World Sport News

Forward “Carolina” and Team Canada Eric Staal in an interview about his team's victory over Russia at the Olympics and the pre-match setup. Scotty Bowman's legendary coach – the weak part of the Russians.

Eric Staal

On combination units

During the group stage we have not found their “comfort zone”. There was no understanding, the links did not work. Coaches all the time something changed. Apparently, the defeat in the group from the United States helped us. Appeared once the match with Germany, to try a new combination – I with Iginla and Crosby. And everything worked. We are accustomed to their roles and played aggressively. Apparently, the coaches and then realized that these combinations – a winning formula. In the playoffs we have not changed them.

I do not know why I played with Crosby. In general, I tried as best as possible to adapt to any center. And when you play with such a star like Sidney Crosby, you should try as much as possible any pressure in another area to play in the body, to release to him the puck. To be ready for two-way combinations “in the wall.” It looks like I did. It was a pleasure to play with him.

The match with Russia

Yes we just slowly boil before this match. Simmering, simmering, but before the first throw, we broke through. We were ready to tear everything in our path. Like the rest of Canada, I think. It's a terrible rivalry – Canada vs. Russia. The press was injected situation as best they could. And we are in the locker room itself wound up. Kick-off turned out exactly as we wanted, and away – until the very end.

Course, was and tactical training. Our trainers are excellent in all sorted out and showed us where and what to do. We had a meeting before the quarterfinals, where we discussed how to play with Russia. If it simply, you have to play in a “North – South”, pressed in a strange area and hard work in the body. Russian forwards have had from the beginning to punish, and we coped with this task.

“Of course, there was also tactical training. Our trainers are excellent in all sorted out and showed us where and what to do”

To close the link Datsyuk, it was necessary to spend more time in another zone. Datsyuk – one of those players who can quickly rob you from behind, it is very dangerous when moving from attack to defense. Therefore, we were told that we should throw as much as possible the puck into the zone behind their defenders. No cross-transmission in the neutral zone and blue line, in any case do not hold the puck for a long time – Paul in such situations manifests itself best. We therefore tried to get deep into their zone, so there is more active process of their defenders. What we managed.

When you play

such important matches, it is necessary to take the role you were given. We played against the technically gifted strikers and could not let them roam. When there is a chance – crushed, as they could, but to neutralize the opponent was the main task.

Scotty Bowman

Is no doubt that the Olympics had shown a high level of hockey. Canada has had a very strong team, but who I was really impressed, so are the Americans. In my opinion, the Russian was a weak defense. Their defense was much weaker than the other leading teams.

Lost quarter – not the fault of coaches. That tell me how many players from the Russian team would break into the national team of Canada? Do not know? And I can tell you that the strength of six! And almost all of them – strikers. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, Malkin, and, perhaps, Semin. Of defenders – only Andrei Markov. About Gonchar doubt. In any case, Canada was a much stronger composition. The U.S. has about the same situation. That's why I say that the Americans surprised me. They showed excellent team play and their goalie Miller was simply magnificent.

“That tell me how many players from the Russian team would break into the national team of Canada? do not know? And I can tell you that the strength of six!”

If games were held in large venues, the Europeans beat us, North Americans, it would be much more difficult. And this concerns not only Russia, but also champions the 2006 Games, the Swedes, who at this Olympics in general were not visible. European teams are strong combination game, and at larger venues is much harder to cover them. Let many Europeans play in the NHL, but the passion for the game to them lay the combination of childhood.

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