Оффтопик2007 IIHF Men's World Championship
Throughout the IIHF World Championship, David Backes will provide an insider's perspective of Team USA's on-ice experiences and off-ice memories in and around Moscow.
May 9, 2007
Another day with only a practice scheduled and the rest of the day to either enjoy the city or rest for the game tomorrow.
Sleeping in until 10 a.m., which was the breakfast time for the morning, we felt ready for the day that was wide open. Breakfast is coming down to some fried eggs and fruit. After breakfast, there was a little time and I chose to surf the web to figure out what was going on with the forest fires that are in the Boundry Waters Canoe Area -- my favorite summer vacation spot -- where my fiancйe’s family has a cabin. Jack [Johnson], on the other hand, decided that more sleep would do him well.
Practice was scheduled for 2:30 at the same rink as the previous day. More of the same preparation, but this time the newest addition to the team, Zack Parise, had joined the team for the skate. Practice was up-tempo and I feel like it was a good lead in to tomorrow’s big game.
After practice, the team had arranged for a dinner at one of the most frequented places here in town, Ceccos -- an Italian place with good food, and the waitstaff speaks English pretty well. We ate pizza and lamb shanks, followed by pasta and chocolate cake for dessert. A satisfying meal to end the day.
After returning to the hotel, a few of us congregated in the hospitality room and watched “Jackass Number Two.” Funny at times, but also very repulsive. By the end, it was time for bed and getting ready to win a very meaningful hockey game tomorrow against Finland. As I write this, the sound of fireworks are prominent outside as the Russians are celebrating Victory Day to acknowledge the end/win of World War II.
May 8, 2007
We have come to a point in the tournament where everything means a little more. Win and continue toward the gold medal, lose and be on a plane the next day without any hardware and the last two weeks worth of work all for naught. We are fortunate enough to have two days to prepare for our next game, which is the most important of the tournament, against Team Finland.
We finally move to the big arena, seating 14,000 instead of the 7,000 that the rink we had been playing in could hold.
The locker rooms are twice the size, too, and we were happy to be there. As we walk out of the room to go to the practice rink, people are giving us weird looks and we are wondering what was going on. Finally, someone who speaks English asks if we know that we have a 30 foot walk over concrete and down stairs in order to get to the practice rink. Obviously, we did not because we had our skates on already and were headed to practice. Some of the guys scrambled to find skate guards to walk over, others tip-toed hoping to not damage their edges too badly, and yet others, including me, decided that we were not above getting on all fours and doing a little crawling. As a few clapped and others laughed, we did it all to make it to practice.
Practice was less than an hour and we focused on not developing any bad habits in the two days that we had until the next game, and we implemented the gameplan for Finland. They are team that is hard-working, can skate well and will always be in our face. We need to be ready to make plays quickly and to the right/safe areas so that we can control what is going on in the game.
After the practice, we returned to the hotel with a lot of free time for the first time in a while. My new roommate, Jack Johnson, and I decided that watching a little bit of “Dumb & Dumber,” and then taking a short nap was appropriate. Not setting an alarm was a bit of a mistake because, three hours later, we woke up and it was already almost 6:30 p.m. We decided that McDonald's was a good choice for dinner and made the trek there and back. On the way back, a few quick stops in some stores along the way for some souvenir shopping and then back to the hotel for “A Knight’s Tale” and call it a wrap on the day.
May 7, 2007
Today is gameday against the Canadian team. Morning skate because of the day off yesterday and then the regular pre-scout. I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria and then an afternoon of resting up so that we can have some success later.
Right to the game: We were excited to get a shot at a team that was made up of a lot of NHL players and also a lot of guys we knew from the regular season. With the gameplan in place, we took the ice expecting a physical, fast-paced, NHL-style hockey game. The puck dropped and, within eight seconds, they had put it in the back of our net. The next shift, we take a penalty and they score early on the power play to make the score 2-0 less than a minute into the game. Not the way that we had drawn it up, and not the way you ever want to start a game. By the end of the first period, it was 4-0 and Team USA looked like the wind had been taken out of its sails. The final score ended up 6-3, so, in the final two periods, we outscored them, 3-2, but that is no consolation to a game that we let slip away within the first couple shifts of the game.
After the game, there was little to do but help our guests pack and gather their things because of their early departures on Tuesday. A little bit of pizza and a lot of packing, then to bed for 4.5 hours before the first of them began to depart at 7:15 a.m.
