period?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t want to comment. Everything happens for a reason. He understands it all and blames himself.

SovSport: The team went without wearing the silver medals…

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I have never seen anybody wearing the silver medal. It’s a huge pity to lose in the final. Especially with the 0-1 score. Everybody said we had bad defense before the tournament and we were not able to score a single goal against the Swedes.

SovSport: Have you seen the Swedish video with the matryoshka?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: It’s nothing special. We didn’t react. It’s some kind of childish antics.

SovSport: You flew to Frankfurt together with the Swedes. Did you talk with them on the flight?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, not at all. They won the World Championships and weren’t even drunk. They were like – not even happy. Like it’s the fifth straight title for them. And we didn’t talk – we’re not friends.

SovSport: Have you seen the Canadian media’s comments?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t speak English. I didn’t understand anything.

SovSport: Have you decided where you’re going to be playing next year?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: This is the wrong time to ask. But I have made my decision.

Kuznetsov’s elusive response to the question about his plans for next season, elicited several strong opinions from some of Russia’s biggest hockey reporters.

Pavel Lysenkov of SovSport

Slava Malamud of Sport-Express

Kuznetsov poses with the second-place silver platter. (Photo credit: Francois Laplante)

After defeating Canada 6-5 Tuesday, Team Russia returned to Calgary’s Saddledome on Thursday night to take on Sweden in the WJC’s gold medal game. Russia struggled from the get-go and only found their game in spurts during the third period.

The shot statistics tell the tale. Russia went without a shot on goal for the first 12:34 of the game, and at the end of the first period Sweden had outshot them 17 to 3.

The second period was even worse, as Russia managed to throw only one puck on net. By the end of the third period, Sweden held a 50 to 16 shot advantage. The game, however, remained scoreless.

In overtime, after outshooting Russia 8-1, Mika Zibanejad scored the golden goal on a breakaway, giving Sweden its first U-20 championship in 31 years. Caps prospect and captain of the Russian WJC team, Evgeny Kuznetsov, returned to the bench, crouched over, and weeped.

Despite the loss, Kuznetsov was named most valuable player of the tournament and was added to the WJC All-Star team for the second year in a row. His 13 points in Calgary and Edmonton led all scorers.

Due to age restrictions, this will be Evgeny’s last year playing on the junior circuit. During his three years playing on Russia’s WJC team, Kuznetsov was historically great:*

• During his three years on Team Russia, Kuznetsov scored or assisted on 29% (16 of 56) of his team’s goals during the preliminary stage and 42% (10 of 24) of the team’s goals in the playoffs.
• He has the second most career points among all skaters who have played in the WJC since 2000. Only Jordan Schroeder had more. Kuznetsov’s 26 career points (12 goals, 24 assists) leaves him tied with Jordan Eberle, Nikita Filatov, Brayden Schenn, and Henrik Sedin.
• Kuzetsov’s 26 career points ties him for the most points ever in U-20 Team Russia history with Filatov.
• Kuznetsov’s 26 career points ties him for most points scored ever by a player drafted by the Capitals (Michal Pivonka).
• His 13 points in this year’s tournament was the most a Russian has ever scored. His 11 points in 2011 tied him for second all-time with Filatov, Alex Ovechkin, and Vladimir Tarasenko in U-20 Team Russia history.

Kuznetsov will now return home to Chelyabinsk and play out the rest of the KHL season where his hometown team Traktor is in first place in the Eastern Conference. Kuznetsov is eligible to sign with the Capitals during the summer and play for them next season.

*Note: Russian stats do not include USSR.

Photos and Video

The Swedes’ call of the golden goal. (Via Puck Daddy)

Kuznetsov’s near goal in the third period. Off the post!

Sick pass from Kuznetsov to Gusev which almost results in a goal.

Evgeny Kuznetsov’s first period roughing penalty.

Sweden’s Mika Zibanejad scores on Russia goaltender Andrei Makarov in OT. (Photo credit: Nathan Denette)

Zibanejad celebrates his goal. (Photo credit: Andy Devlin)

Kuznetsov goes through the handshake line. (Photo credit: Richard Wolowicz)

Team Russia’s three MVP’s of the game. Kuzya (far right) not happy. (Photo credit: Francois Laplante)

Captain Johan Larsson celebrates Team Sweden’s gold medal win with the championship trophy. (Photo credit: Canadian Press)

Sweden players pose for a team photo. (Photo credit: Richard Wolowicz)

And finally… Ovi.

