TORONTO — Signs Team Russia was out of sorts came well before the final minute of its World Cup of Hockey opener. But, in a sense, things went to another level in those last 60 seconds when captain Alex Ovechkin barely batted an eye upon scoring a goal that did count, then immediately raised his hands in celebration after knocking one in that didn’t.
It’s safe to say this club hasn’t quite got everything figured out yet.
In fairness to Ovie and his teammates, their 2-1 loss to Sweden Sunday afternoon was a defeat at the hands of a tournament contender that looked air tight from the drop of the puck. There’s no shame in losing to a squad that has three guys who can annually contend for the Norris Trophy. But that complete game from Sweden — a club no less yellow or sticky than honey — better be something Russia finds a way to emulate fast. Before their final jolt, the boys in red sure looked disjointed.
“We tried to beat them one-on-one and we don’t support each other in the neutral zone and the offensive zone,” Ovechkin said. “We have to play closer and play more in front of the net than outside.”
For much of the game, it felt like Russia was trying to score in Toronto while standing in St. Petersburg. In that regard, Ovechkin was doing the right thing in the dying seconds when he drove the net and knocked a puck past Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom while standing just to the goalie’s right. The problem, though, was that the Washington Capitals superstar guided the puck home with his glove and video review did not back Ovechkin’s claim that he nicked the puck with his stick before it crossed the line. After the game, Ovechkin said he had not seen the play again, but stood by his story.
Had that been the case, the Russians would have improbably tied a game Sweden led by two goals until Ovechkin floated a seeing-eye shot past Markstrom and just inside the far post with 0:33 seconds remaining in the third. Prior to that point, the Russians hadn’t done nearly enough to live up to their billing as a ferocious offensive unit.
“We did a good job shutting down a really, really talented offensive team,” said Swedish blue-liner Anton Stralman. “If you just look at the forwards — probably the best lineup in the tournament.”
Stralman’s praise might be on point, but it will all be for naught if the Russians can’t get in sync. Darts and dashes simply won’t get it done here.
Coach Oleg Znarok—who, for the record, said he trusted the video review of Ovechkin’s non-goal—started shaking up his lines in the third period, looking for a spark. However, whether it was Ovechkin and Vladimir Tarasenko suddenly skating together or Artemi Panarin taking rushes with Evgeni Malkin, nothing blossomed into anything tangible.
The six-on-five last-minute goal was great, but it was more extenuating circumstances than evidence the Russians were getting some real bounce in their step, their individual efforts starkly contrasted by the cohesion and effort of Sweden.
Now, with a game versus speedy North America on the horizon Monday night, Russia has zero margin for error. And if they can’t get on the same page quick, there will be absolutely no confusion over whether to celebrate or not.