May 6, 2007
Wake up early again for practice and preparation for the game against Canada tomorrow. At breakfast, we realized that the trainers were there -- they are normally at the rink a few hours before we get there to get things ready for the day -- and this was a sign to many that the practice was canceled for the day, a welcomed announcement. The day was to be spent with our guests, doing whatever we wanted and just getting away from the rink for the day.
That meant that I was able to join the group that was going to the flea market in downtown Moscow. We take the bus down to the market and, immediately, we found hundreds of little shops and many of them had the same exact things as the shop a couple down from them. The task was to get gifts for people who had requested them, for my fiancйe and my families.
We were able to do some good bartering with the shop owners and get some good gifts for good prices. Some of the things that we got were T-shirts, some native Russian dolls (the ones you open and there are more little dolls inside), some jewelry and a bull frog noise imitator.
The two hours that we spent there were interesting, but also, for me, it was still shopping, and two hours is pretty close to my breaking point, especially when I am a little hungry. On the way out, we stopped and picked up some food -- grilled lamb and pork with some bread and a Fanta. The food was really good, or I was just that hungry, because it was the best food that I think I have had in a very, very long time.
Back to the hotel for a couple of hours, which meant it was nap time for me, while Kelly got ready to go to the night's activity, the Russian Ballet. The ballet turned out to be a pretty good cultural time.
Experiencing the arts and entertainment was something universal. It may have gotten a little long, but there were parts that had a storyline and were very entertaining, even to a ignorant dance person like myself. A little late-night Chinese food and it was bed time.
May 5, 2007
Wake up to the sound of my alarm and already thinking about the game this afternoon. We have the regular morning schedule for a 4:15 game -- except for the festival outside the hotel, which included loud music and a PA announcer, in Russian, I could not only hear, but feel. That extra noise really interrupted the pregame nap. But, nonetheless, we get to the game and have a plan for breaking the trap that Germany plays well.
We get into the game and we are dominating the play, but cannot seem to capitalize on any of our chances, and, against, a team like Germany, the longer they hang around, the more dangerous they are. Paul Stastny had two power play goals and Lee Stempniak had his forth goal of the tournament to give us a 3-0 win. John Grahame also played outstanding, bailing his teammates out on many occasions to keep the shutout intact.
After the game, about half the team went to a place called GQ and the other half of us went to an Italian place. The food was good and we made the dinner a shorter affair than the three-hour marathons that had become norm. Back to the hotel and off to bed.
May 4, 2007
Wake up early for the day after a game and headed for the rink. Practice early in the morning means we have the rest of the day for activities with our guests. Getting to the rink, we have our game jerseys out because it is picture day. The practice is cut in half because of the pictures, and then we get to business for 30 minutes and set the game plan for beating the team from Germany.
After practice, we swing by the hotel for a quick bite to eat and change of clothes, and then we were off to downtown Moscow for some touring with our guests. We meet at McDonald's and then go straight to the Hard Rock Cafй for some more food. A meal that was expected to be Americanized, turned into picking at what we thought was edible. Even the 7UP was suspect.
It was then time to get to the U.S. Embassy to join the marines in a gathering to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. We get there and they have a very nice setup -- darts, pool, a big screen TV and English speaking people everywhere. Burritos and tacos were for dinner and conversing with the staff from the embassy the goal of the evening. We ate and played the many games that they had provided and, then, by 8:30 at night, the guys and their guests were exhausted from a full day.
Back to the hotel to check e-mail and relax before going to bed.
May 3, 2007
The second round of games begins today and the team feels like we have something to prove after the loss to the Czechs at the end of the last round. Same normal routine for a 4:15 p.m. game -- wake up for breakfast, go for a walk with the team and then have our meetings, which show the tendencies that the opponent has. After the meetings, time for a two-hour nap and then off to the rink for the game. A little more video at the rink 1.5 hours before the game and it was complemented with a motivational video that was to the song “Afraid of Americans” and included most of the goals we have scored this tournament and a lot of big hits.
The game against the Slovaks was going to be fast-paced and we knew that we had to contain their top line, which is made up of all-world players, Demitra – Gaborik – Hossa. We also we knew that their power play could make the difference if we marched to the box all night long. We got the lead, 1-0, on a huge slap shot from Andrew Hutchinson and never lost the lead, with the final being 4-2.