Additional reporting by Fedor Fedin.

“Canada, I can’t hear you.” (Photo credit: Elena Rusko)

One year ago in the WJC gold medal game, Canada held what seemed to be an insurmountable 3-0 lead over Team Russia heading into the third period. During the second intermission, Head Coach Valery Bragin pleaded with his team to respond, and respond they did. Russia stormed back– riding three assists by Evgeny Kuznetsov to win the gold medal game 5-3 and shock the hockey world.

But antipathy between the Russian team and North American fans and media was high, and the situation degraded even further after the Russians were kicked off their flight home for being rowdy.  Kuznetsov says the incident was “absolute nonsense,” but the tension has only gotten worse since.

Entering the 2012 WJC, Russia intended to prove that last year’s win over Canada was no fluke. Despite being the defending champions, the team still held underdog status. Kuznetsov, Russia’s captain and the only returning player from 2011, netted his second WJC hat trick in three games, pushing Russia to a 6-5 win.

After the game, Allhockey.ru’s Andrey Osadchenko spoke to Kuznetsov and filmed his entire Q/A with reporters. Below the jump, I offer a translation.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: We needed to kill the game off calmly, but, after all, [the Canadians] aren’t the Russians, they can’t be heroes.

Question: Zhenya, are you incapable of scoring less than three goals?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: It just happened to turn out this way. My linemates did everything for me and I scored three.

Question: What happened with the score 6-1 in the third?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: You know, it’s Team Canada and we’re playing them in Canada. When they scored first, that second goal was really hard to take, but thank God we held on. We need to forget this game and move on. The Swedes are waiting for us and we need to prepare.

Question: In the third, did you feel tired?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: You know, in a game like this, it’s difficult to be tired because of your emotions.

Kuznetsov laughs off taunts from Canadian fans. (S/T to Valtteri Kivinen)

Question: Did you see Canadian fans leaving the arena when it was 6-1?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, I was focused completely on the game and it’s a pity that we’ve allowed so many goals. Honestly, we wanted to win 6-1. But it’s okay, we’ll move on.

Question: What can you say about Makarov?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Makarov’s done a great job. Valery Nikolaevich [Bragin] made a goalie change at the right time. Vasya [Vasilevsky] was nervous a bit, and I hope he’ll be OK. We’ll support him. He’ll make all the saves on Thursday.

Question: Do you think you gave Russia more holiday time?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t know, but I hope people will have a good time and will celebrate our win as it’s supposed to be celebrated.

Question: Do you understand that for many people in Russia, the World Junior Championships are over? Canada is beaten, your goal is achieved.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: We still have the main goal that we came here for. It will be a difficult game against the Swedes, but we need to go out there and win. We have a day off tomorrow. We’ll get some rest, we’ll prepare for the game hard and we will have a renewed force.

Question: Zhenya, Thursday will be your last game for the junior team. What are your feelings?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I haven’t thought about it yet. If we win I’ll have positive feelings. Otherwise… it’s impossible.

Question: Do you think your critics will shut up now? They said you can only score against Latvia.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I have no right telling them to do so. They’re mature people. I have no business in saying anything. Last year, I could say something, but now I have no business. They’re mature people, they may have their own opinion, live their own lives. I play for the team, it doesn’t matter to me if I or my partners score. The main thing is that we’ve made it to the finals. I don’t care who’s scored.

Question: Do you understand you’re public enemy number one in Canada right now? You offended them with your comments and now you’ve offended them with your play.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I never offended anyone…

Question: But they are offended…

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I just said what is true here. I admit, I wanted to win very badly. I came here wanting to play against Canada.

Question: Is it important to you that you beat Canada in this stage and not in the finals?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Yeah.

Question: Do you think you’ll avenge your earlier loss against Sweden? Last year, [Russia] beat everyone who beat them on the group stage.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Yeah, I know that in this tournament the same team has never won the same match-up twice. We’ll try to continue this tradition on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

Before facing Canada in the semifinal round of the World Junior Championship, Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov was asked, ”Do you want to spoil the holiday season for Canada?” Kuznetsov replied, “No, I rather want Russia to keep on drinking.”

