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Kolzig

asks how will Germans do, what’s their chances? Germans a lot of heart and pride, more talented than Salt Lake. Odds against Germany, Czechs and Canada first two games, but teams better be ready and it’s single elimination.

What’s Ovechkin like? Ovechkin great off the ice, diving head-first into learning the North American way.

Will you take your new NHL gear or old, bigger gear to Olympics? Olie will take NHL gear to Turin (rather than larger int’l gear) as he normally wore smaller gear even pre-changes. Only change on gear this year was to take 1 inch off pads, is more mobile in smaller gear, will need mobility against Czechs in first game.

What do you think of the shootout? Didn’t think anything wrong with old pre-shootout system, but thinks shootout is great for US market, it’s good that you don’t give the goalie a loss for a SOL.

Ovechkin leg kick not a big effect on goalie, he watches the stick, that freezes him more than a leg kick. It’s his ability to adjust on a breakaway that makes him so dangerous, along with his release.

Olie doesn’t think he’ll get burned out from Olympics due to high shot totals in DC and, probably, in Italy. He’s always faced a ton of shots and is getting rested well this year. Int’l hockey is less of a grind, NHL more physical and lots of crashing the net. Canada the exception, but the rest will probably be OK.

How is Ovechkin as a leader? Ovechkin still young, adjusting, but starting to show leadership by what he does. Not very vocal other than pumping guys up, likes to play DJ, dressing room sounds like a Moscow nightclub some nights.

Most looking forward to game vs. Canada at Olympics, he grew up there and learned hockey there, would be Canadian if he weren’t German, wore red and white, cheered Canada until he started playing for Germany.

This is probably the deepest German team in recent memory, German players are being selected more, getting more competitive. German players are more like Americans than other Europeans: physical, hard-working, gritty.

Germany must play a disciplined, patient game, looking to win 1-0, 2-1, 3-2.

German reputation among NHL executives is very strong, look at Washington, San Jose. All draftees have been solid, hard-working, good character players. Maybe not as skilled as Czechs/Russians, but makes up for it with character, what you bring to the dressing room, what kind of person you are.

German team goals are to make the quarters at the Olympics, after that one game at a time.

Olie “enjoys ‘em all” the new rules, doesn’t like the increased crashing of the net and the lack of respect goalies are getting in the crease, we’ve got a tough enough job as is, don’t need a 230 lb forward crashing onto us in the crease, something the refs and league need to crack down on.

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Ovechkin

Do you try to please the crowd as well as score goals? I just try my hardest for my team, try to win, I love to score to goals and try to score goals.

What kind of pressure did you feel coming in next to Sid? Everyone helped me, not so bad, team, brother, everyone helped, no pressure, no thinking about Crosby. We must go to play hockey, score goals, try to win the game, and play hard hockey.

How do you feel about representing your country? Mom was 2x Olympic champ, very happy to represent home, friends, people, country.

He doesn’t know why/how he does his leg kick or his moves, just concentrates on “I must score goals.” His mom did the same mouth open thing when she played, he must have gotten it from her. He plans his moves ahead of time on the bench, feels bad if he doesn’t score, because he must score goals, help the team, must score to help team win.

, are you playing as well as you thought you’d do your first season? Playing in the NHL at all was his dream, this is a dream come true, coach gave him great help and showed him the path to score goals, put him on PP and PK, don’t feel pressure about mistakes, feels like fish in water.

Care about ROTM/OPOTM? First goal is to help team win, glad about awards, but must forget that and improve, and work hard and play hard and try to do my best.

Looks forward to playing Friday and in Turin.

What have you improved most on as the season has gone on? Improved trust in myself that he can play in the best league in the world, improved comfort. Now is comfortable, everyone doesn’t give him pressure, he plays good but feels like he can play better, sometimes you have moments, where he must score goal, the first is good and then you must score again and if you can you must do it.

wants to know if he’ll play Friday against Toronto. He wants to win this game, this is a good game, and Toronto knows a lot and is crazy about hockey, and he wants to play and win this game.

, you play physical style, where/who did that come from? I love play physical game, when I was young I love to watch NHL, my father always buy videos so I can watch fights and physical. My goal in Russia was to play hard, play physical, score goals, have good team, and win and be a good guy. My father said if I have the chance to hit someone, it doesn’t matter who, hit them or they come back and hit you. On the ice you don’t have friends, after the game you can go somewhere ‘cause it’s a game. Are you afraid to drop the gloves? If I have the chance of course I will fight, but I don’t know how good a fighter I am, but I play hockey and I must be ready for anything.

, will big ice at Olympics make you better? In Russia we had different sized ice, so probably I think Russian guys everyone played in Superleague so we are comfortable on the big ice.

Let's Go Caps!
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