We are off to another great start in the second round. Greeted by the news of 10:30 a.m. ice time, we were all a little disappointed, but that is part of the game. A group of us and our guests, 25 in total, went to a restaurant called “Galleria” in downtown Moscow. It was a trendy place with good food and a great atmosphere.
After the meal, it was past midnight already and with the early practice Friday we knew that it was best to get back to the hotel and get a little rest before the long day tomorrow.
May 2, 2007
Something about the loss last night leaves a bitter taste in all of our mouths into the morning. I am not sure if it was just the way that it happened or if it was just the fact that it was the first loss as a group. Either way, we are not pleased with losing and know that when we wear the red, white and blue, we play to win and anything less than that is not acceptable.
Practice and then a little time to enjoy the downtown area of Moscow with our guests is the plan for the day. Sleep in -- the guests actually leave before we do, taking the Metro downtown -- and we are meeting them by bus after practice.
Practice was short and sweet to stay fresh for the upcoming rounds that are getting tougher and we are now into playing at least every other day. Again, we tweak the systems, but the same basic principles are still in place, in order to let us play the game, rather than think about where we are supposed to be and not making mistakes.
After practice, there is a mad scramble as we know we are headed downtown and we have limited time down there. Then there is a little curv****l thrown, as word of rain has gotten back to the rink. Since we weren't equipped with umbrellas, the near future was uncertain. As we got downtown after a 45-minute bus ride without traffic, the rain had subsided and it looked to be a chilly but pleasant evening.
Dinner was objective Number 1, so we headed to the preplanned steakhouse. When 30 people showed up for the reservation of 10, they were a little overwhelmed, so a few of us went away from the group to a place where the cuisine was average, but it was nice to be away from the normal routine and out in a setting where many people spoke English and we had a sit-down meal.
After the meal, the night was more exciting than we all had wanted. We called the “reputable” cab company as we were instructed. The alternative is flagging down cabs that are sometimes unsafe. We hear a cab will arrive 30 minutes. At Jack Johnson’s request, we head to the nearby McDonald’s, which is the largest in the world, and wait in line for a McFlurry. As we are waiting, 15 minutes after the call to the cab company, they were in front of the restaurant. We should have taken the hint that it took him half the time it was supposed to in order to get there.
As we get in, there are five people, plus the driver, in a car that was smaller than a family sedan. But the cab takes off through the crowded streets of Moscow, going faster than anyone else on the road. I had to double-take to see if we had hired Jeff Gordon.
For the trip back to the hotel, a $20 cab ride, our top speed was 140km/hr, which is about 87 m.p.h. We nearly avoided seven accidents, and our average following distance from the car in front of us was less than three feet. It took nearly an hour for our pulses to come back to normal.
Safely back at the hotel, we grabbed my laptop and headed to the team lounge room where “Smokin’ Aces” was playing and surfed the web for an hour before it was finally time for bed after a long day.
May 1, 2007
Wake up on the day of the third and final game of the first round and feel like we are ready to make it a clean sweep. Breakfast and then off to the team walk and stretch. We go out to the soccer field by the hotel again. This time to play soccer football -- a hybrid sport introduced by coach Barry Smith. It was fun and competitive, but the 40-degree temperatures outside made it a little cold to be hit with the ball.
After the warm-up, we continued the routine with the meeting to go over the team from Czech Republic. We went over their personnel, which was much more recognizable than the other teams -- we went over their power play, penalty kill and even-strength tendencies. We noted that we matched up well with this team and knew that if we put in the effort and stayed discipline we would like our chances.
This was the day our guests were scheduled to arrive, so there was a little anticipation for them to get to the World Championship to join us. Some of us were able to get in some pregame naps, while others had guests arriving. For me, it was time for a two-hour nap, knowing that my fiancйe, Kelly, was to get here after the pregame meal.
Wake up from my nap and then wait for the arrival -- finally, at 4:30, the second groups of guests arrive and it was time to go play the Czechs. At the rink before the game, the locker room seemed to be a little more quiet than usual, but I accepted it as the calm before the storm, maybe some nerves because of the quality of team we were playing.
Need I talk about the outcome of the game?
