2013 Super Series Preview - Russia vs. WHL

Wow, Russia won both games against the OHL. Did not see that coming. The CHL still leads Team Russia in points (7-5) and now depend on the WHL to close out the series with two games in Alberta.

Rosters

WHL

Goalies:

Name	Team
Eric Comeau	Tri-City Americans
Tristan Jarry	Edmonton Oil Kings

Defense:

Name	Team
Madison Bowey	Kelowna Rockets
Dillon Heatherington	Swift Current Broncos
Josh Morrissey	Prince Albert Raiders
Derrick Pouliot	Portland Winterhawks
Ryan Pulock	Brandon Wheat Kings
Griffin Reinhart	Edmonton Oil Kings
Damon Severson	Kelowna Rockets

Forwards:

Name	Team
Connor Bleackley	Red Deer Rebels
Troy Bourke	Prince George Cougars
Colby Cave	Swift Current
Greg Chase	Calgary Hitman
Jaedon Descheneau	Kootenay Ice
Jujhar Khaira	Everett Silvertips
Morgan Klimchuk	Regina Pats
Curtis Lazar	Edmonton Oil Kings
Taylor Leier	Portland Winterhawks
Brendan Leipsic	Portland Winterhawks
Mitch Moroz	Edmonton Oil Kings
Nic Petan	Portland Winterhawks
Sam Reinhart	Kootenay Ice
Hunter Shinkaruk	Medicine Hat Tigers
Chandler Stephenson	Regina Pats

Team Russia

Goalies:

Name	Team
Ivan Nalimov	SKA St. Petersburg
Igor Shesterkin	Spartak Moscow

Defense:

Name	Team
Viktor Baldaev	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Alexei Bereglazov	Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Vladislav Gavrikov	Loko Yaroslavl
Pavel Koledov	Loko Yaroslavl
Kirill Maslov	Loko Yaroslavl
Alexander Mikulovich	Niagara Ice Dogs
Rushan Rafikov	Loko Yaroslavl
Mark Skutar	Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Mikhail Tikhonov	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
Rinat Valiev	Kootenay Ice
Kirill Vorobyov	Krasnaya Armiya

Forwards:

Name	Team
Alexander Barabanov	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
Ivan Barbashev	Moncton Wildcats
Alexei Baskov	Omskie Yastreby
Georgy Busarov	Dizel Penza
Vladimir Butuzov	Sibir Novosibirsk
Alexander Delnov	Seattle Thunderbirds
Eduard Gimatov	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Nikolay Goldobin	Sarnia Sting
Denis Gorbunov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Sergei Kuptsov	Izhstal Izhevsk
Ivan Petrakov	Loko Yaroslavl
Igor Rudenkov	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod
Nikita Shcherbak	Saskatoon Blades
Ildar Shiksatdarov	Krasnaya Armiya
Nikolai Skladnichenko	Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Vladimir Tkachyov	Omskie Yastreby
Sergei Tolchinsky	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Kirill Voronin	Loko Yaroslavl
Valentin Zykov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar

Games

November 27 (Red Deer)
Russia vs. WHL

November 28 (Lethbridge)
WHL vs. Russia

Last 6 Matchups

Russia (5-2) - WHL (1-0) - Russia (7-5) - WHL (5-2) - Russia (5-2) - Russia (7-6)

Predictions

Game 1: Russia 4 - WHL 2
Game 2: WHL 3 - Russia 2

I've clearly misjudged this Russian team throughout the series, so time to give them their due. I can see the WHL eventually pulling out a win and taking the series for the CHL though.