Igor Zakharkin: We have enough players to play hard hockey against Canada

The assistant coach of the Russian national team Igor Zakharkin has spoken about the upcoming 2011 World Hockey Championship quarterfinal game against Canada.

«The Canadian national team is very strong and ambitious. It includes a lot of very experienced players blended with young talent. They are an extremely formidable opponent whom we respect. We understand that it will be a huge battle both for us and for Canada. It’s play-off, it can’t be otherwise at this stage. Play-off games have a completely different nature, everybody understands he has to play for a win. That’s it,» said Zakharkin in an interview with Sport-Express.

«What is the main strength of the Canadians?»

«Probably, it’s their belief that they are mentally stronger than any opponent. However the game develops, they will hold their ground. You should add to it their strong defending, impertinent attacking, and uttermost condfidence that they can win anything…»

«We all understand that Canadians are very strong and this fact automatically mobilizes our guys, both psychologically and functionally. We will be perfectly prepared to the game. Our team has a lot of players with some aggressive touch to them, not only Artyukhin. Kulyomin can also play this way if it’s required, as well as Kovalchuk… Radulov and Zaripov are good at jostling too. In a word, we have enough players to show hard hockey. On Thursday we will see the national team that plays powerfully and aggressively. Our guys have a huge potential which we haven’t used at this championship yet.»

«After the last two defeats Ovechkin and Kovalchuk said: «Do not look at the scoreboard. The team is going from strength to strength». Are they right?»

«It’s true! We see how the team is being literally born before our eyes. It’s a well-known fact: a team dies after each championship and should be born anew in the next one. Now we have almost all thing in their places – and we see how Ovechkin’s game improves, we have seen a more energetic and aggressive national team. I think we’re moving in the right direction.»