The Russian national hockey team lost in the match for bronze medals and for the second time in the past ten years was left without awards.
Since 2011, domestic hockey players have only twice ranked below the third, and the last time this happened in 2018.
Then Valery Bragin's wards took third place in Group B, and in the quarterfinals they lost to the Americans with a score of 2: 4.
Nevertheless, the head coach of the Russian national team Igor Larionov chose to concentrate on the positive aspects.
The mentor said that being in the “bubble” was an interesting experience for him and the hockey players, and talked about the prospects.
“We have seven people who can play in the World Youth Championship next year, we can build a team around them.
The rest is hockey ... One meter, one mistake, one loss can decide everything.
These are young players, you always have to look for something positive, even when you couldn't take medals.
I am proud of our team, the guys were professionals in terms of training and work ethics ", - quotes Larionov" Championship ".
The mentor of the domestic squad agreed that one could "apologize as much as one wants for the failure in Edmonton," but at the same time drew attention to the fact that the coaching staff and the athletes themselves had done a "colossal job."
“When you direct the squad to the game, it dictates the conditions to be overcome.
From our side, it is premature to talk about emotions, we need to analyze everything, and not make hasty conclusions.
We are all disappointed, we are grateful to our army of fans.
This could happen to any team, ”said the specialist.
In the course of the tournament, many journalists and fans got the impression that Larionov was trying to instill in his wards an overly complex style of play that required high performance skills and hockey intelligence.
“We talked about owning the puck, fulfilling the plan, but we must take into account both the players themselves and fatigue, if any.
Young guys make mistakes, but we still want to play hockey that is nice to watch.
We don't want to see boring hockey.
In some matches it worked, in some it didn't.
Our team, our young generation of players are still trying to return this style, when the game is fun and enjoyable, "Larionov admitted.
At the same time, the specialist emphasized that the hockey players themselves were enthusiastic about the desire of the coaching staff to act in a combinational and attacking manner.
“They felt, they liked what we offered ... I repeat, the guys should play hockey, which allows them to develop.
Thanks to the KHL and VHL clubs that prepared them, ”the mentor added.
At the end of the competition, Captain Vasily Podkolzin became one of the most talked about Russian hockey players.
In tense moments, the SKA forward tried to show leadership qualities not only on the ice, but also on the bench.
During the matches with Canada and Finland, the camera repeatedly captured the moments when the hockey player, instead of the coaches, communicated with partners during the breaks and tried to set them up for the fight.
“I was impressed with him.
Didn't doubt who to make the captain.
His leadership skills and dedication to the game were fantastic.
Podkolzin was very good.
This is the guy who gives 150% every match.
It's nice to see him take steps to become a hockey player you can rely on in any situation ... He showed an outstanding game ... I will say this to the whole team.
We cannot humiliate anyone.
The guys did everything they could.
The question is not about me, but about the national team, the nation, the country that was expecting success, "Larionov said.
He also thanked the captain's assistants in the person of Semyon Chistyakov and Rodion Amirov, focusing separately on the performance of the Salavat Yulaev forward.
At the youth championship in Edmonton, he became the top scorer of the national team, having chalked up two goals and four assists.
True, these indicators did not allow him to enter even the top 16 among all the participants in the competition.
“Young guys can surprise, impress and sometimes disappoint.
The main issue with young people is stability.
In such a tournament, everyone has ups and downs.
I think, in general, Amirov played well, scored some good goals ... I tried to give him the freedom to create, to use his strengths.
It is developing, step by step, ”Larionov assured.
The head coach also supported the goalkeeper of the national team Yaroslav Askarov.
After the defeat to Canada, he became the object of criticism, but despite this, he went on the ice in the match with the Finns and made a number of important saves.
True, in the end this did not help him to leave his goal intact and issue at least one shutout following the results of the championship.
“Askarov is a young player, high expectations.
I never doubted this guy, he will be a big superstar in Russia and the NHL ... He had a good tournament, one of the best in our team.
Yaroslav will play at the youth world championship next year and will be even better, ”concluded Larionov.
As well as after the defeat from Canada, the captain of the Russian youth team took the floor.
Podkolzin summed up the match for third place and reflected on the reasons for the unsuccessful outcome of the meeting with the Finns.
“I won't say that there was no strength, but I had to act better, play more with the puck, win more martial arts.
The most offensive thing is that we set up our coach.
He doesn't deserve that result.
Perhaps, as a captain, I didn’t set the team that way ... You just need to be able to play such matches, to approach them as calmly as possible - we had it at the Karjala Cup.
But one thing is Eurotrip, another thing is the World Championship, where everything is decided by nuances.
Perhaps at certain moments it was necessary to shout, and if we lose like this, then the captain, the leaders are to blame, ”Podkolzin TASS quotes.
The forward also commented on the fact that in the second match in a row he received a double minor penalty.
In the confrontation with Canada, he earned a removal during the first period and allowed the opponents to score the third goal, and in the meeting with Finland he was punished in the very ending with the score 1: 2.
“I won't say that these are emotions.
Today it is a pure coincidence, I drove into my player, and the club was on weight at that moment.
In spite of everything, it is my big mistake, to retire seven minutes before the end is very bad for the captain, "Podkolzin admitted.
In turn, Amirov thanked the fans for their support and admitted that the past championship gave him food for thought.
“Tough experience to go through.
Thanks to the tournament, I realized that there are qualities that I will have to work on upon arrival: what is missing, what needs to be improved.
I will not name them, but I made a conclusion for myself what and how to do, ”Amirov said.
The forward of Salavat Yulaev expressed the opinion that the victory of the Finnish team was prevented by the low realization of chances, and did not shift the blame onto the coaches.
“We had a great responsibility, but we, as leaders, could not do it.
A big lesson for all of us, an offensive defeat, now it's difficult to draw conclusions.
It was comfortable to play, they followed the coach's instructions.
There were zero matches, we couldn't score, we had to climb more on the goal, we didn't do that.
This does not mean that it is a bad tactic, we just did not follow the instructions, ”Amirov added.
At the same time, the Stanley Cup winner in the Anaheim Ducks, Ilya Bryzgalov, did not harshly criticize the youth team for the fourth place in the competition in Edmonton.
According to him, Larionov's team performed at its own level.
“I would not say that this is a disaster, but this is the result that the team deserved.
Everything is on the case.
We took the fourth place, it is a pity that we could not take the bronze medals, but nothing can be done, ”- quotes the words of Bryzgalov“ Sport-Express ”.
The former head coach of Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Avangard Omsk Fyodor Kanareikin did not agree with the ex-goalkeeper of the Russian national team and recalled that they expected higher achievements from Larionov's squad.
“The national team rode for the victory - it got the fourth place.
They have not completed.
The game with the Finns confirmed that the team is functionally addicted.
The meeting with Canada showed it.
Today we started the first period quite well - it stayed with us.
And then everything showed up again, the Finns dragged us into a sticky game that they could not break.
And there was nothing, it was evident that the faces were devastated.
They blocked the shots very badly, the defenders played amorphous on a penny, did not control the clubs, and acted indifferently.
These are serious mistakes, "Kanareikin said.
The Honored Coach of Russia expressed the opinion that the coaches of the national team made a mistake by overly evaluating the qualities of the charges.
“We overestimated this particular line-up before the tournament, all the time there were comparisons, stories about star guys.
This affects the game.
There is a very fine line here at this age.
We must treat them with care, and we praise them very much, ”the coach added.