Kuznetsov backed up those words with 4 points (assist and a hat trick) in a 6-5 win over tourney host Team Canada. Combining this game and last year’s Russia-Canada game, Kuznetsov has 3 goals, 4 assists, and 7 points. His overall tally in the WJC tourney with one game remaining is 6 goals, 7 assists, and 13 points. The 19-year-old leads the tournament in scoring despite only registering points in only two of Russia’s six WJC games.

Here are the video highlights from Kuznetsov’s big night in Calgary.

Additional reporting by Peter Hassett and Fedor Fedin.

Photo credit: Francois Laplante

Thanks to his nine-point game versus the Latvians, Evgeny Kuznetsov was already the talk of the World Junior Championship before the semifinal game on Tuesday night, but his star-making performance in Russia’s 6-5 victory over Canada has made him the premiere young hockey talent in the world.

The Canadians recovered from a second period meltdown — which ended with them down 6-1– to mount a dramatic comeback in the third with 4 unanswered goals in 5 minutes. The game ended before Canada could close the gap.

Goals from Alexander Khokhlachev, Nikita Nesterov and Nikita Kucherov aided the Russians, but it was Kuznetsov’s three goals that shattered Canada’s confidence. Drafted 26th by the Capitals in 2010, Kuznetsov scored all three of his goals at even strength and assisted on Khokhlachev’s goal.

Kuznetsov recorded his second hat trick of the tournament.

This is Kuznetsov’s second year in the WJC tournament, which Team Russia won last year. The Russians will now face Sweden in the gold-medal game.

Active officials stifled the game’s pace, doling out 81 penalty minutes in a spirited game between rivals. Kuznetsov endured a spear from Boone Jenner and an uncalled slash during a breakaway.

Evgeny Kuznetsov’s profile in the Canadian hockey media is higher than ever, and the scrutiny he receives will only intensify as he competes in the final round of the WJC and prepares to join the Washington Capitals, expected for the start of the 2012-2013 season.

Additional reporting by Fedor Fedin.

Photo credit: Francois Laplante

Evgeny Kuznetsov has done a lot of spectacular things in his young career: he was the youngest player ever to be named to a KHL all-star game; he’s starred in a movie; he scored the game-winning goal to win Russian the Karjala Cup; and he got married at 19. Late Thursday night in Calgary, Kuzya had the game of his life notching an incredible three goals, six assists, and nine points in a 14-0 thrashing of Latvia. It was the second most points ever scored in a World Junior Championship game.

After the game, Allhockey.ru’s Andrey Osadchenko spoke to Kuznetsov and filmed his entire Q/A with reporters. Below the jump, I offer a translation.

Question: Zhenya, first of all, congratulations on the victory. Second, do you believe in superstitions?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, not really.

Question: Everything didn’t go smoothly in the first period. Then Grigorenko looked to get badly injured. How did you react?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Misha seems to be okay, thank god. Of course I was frustrated he got injured and couldn’t continue to play. But we won and everything is okay.

Question: Did his injury have any affect on the game? Did you guys want to exact some revenge?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, we did not. Everybody understands that you can’t take penalties. You can get suspended two or three games for that. It would hurt the team.

Question: How do you compare this tournament with last year’s WJC? Do you draw any parallels?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, that one is in the past and this one is new and we need to build everything over again.

Question: Do you know how many points you had?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Maybe nine, I was told here. Just one shy [of the record], but that’s not a problem.

Question: Is it important for you?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Most importantly, my partners scored. That’s the most important thing.

Question: Did you take the puck from the hat-trick?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No.

Question: Why?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t know, I didn’t think a lot about it. Again, it’s not important who scored, we won and that’s it.

Question: How did you feel playing on the CSKA line (after Grigorenko’s injury, Kuznetsov played on two lines, one with Apalkov and Kosov and one with Gusev and Kucherov – the so-called “CSKA line”)?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: It’s good to play with anyone but when we talked to each other, some crazy plays started to work and I enjoyed it. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it before, I felt great playing with those linemates. Everybody played well. We have no weak players.

Question: It looks like you’re back to center. What do you think about that?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: It’s difficult to judge. We’ll talk with the coach tomorrow, and he’ll tell me how to play and… This game’s in the past, we need to start thinking about the next one.

