GDT: Quarterfinal • Jan. 2 • USA vs. Russia • II [MOD #571]

[Yakushev72]

I looked as far back as last Nemchinov's team, I wouldn't claim this team is much weaker than any of the predecessors. The strongest one sticking out was with Kuznetsov and Tarasenko on the same team, but the rest of them are pretty even.
I think this year Bragin didn't do a very well coaching job and it shows. Talent-wise the team is medal-worthy, but obvious deficiencies on D (slow, not able to start attacks on time, buckling under fore-check). I think he also got overly impressed with the likes of Dergachiov/Feshenko during the SSS and now realizing that 5 on 5 his team only has two lines, that he can rely on. He is overplaying the top-two lines because of that and the team is worn out in the third.

Maybe I could say it differently, rather than saying they are weaker than in recent years - they don't have a really dangerous big scoring line like they have had in other recent years, such as those that featured Tarasenko, Kuznetsov, Kitsyn, Panarin, Grigorenko, Kucherov, and so on. Somebody needs to score more goals to take the pressure off of a marginal defense that is fighting as hard as it can to defend one goal leads. The lack of a scheme to break out of the defensive zone is disturbing in light of the fact that its been a problem for a few years now.

 

[Yakushev72]

That team was weak defensively though, worse than this team.

IMO, its just as much a case of a faulty defensive scheme as it is the quality of the defensemen. Surrendering the blue line, and then collapsing around the high percentage scoring areas in front of the goal is yielding huge numbers of shots on goal. it is designed to nullify the North American tactic of dump and chase, combined with a heavy forecheck. But now the teams just carry the puck in and start cycling down low and fire away. Because the defense is backed up, the other team can pinch its defensemen in and just swarm the net.

Unfortunately, there is not much incentive to change when the system is working. Look at the QF, for example. The US only scored 2 goals. Yes, they got off a lot of shots, but its hard to get those shots through when you've got bodies packed everywhere. I would love to see a different scheme, however.

 

[Yakushev72]

I'll say it.......I'd rather have Varnakov coaching at the moment. Imo he's better than Bragin at getting the most out of average players.

I'm not sure what players you are talking about, but Varnakov's defenses were even worse than Bragin's. In Ufa, I remember the Germans, the worst team in the WJC, getting off more than 50 shots on goal. Varnakov's strategy was the same as now, so it must be the party line at the Federaton. The offense was so ineffective and unproductive under Varnakov that I'm not sure what you mean when you say that he was getting the best out of players.

 

[Zine]

I'm not sure what players you are talking about, but Varnakov's defenses were even worse than Bragin's. In Ufa, I remember the Germans, the worst team in the WJC, getting off more than 50 shots on goal. Varnakov's strategy was the same as now, so it must be the party line at the Federaton. The offense was so ineffective and unproductive under Varnakov that I'm not sure what you mean when you say that he was getting the best out of players.

Varnakov's gameplan was poor in Ufa because he didn't have the personnel to implement it. He positioned highly skilled offensive players down low in defensive zone to compensate for a crappy group of 1993 defensemen. It hampered breakouts. In the end, we still gave up tons of shots and the offensive players were limited.

But that same tactic worked wonders last year with a very thin 1994 generation of forwards. Only SWE, USA and CAN gave up more shots than Russia, and we won bronze with a roster full of freakin' Barabanovs, Khlopotovs, Yakimovs and Osnovins up front.

Talent wise this team is much closer to last year's team than 2013 team.

 

[cska78]

Varnakov's gameplan was poor in Ufa because he didn't have the personnel to implement it. He positioned highly skilled offensive players down low in defensive zone to compensate for a crappy group of 1993 defensemen. It hampered breakouts. In the end, we still gave up tons of shots and the offensive players were limited.

But that same tactic worked wonders last year with a very thin 1994 generation of forwards. Only SWE, USA and CAN gave up more shots than Russia, and we won bronze with a roster full of freakin' Barabanovs, Khlopotovs, Yakimovs and Osnovins up front.

Talent wise this team is much closer to last year's team than 2013 team.

Hey, I like Osnovin, he is certainly a better player, than some of 95 centers. I really dislike Kamenev on the line with Goldobin and Vzhik by example. Dergachiov is also meh, I can see why some ppl like him, but he mostly get PT on pk.

 

[cska78]

going back on the lines I would have put Sherbak with Barbashov and Buchnevich
I would have had Sharov with Goldobin and Tolchinskiy
Kamenev with Mamin Leshenko as a hard working two-way line
Bryukvin-Feshenko-Golyshev as a forth line

Tkachyov as a spare forward and I would have taken 7 d-men (no Paygin)

Bryukvin-