Impressive comeback: the Russian youth hockey team started with a victory in the Super Series with Canadians

November in hockey is the time of the youth super series between the Russian national hockey team and three teams of the Canadian junior leagues. Since 2003, the six-match series has been one of the main shows of young players before the World Cup, which is closely watched not only by fans, but also by NHL scouts. The format of the super series is simple - the Russians play two matches with representatives of the Major Junior Hockey League of Quebec (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL), after which the winner is determined by the points scored.

In recent years, the Super Series went from west to east, which was extremely inconvenient for Russian hockey players - it took longer to get to the Pacific coast of Canada, after which it was necessary to re-acclimatize with each subsequent movement in the opposite direction. This time the regime is more sparing - the Russians started the Super Series with matches with the QMJHL team, which is traditionally considered the weakest of the three leagues.

In Canada, four attackers playing in Quebec joined the team of Valery Bragin. Egor Sokolov, Alexander Khovanov and Dmitry Zavgorodniy represent different clubs, but in the team they joined in the second link. So the shock troika appeared, which does not need to come to its senses after a tiring flight. Another legionnaire Nikita Alexandrov, who was selected by the “St. Louis Blues” in the last NHL draft, got into the fourth link.

The match began in St. Johns, New Brownswick, where the Russians played twice and won both times, it turned out calm, if not boring. Over the first half of the period, the teams hit just eight shots on goal. Quebecers sorely missed their captain and main star Alexis Lafrenier, who scored fantastic 43 points in 18 games this season. The main contender for the first number of the NHL draft passes the Super Series because of an injury, and the team partners did not know what to do without him.

The Russians were the first to come to their senses and began to create a sharpness at the gates of others. If the throw of Vasily Podkolzin turned out to be inaccurate, then the breakthrough into the alien zone of Khovanov ended in a take. Until the end of the first period, Bragin's wards controlled the game and did not allow Canadians to approach the gate of Daniil Isaev.

Here's Alexander Khovanov tucking home the game's opening goal. # CANvsRUSpic.twitter.com / gjFCTo8XIq

The statistics of the second 20-minute could add up to the wrong impression that the Russians continued to outplay the rivals - by the number of shots they were twice as much as the Canadians. But in reality, Canadian youth had more dangerous moments, and some of them were created by guests themselves. In the fourth minute, Gabriel Fortier equalized, starting the attack after having won in a throw-in. Soon another counterattack followed, and now Jacob Pelletier and Dawson Mercer played the puck for two without a chance for Isaev.

Here's how the #QMJHL took their first lead of the night in the second!

🚨Dawson Mercer
🍎Jakob Pelletier
🍏Jordan Spence
⌚️9: 43

QMJHL 2⃣, RUS 1⃣ # CANvsRUSpic.twitter.com / oeOsV4Y568

The second period became completely unsuccessful three minutes before the siren. Stepan Ostrovsky without unnecessary need went to a power reception in his area, but he only injured his hand. Canadians did not think to interrupt the attack, and Rafael Lavya launched a long-range shot. The puck did not reach the goal and stopped right under Isaev. No one noticed her, except Pelletier, who was driving out of the gate, who made a fuss on the spot, and as a result Lavoie pushed the puck out of the line.

Jakob Pelletier stuffs it home for Team #QMJHL to give them a 3-1 lead in the middle frame!

🚨Jakob Pelletier
🍎Raphael Lavoie
🍏Dawson Mercer
⌚️17: 10

QMJHL 3⃣ - 1⃣ RUS # CANvsRUSpic.twitter.com / xPM4Yo3x4C

Fortunately, before the break, the Russian team was able to slightly correct its situation. Khovanov struck a corner for the gates of others and gave a pass for the backs of the defenders, to which Zavgorodniy, who met no resistance, responded. This goal was very necessary in order to be charged with emotions before the third period, and in it our Quebec link completed the work begun.

How did we get to a one goal game after 40? This buzzer beater goal, courtesy of Dmitry Zavgorodniy!

🚨Dmitry Zavgorodniy
🍎Alexander Khovanov
🍏Nikita Zorkin
⌚️19: 55

QMJHL 3⃣-2⃣ RUS # CANvsRUSpic.twitter.com / wT4MVMewGv

First, Sokolov gathered his defenders and gave a pass to the left throw-in circle, where he was already waiting for the same Khovanov. And after a few minutes, the author of the double stole the puck in a foreign zone and gave it to Zavgorodniy, and he issued a victory. Once again, the youth of Bragin performed a beautiful comeback in a match with Canadians, although players who did not undergo full training with the team became its authors.

And here's your game winner from Saint John tonight!

🚨Dmitry Zavgorodniy
🍎Alexander Khovanov
⌚️16: 44 (third period)

RUS 4⃣-3⃣ QMJHL # CANvsRUSpic.twitter.com / JjTClIw64U

Before and after the third goal, Canadians persistently tried to abandon the fourth goal themselves, but Isaev did not allow this to happen, and the defenders learned the lessons of the second period, minimizing their mistakes.

It is disappointing that attackers from Russian clubs could not show themselves in any way, in particular, the first link of Podkolzin, Ivan Morozov and Danil Savunov, although it made seven shots in total.

The head coach of the national team Bragin complained about the pucks missed by the team, but did not scold the wards, as this was the first match in Canada.

“I am pleased with the result. This was the first game, it is always difficult. Many guys in general for the first time in Canada, for the first time felt what it is - fast explosive hockey, when decisions need to be made so quickly. There were errors, we will try to remove them. Canadians scored very easy goals after our tactically wrong actions. Of course, the difficult road, acclimatization - all this affects the actions of the players, but you need to make fewer mistakes in terms of tactics. We will improve the quality of our game. The Russian guys who play in the Quebec junior league played well, scored all the goals. We’ll see everyone, there will be a rotation, everyone will play enough, ”the press service of the Russian Hockey Federation quotes the coach.

Khovanov admitted that he hopes to get into the national team at the World Youth Championship with the help of the Super Series, although he can only prove himself in one match against the QMJHL team.

“It is a pity that you can hold only two matches? Of course, I want to play with other leagues, check my level, show our game. But these are the rules, there's nothing to be done. Maybe they will change in the future, it would be great. To be in the Czech Republic at the MFM is a dream for everyone here. I remember watching the match in which our team won back from 0-3 and won. Since then I have been dreaming of winning the gold of the World Championship as part of the youth team. Last year I did not succeed in joining the squad, but in this I have a good chance, as it seems to me. I got older, well prepared for the season. The main thing is to continue playing your game, ”said the captain of the youth team.

The next game with the QMJHL team will take place on November 6, and it is highly likely that the Russian team will again leave on the shoulders of the legionnaires, but acclimatization after the daily flight will have to stop bothering with other matches.