Russian Reviews: Anshakov, Pestunov Soin

Oscillating Anshakov

Sergei Anshakov had an interesting `03-4 season that included plenty of ups and downs.

He spent the preseason with CSKA Moscow on an up-and-coming young line with Alexander Polushin (TB) and Vladimir Gorbunov (NYI). The unit were kept together to begin the regular campaign and proved to be quite productive.

Unfortunately, Polushin, the bigger and more offensively talented of the three, suffered a serious knee injury in mid-October and was knocked out for the rest of the season. Despite losing his linemate to injury, Anshakov managed to find a place for himself in CSKA’s lineup, while Gorbunov experienced a rift with the club’s head coach and was used sparingly.

Prior to the December break in the regular season, Anshakov proved himself to be a true Super League caliber forward, something he was unable to do the previous season, split between CSKA and CSKA 2.

His emergence coincided with a late-November trade that saw his NHL rights move from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh for Martin Strbak and Martin Straka.

In December, Anshakov took his game to another level, stepping up when it counted most at the U-20 World Junior Championships (WJC), where he was one of Russia’s top forwards and dominated play on the squad’s second line with gifted center Evgeni Malkin (Pit).

Anshakov showcased impressive speed and puckhandling ability at the tournament and also displayed his knack for interacting well with his linemates.

After the U-20 WJC, Anshakov returned to Moscow, but, like the rest of the clubmates, struggled to find his game and delivered a mediocre performance during the rest of the season, as the aggressiveness and strong decision making that was so evident during the first stage of the season, all but disappeared.

Pestunov & Famine

Dmitri Pestunov entered the 2003-04 season riding high from his success the previous year.

After the 2003 U-18 World Junior Championships (WJC) in Yaroslavl, he was recognized as one of the most talented ’85-born centers and quickly promoted to the ’84-born U-20 squad.

A talented forward with good hands and hockey sense, Pestunov took advantage of his new leading role and played very well at the U-20 tournaments that took place prior to the U-20 WJC. Russia’s head coach Rafael Ishmatov grew fond of Pestunov, and, despite the influx of other talented centers, Pestunov retained his top-line spot.

However, as the U-20 WJC unfolded, this proved to be arguably the club’s most serious mistake.

Pestunov was now responsible for feeding the puck to a pair of talented and speedy wingers in Alexander Ovechkin (Wsh) and Alexei Shkotov (StL), whose run-and-gun styles placed excessive demands on Pestunov defensively.

He was now required to compensate more for his linemates, which exposed his lack of size and relatively modest top-end speed. While a capable center, Pestunov was clearly a poor fit as someone like Evgeny Malkin (Pit) would have likely been more effective in this role.

Back in Russia, Pestunov continued to skate with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The young forward was given more responsibility than during his rookie 2002-03 campaign, at times even centering the second line.

Though it would be difficult to call last season a great success, given there are obvious holes in Pestunov’s game, it was nevertheless a solid performance and an essential stepping stone in his development.

Sagging Soin

It is hard to describe Soin’s performance last season as anything other than terrible.

The 21-year-old forward signed a rumoured lucrative deal with CSKA Moscow and was expected to be one of the club’s top three centers.

However, it was clear from the outset that CSKA was not the right club for Soin, and that Viktor Tikhonov was not the right coach.

Known as a speedy, playmaking centerman, Soin frequently did little more than run around the ice without rhyme or reason. He appeared to have regressed considerably, almost back to the Sergei Soin of two years before. He didn’t perform on offense, and, while having a reputation as being very solid in his own zone, did not play well defensively either.

But it would be a mistake to dismiss the young forward as he still possesses a wealth of potential. It is more probable that last season was just a blip, and that the renowned pressure-cooker coaching style of Tikhonov simply got to him.

Soin is actually a very hard-working individual with a tremendous attitude. During his tenure with the Soviet Wings, he was captain and top-line center, often carrying the team on his shoulders thanks to the trust he received from the coaching staff.

However, he was not afforded the same respect within the CSKA organization, and it was this lack of trust combined with the added pressure that played a role in undermining Soin’s game.

He finished the campaign with CSKA’s junior squad, CSKA 2, and, though this setback did nothing to help his development, it did likely restore some of his lost confidence, as he was clearly the top player on the reserve squad.

But the organization had not given up on him yet either, unlike several other underperforming players who were cut by the club over the summer.

And with Tikhonov finally gone, Soin has an opportunity to re-establish himself as a solid Super-League player, not to mention a chance to measure up against NHL players if the North American lockout continues throughout the `04-5 season.