Alex Ovechkin on Russia’s 3-2 Loss: “The Americans Didn’t Surprise Us”

February 15, 2014 4:42 pm

Photo: Jayne Kamin

Alex Ovechkin and Team Russia played John Carlson and Team USA Saturday morning. The game was an instant classic, the best of the Olympic tournament thus far. Russia lost 3-2 in the shootout after TJ Oshie scored the deciding tally on Sergei Bobrovsky five-hole.

Ovechkin spoke to R-Sport after the game.

“Today’s game was even worthy of a final,” he said to Alexander Rogulev. “It was a good game, unfortunately we lost in the shootout.”

Some would argue that the game should have never even have gotten to that point. With just under five minutes to go in the third period, Team Russia defenseman Fedor Tyutin ripped a shot from the point that eluded Team USA goaltender Jonathan Quick. It appeared to be the go-ahead goal. However, Quick had knocked the net off its mooring on a previous shot. After the refs conferred, they negated the goal.

“I don’t know what happened with Tyutin’s goal,” Ovechkin said to sportbox.ru. “But the ref should have counted the goal! Nobody from our team touched the goal. The goalie moved [the net]. The ref should have seen it and given Quick a minor.”

Unlike in the NHL, IIHF rules stipulate that the net must be sitting straight on the pegs, in full contact with the ice, or play must be blown dead.

Ovechkin, who had 7 shots in 19:55 of ice time, had few answers when asked why he thought Russia lost. “The Americans didn’t surprise us,” the Russian machine said to R-Sport. “We knew how they’re gonna play. Unfortunately, we’ve made some mistakes again, picked up some bad penalties.”

The bad penalties that cost Russia both came from Alex Radulov, a notorious firecracker on the ice. He took an undisciplined cross-check, which led to Cam Fowler’s game-tying power play goal in the second period. He also was whistled for hooking in the third, which led to Joe Pavelski’s go-ahead power play goal.

Despite some good play, Russia has to eliminate the mistakes and play a perfect game, lest the shootout will decide the winner. And the shootout, as Ovechkin says: “It’s a lottery.”