We started in the first period by allowing a power play goal and thought that if we stayed out of the box we had a good chance -- and we had plenty of time. Fast-forward to the third period, where we are down 3-1 with eight minutes left in the game and we have just taken a penalty. The outcome was looking grim as we were short a man for two minutes, down by two and not a lot of time on the clock. A shorthanded goal by Chad LaRose brought the score back to within one and 6:00 left in the game. A power play goal by Andrew Hutchinson later, and the score was tied with two minutes to go and all the momentum on Team USA’s side. With a little over a minute left in the game, the Czechs throw the puck on net and, through traffic, it finds its way to the back of the net and made for the final score, 4-3, in favor of the opponents.
After the game, there was a somber mood as we were handed our first loss, but there was also a feeling that we had shown good character in coming back from a two-goal deficit. A few celebratory moments followed for me, to acknowledge turning 23 years of age, and it was time for bed.
April 30, 2007
A NIGHT IN MOSCOW
The schedule for after practice was that we were going to downtown Moscow to see the city and have a nice dinner. We had a few hot dogs delivered to the locker room after practice -- no, that's not the nice dinner -- and then we were off to Moscow. The 45-minute bus ride brings us to a place that reminds me of many other European cities. The buildings are older than those we are used to, but it is clean and seems to be safe and historic. There are people out walking, and there are shops to be explored.
We walk a ways, all noticeable because we are wearing the prescribed jeans and blazers, until we reach Red Square. Many tourists were around snapping pictures of the sights, and Jack Johnson and I stopped to grab a quick Snickers Ice Cream Treat. Cost was 50 rubles each, which converts to $2, so the price is pretty similar. We all convened in the middle of Red Square, getting together for a Team USA picture. As we do this, and as a few people with the group start taking pictures, other tourists we didn't know began to snap some pictures also. That was a strange sight to be seen, but it didn't stop there. They then began to have members of their group join the picture, too. They had no way to determine who we were, but I guess they wanted picture with a big group.
After seeing the sights for about an hour, it was time for dinner that was set up by Erik Cole at a place called GQ, and it was topnotch. The food, the service and the people were all first-class, and it was nice to have a good steak and some fun with the guys. The dinner ended up being a three-hour affair, filled with many laughs, and most of the comedy was provided by one Matt Greene.
The bus ride back to the hotel took 15 minutes and was one of the funniest 15 minutes of the trip. Greener (Matt) and Chad LaRose had comedic dialog that should have won awards. With all of the stomachs full and pained from laughing, we were back at the hotel and it was time to rest up.
Wake up after long night of sleep and already thinking about the second game of the tournament against Belarus. Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. and with the attendance at the provided meal, I would say that the McDonald’s in walking distance is becoming a fundamental source of nutrition for more than a few of the guys.
For me, it was modified omelet, egg (cooked flat and then rolled), two thick pancakes with honey on them, and lots and lots of fruit, two oranges, a banana, 10 slices of pineapple, and then tried a bowl of their cereal, which turned out to be unsweetened cornflakes and the only milk that was provided was warm.
I don’t mean to complain about the food, because I have been able to consume enough calories to keep me going and, to me, it is comparable to dorm room food -- eatable, but gets a little old -- so you have to be creative to keep yourself interested.
After the breakfast, it was declared that the morning skate would not be happening; instead, we would go on a team walk and have the pre-scout at the hotel. This was a relief for many as the event of a morning skate would take about four hours to get a 20-minute skate in when you include the ride in traffic and the preparation/post-treatment that the guys need to do. So we headed out and into the streets of Moscow for the team walk. The presence of two soccer balls showed that a little intra-squad soccer was to take place of the skate to get the blood flowing. A five-minute walk reveals a nice soccer field with artificial turf.
The team is split into two games on each end of the field and we get to work. On my end it was Chris Clark, Brian Pothier, Keith Ballard, Erik Cole and Paul Stastny against Lee Stempniak, Tyler Arnason, Andrew Alberts, Erik Johnson and me. A few pleasant surprises regarding the soccer talent of some of the guys, and also a few not so pleasant surprises -- the game ended in a 2-2 tie and, while playing, we were greeted by some Russian snow, a sign that the game was over.
Back to the hotel to have meetings about Belarus and their tendencies and what we were going to do in order to defeat them. We knew that they had a very talented top line and that they were aggressive and could cause us trouble if we took them lightly or were too passive with the puck. The penalty kill was shown from their last game and what they try to do on the breakout and in their own zone. After that, it was time for the power play meeting, which meant I was headed to my room for a little nap.