Question: Why did everything start working today? In the first two games, [Russia] had 3 goals each and the offense didn’t really click. Today, it looked like everything worked.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t know, it’s difficult to say. For me personally, it’s kind of a tradition. Last year, I first scored in the third game of the tournament, tonight I hoped… It’s a very pleasant feeling that I was able to play like that.

Question: Last year, you had four goals and eleven points. Now, you have three and nine. Are you going after a record?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Two more will make it nice.

Question: Are you saving them for the Swedes?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No. It doesn’t matter how many goals I score or assist on. Team wins and everything else… you shouldn’t give a damn about it.

Question: The Candians are talking seriously about you now. They mocked us that we only scored three goals in each of the first two games. Now they fear you.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t remember what they said. What’s his name… Bob McKenzie, right? Say hi to him for me. I watched a show. I didn’t understand everything, but he praised everyone and he didn’t say a lot of good things about [Russia]. It’s not a problem. I think we proved tonight that we can score, score on an empty net, score hard-working goals and, most importantly, we allowed no goals tonight and helped Vasya [Andrei Vasilevsky] again. As they say it here, “shutout.”

Question: You follow McKenzie, but do you follow Canada’s play?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I was amazed they didn’t select certain players, but they play the same way all the time. They’re always good. Especially playing at home, in front of a whole arena, they’ll be tough. But they always play the same way and it’s very difficult to play against them.

Question: Did you know that Russia now has the same goal differential [as Canada] but has allowed fewer goals? Russia leads this year’s WJC in fewest goals allowed.

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, I just found that out now.

Question: [Analysts] have said that Russia’s defense would be the one true weakness of this team, but so far we have been the best…

Evgeny Kuznetsov: That statement is a weakness of who said that, not ours. I was confident in our goalie, that he’d play well. Both of our goalies — even the third — can play. The entire line needs to play defense and tonight we showed that we can execute the coach’s plan. Just as he said, “everybody returns, everbody helps out.” It gives the result. We can’t give up on defense.

Question: Zhenya, when was the last time you won with such a high score?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: I don’t really remember this big of a win. I actually haven’t had a hat trick in like four years. Yes, a long time. It was a big win… every win is good. Sometimes it’s more pleasant to win 1-0 than like this.

Question: You live in the same hotel as the Latvians. Did you talk to them before the game?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: No, we didn’t. They’re great guys, I can’t say anything bad about them, they were fighting, they gave their best effort. I think they’ll win the next game they play and will be okay.

Question: Do you say hi when you meet them?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Of course. You say hi to any hockey player. It’s mutual respect.

Question: Did you know about Forsberg’s record on the bench?

Evgeny Kuznetsov: Yeah, I was joking like, “Throw me out there! I have one point left!” It really was only that. I was unable to do it, but that’s not a big deal. The most important thing is we won.

Kuznetsov and his teammates celebrate his hat-trick. (Photo credit: Mike Sturk)

19-year-old Caps prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov had 0 points heading into Russia’s third World Junior Championship game. On Monday, he was shutdown in Russia’s 3-0 victory over Switzerland. On Wednesday, a frustrated Kuznetsov still could not land on the scoresheet despite rifling nine shots on goal against the Slovaks.

Enter Latvia. After not registering a point in the game’s first 27 minutes, Kuznetsov exploded, tallying an insane nine points over the next 33 minutes pushing Russia to a 14-0 victory.

You can check out video of his big night below the jump.

After scoring his first goal of the tournament on the power play in the second period, Kuznetsov then tallied another three minutes later. Then he assisted on the next four goals, spanning only 13 minutes of game time. His most impressive helper came on a nifty backhanded pass to Nikita Gusev for a power play goal. Six points, 13 minutes.

Kuznetsov got his hat trick three minutes into the third period, displaying his patented patience in front of the net. Sadly, only two hats were thrown to the ice from the Calgary crowd.

“Why were there only 2?” Kuznetsov quizzed Allhockey.ru’s Andrey Osadchenko after the game. “What is this? A funeral? I was hoping Zislis would at least throw his panties, and he didn’t.”

