Ovechkin impresses
NHL prospect scores, hits in Cup debut
By STEVE BUFFERY -- Toronto Sun
ALEXANDER OVECHKIN has been starving for a taste of World Cup action, but the wait was worth it as the 18-year-old Russian hockey phenom was a feast for the eyes last night. Ovechkin, the first pick overall in the 2004 NHL draft and the hottest property to come out of Russia in years, scored a goal in his World Cup debut and dished out a number of solid hits against the Slovakian team in a 5-2 Russia victory.
The win means that Russia will play the U.S. in quarter-final action tomorrow at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., while Canada plays Slovakia on Wednesday.
ALL SMILES
Sitting in the stands at the Air Canada Centre last night was George McPhee, the general manager of the Washington Capitals, the team that drafted Ovechkin. Needless to say, McPhee was all smiles after watching the incredibly quick, hard-hitting Ovechkin more than hold his own against some of the biggest stars in the NHL.
"He's an enthusiastic kid, and that certainly showed when he scored," said McPhee, who had trouble wiping the grin off his face. "We are just really thrilled that he's part of this tournament and is able to soak up this experience."
At 7:10 of the third period, with Russia up 4-2 and the Slovaks pressing, Ovechkin, the youngest player in the tournament, took a pass in the slot from Dmitry Afanasenkov, and backhanded a shot over the glove hand of Slovakian Jan Lasak. He did not play the first two games, but didn't show any rust last night.
"It's a good feeling, I play against the best in the NHL and I feel good. I scored goal and I'm very happy. They gave me a pass and I shoot," said Ovechkin, who has already mastered the Big League art of speaking without saying anything.
The Russians head into tomorrow's game brimming with confidence, having defeated the aging American team 3-1 last Thursday in round-robin action. The visitors completely dominated, out-shooting USA 45-21. Still, Team Russia is not taking anything for granted.
"Yes, we're confident," forward Artem Chubarov said. "But it's going to be a different game, they're going to come out flying. It's going to be a big war."
The American team has been rife with dissent. Forward Brett Hull, who was a healthy scratch against Slovakia last week, is fuming over his benching and the team is scrambling to rise above the controversy.
"I'm pretty sure they're going to be ready for (tomorrow's) game," forward Sergei Samsonov said. "We know what they bring and the fun is over. Now the work starts."