It was then time for a nap until 2:15 p.m., when it was time for the pregame meal in the eatery at the hotel. Pasta and chicken is the mainstay for the pregame meal, although they have not yet figured out the concept of pasta sauce here. I guess salt and pepper is just as good. After the meal, there was a little more downtime, as the bus to the rink was not scheduled until 5:15 for the 8:15 game. For me, that meant doing a little Internet surfing along with laying back in bed to listen to some music and taking care of some miscellaneous things that needed to be done back home.
Finally, it is game time and one of the latest starts to a game they have ever played: 8:15 p.m.
We started off the game like a team that was on a mission. Making smart plays all over the ice and skating at a pace that was almost reckless. The gameplan that we were executing was working just as it was designed. After the first period, we were up 3-0. We knew we could not get sloppy because they are a team that could take advantage if we gave them a chance. This meant staying out of the penalty box and continuing to make the smart plays that we had in the first period. We were able to do this for the first half of the period, but got a little lazy and complacent in the last half, when they started to cause us some trouble.
They were creating a lot of turnovers at the blue lines, which was translating into some chances for them, chances they had not gotten in the first. Nonetheless, John Grahame was steady for us in net and did not allow a goal. The period ended with the score 5-0.
In the third period, we were not able to put any more chances away, and actually gave up a goal, as their star player was able to beat two of our guys with some very nice moves and he found the back of the net.
After the game, the guys were excited to be 2-0 and on our way to the next round. But we were not satisfied with just the two wins; we are hungry to get back at it with the Czechs. We got back to hotel at almost midnight and were able to catch the end of the Buffalo and Rangers game, thanks to Jim Johannson and his Sling Box program. After the game, it was bed time. Then a little sightseeing in the plans for the off-day -- after practice of course.
April 29, 2007
Waking up the day after winning our opening game of the World Championship against Austria, we shared a sense of pride and unity among the team as we arrived at the rink for practice. There were a few guys licking their wounds from the win in the training room, and others eating power bars and drinking coffee like they are not going to eat for the next 24 hours -- as some would love an American meal after eating the Swedish and Russian food for a week.
We have an hour-long practice preparing for our next task, which is the team from Belarus. We knew they were going to be a hungry team as they were beaten by the Czechs, 8-2. We made a few subtle changes in the game plan, but have put most of the focus in implementing and getting comfortable with the things that we learned on Day 1.
The hour was over and you could see it in almost everyone’s eyes that the thought of free time in the afternoon meant that a well-deserved afternoon nap was in order for most. As a treat to many, Ryan Suter was able to negotiate a stop by the McDonald’s close to the hotel so that the guys could get some food that they have at home. With the three hours that we had off, I was able to eat and get connected to the Internet for the first time since we arrived in Russia -- a process more complicated than in most hotels.
Since there is no Internet in the rooms, you must go either to the lobby or the business center to get connected. A stop to purchase a username and password, then to the team hospitality room to check e-mail and see what has happened in the world in the past couple days. After doing this, I figured I would make the most out of the hour that I had left before going to the U.S. Embassy and headed for that afternoon nap.
Waking up and putting on my suit, I was excited to get some American food at the embassy and rub shoulders with some of our great country’s diplomats.
On the way to the embassy, we encountered what seems to be a reoccurring theme here in Moscow: traffic. Even with a police escort, his lights and sirens blaring, it takes us 45 minutes to travel a distance of, my best guess, 10 miles.
Arriving at the embassy, we were greeted by guards and some of the diplomats. Entering into the Spaso residence, we found a beautiful building with decorated vaulted ceilings, and the food was being brought out by the tray full. The grazing that was done over the food by Team USA was a site to be seen. We were able to meet the ambassador, who lives in the residence, and many other U.S. Embassy workers. A surprise to me, as the ambassador was welcoming us and wishing us luck, Vladislav Tretiak was in attendance and said a few words, through a translator, wishing the Russians and us both good luck through the tournament.
Leaving the reception, we were again wiped out from a pretty full day of events and ready to return to the hotel. The drive home, as the sun was just setting, was less than 20 minutes, and, for the first time since we have been here, there was little to no traffic. Back to the hotel around 9:30 p.m. and it was time for a quick bite to eat and bed time, as we have to get back to business against Belarus.
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В нашей команде потеря...после медицинского обследования обнаружено повреждение мениска у лучшего снайпера нашей команды Алексея Морозова...
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