Kuzya then went on to assist on two of Russia’s final four goals to give him nine points total, the second most ever in a World Junior Championship game. Only Sweden’s Peter Forsberg (against Japan in 1993) has done better.

With his huge night, Evgeny leapfrogged Canada’s Mark Stone, Ryan Strome, and 2011 third overall pick Jonathan Huberdeau, and is now tied with teammate Nikita Gusev for the WJC points lead. He also almost matched his entire output in last year’s WJC (four goals, seven assists) in one game.

Russia’s next game comes against Sweden on Saturday.

Caps prospects Dmitri Orlov (center, holding the trophy’s handle) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (bottom right, biting his medal enthusiastically) pose with Team Russia following their thrilling 5-3 victory over Canada in the WJC’s Gold Medal Game. (Photo credit: Nathan Denette)

HUGS! Evgeny Kuznetsov embraces Head Coach Valeri Bragin. (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

If you’ve been paying close attention to RMNB over the past few months, you were already well-aware of the gem that the Capitals have in Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov, who has been tearing it up this season with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk, found his game when it mattered most in this year’s World Junior Championship. The Russian-born winger finished as the tournament’s second-leading scorer with four goals and eight assists, and led Russia to its first WJC gold medal since 2003.

In the quarterfinals against Finland, Kuznetsov single-handedly brought his team back from a 3-1 deficit registering a goal, an assist, and the overtime game-winner. The 18-year old then followed up that clutch performance with yet another one against the Canadians in the Gold Medal Game. In front of a boisterous pro-Canadian crowd at Buffalo’s HSBC Arena, Kuz assisted on three goals in the third period, including a no-look pass to Vladimir Tarasenko that yielded the game-tying goal.

Suffice to say, when Kuznetsov landed back home in Russia this past Saturday, he was met with a large media horde. RMNB’s Igor Kleyner has translated two Russian articles from this past weekend, which detail Evgeny’s feelings on his new gold medal, what it was like to play in front of such a hostile crowd, and that whole ‘underage-drinking/being-kicked-off-a-plane’ scandal.

The first article Igor translated is a story published in Sport-Express by Pyotr Tereshchenkov entitled, “Evgeny Kuznetsov: ‘And Then I Saw The Canadians Hiding Under Their Bench.’” Kuz was interviewed for this article by a group of Russian reporters upon landing in Moscow on Saturday, January 8th.

Question – Evgeny, do you wish you could have scored in the final?

Evgeny Kuznetsov – What’s it matter who scored? I was lucky to score twice in the quarterfinals. Someone else scored in the other games. It makes no difference to me. It’s the World Championship. Winning is the main objective, and it’s pointless to think about personal achievements. The goal is to bring home the gold. At this point, I don’t think anybody will remember who scored in which game.

Q – It appeared the team got fired up after the incident at the end of the second period, when a Canadian player kicked your captain, Vladimir Tarasenko, in the head while not trying particularly hard to avoid the collision. Is that true?

EK - More importantly, in spite of the injury, Volodya [Tarasenko] came out and played in the third period. When you’re in a situation where people do not surrender and keep fighting, then you begin to understand: “This guy came out to play injured, and I am healthy. Why can’t I play?!” Emotions overwhelm you. We scored right away, the crowd started making noise, but we scored the second goal, and the third. Everything settled down.

Q - Is it true that after the second goal the Canadians had fear in their eyes?

EK – I agree. Skating by their bench, I noticed they seemed to be hiding under the bench. All you could see was their coach’s head.

Q – How difficult was it to control yourself when the referees were not fair?

EK – Not at all. I have learned to control my emotions. As soon as you start arguing, talking – you can simply stop playing.

Q – Did you feel a lot of pressure from the twenty thousand strong crowd in the sold out arena in Buffalo?

EK – Of course. But it’s a pleasure to beat the Canadians.

Q – How did it feel to receive the award from the legendary Scotty Bowman?

EK – That was Scotty Bowman? ::laughing:: No, I did not receive my award from him.

Q – How does one avoid what happened to the Canadians, where you allow five goals in the third period and lose?

EK – First and foremost, you cannot stop concentrating. You cannot stop. You have to play your hockey through the end.

Q – It seems that you were picked on more than the others. Provocations?

EK – Not at all. In fact, I pick on everybody else. ::smiling::

Q – Did you follow the North American media during the tournament? Did you see all those “Kuznetsov’s Magic” headlines after your super goal against the Finns in the quarterfinal?

EK – No. I followed the Russian press on the internet, but did not pay attention to the American media.

Q – Do you have any desire to comment on the story about the team being taken off the flight home?

EK – It was absolute nonsense.

Q – Nevertheless, the American media paid a lot of attention to it…

EK – They should look at their medal. Then everything will be clear.

Q – Have your chances improved for making the Russian National Team now?

EK – Maybe, I can make the team for a round of EuroTour, but I don’t think I will get to go to the World Championships for the next two or three years. I don’t think anybody would be willing to take a very young player to such a tournament. You have to earn that. It will make me want to work even harder in order to make progress. And if they decide to give me a chance on the National Team, I will double my effort. I’ll try to play even better. Because to to be picked for the World Championship as an 18-year old, that’s a totally different story.

Q – When are you returning to Traktor?

EK – Tonight. I heard they are preparing something special at the airport.

Q – You think the whole city will be there?

EK – Maybe. ::smiling::

Q – Do you think you are going to get a couple of days off?

EK – I don’t know yet. Haven’t talked to anybody so far.

Q – And when do you feel you will be ready to go back on the ice?

EK – Any time. I am always ready to play.

Q – So, emotionally, do you have enough passion left for the rest of the season?

EK – Of course. It’s just a beginning of the most interesting part of the year. And now I have to go.

Finally, Igor has also translated a January 8th story by sportbox.ru’s Alexander Baranov and Yekaterina Balaeva, which continues the discussion from above. It’s entitled, “Evgeny Kuznetsov: ‘Next Up is the Stanley Cup!’”

Question – You have won the World Championship. What are your goals now?

Evgeny Kuznetsov – Next, is to win the Stanley Cup. And as far as the national team, I don’t think I will make the team for the next two years.

Q – Why?

EK – I am too young, and I doubt anybody wants to risk of bringing an 18-year old kid to the National Team. But if I get the call, I will redouble my efforts.

Q – Talk about the incident at the airport in Buffalo, what actually happened there?

EK – Nothing at all happened. We calmly got on the plane, turned our headphones on, and went to sleep. And then, two men walked on board and said: “Get off the plane, or it won’t fly!” Just stupid… Yes, we did yell a bit at the airport: “Russia – Champion!” But it was just emotions. We had just won the World Championship. I think if it were Canadians or Americans, no one would have said anything. But what can you do? We picked up our stuff, went to the hotel, and went to sleep.

Q – Canadian journalists kept the story going for quite some time.

EK – Let them look at what color their medals are.

Q – What was the most memorable moment, aside from this fantastic victory?

EK – Probably, the eyes of the Canadian fans. When I looked into the stands after the final siren, I saw a real sorrow. People were crying. I was shocked. And one more thing: when we made it to the finals, I saw some guys that printed out my picture, and drew a beard and mustache on me, and added a few not so flattering words. After the game, I skated up to them and asked: “What’s the score?”

Bonus! Photos from the Gold Medal Game

Canadians are sooooo clever. (Photo credit: Mike Cassese)

Evgeny Kuznetsov drives to the net, while (#22) Tyson Barries defends. (Photo credit: BuffaloWorldJuniors.com)

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko celebrate the GTG (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

The taunting continues. (Photo credit: Mike Cassese)

Caps prospect Cody Eakin decks Caps prospect Dmitri Orlov in the corner (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

Dmitri Orlov (right) celebrates with his teammates on the bench. (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

Orlov looks to tackle Bobkov. (Photo credit: Mark Blinch)

Denis Golubev enthusiastically raises his team’s new hardware. (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

Kuznetsov (right) poses with his teammates for a photo. (Photo credit: Stephanie Carosa)

Members of Team Russia stand as their flag is raised. (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

Dmitri Orlov (left) is REALLY happy. (Screengrab via Dmitry Petrov)

The Canadiens are devastated. Does this remind you of a particular event last year? (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

The Russians hold up their new trophy. (Photo credit: Rick Stewart)

The Swedes left this sign on Russia’s lockerroom door to congratulate them on their comeback victory. (Screengrab via Dmitry Petrov)

Additional reporting by Ian Oland.

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.