"There will be an unpleasant taste in my mouth all summer"

Pavel Buchnevich's St. Louis gave a great finish to the NHL regular season, winning 12 matches in a row, and losing five games in total in the final 20 meetings. Not only did the team reach the playoffs, but there, only two seconds before the end of the seventh match of the first round, it allowed Winnipeg, the winner of the Presidents Cup, to even the score, and then to score the decisive goal in the second overtime. Pavel himself, having dramatically increased towards the end of the regular season, scored a hat-trick in the third match of the cup series.

In a conversation with Izvestia and Sport-Express, Buchnevich shared his impressions of the bitter end of the season, talked about working with Jim Montgomery, self-criticism and reaction to Alexander Ovechkin's record.

I talked to the guys — everyone already wants to start a new season.

— How do people feel after such an insulting relegation from the playoffs? What happened in your locker room after the seventh match and in the following days? Did you figure out how this could happen, or, on the contrary, did you try to forget about it right away, put it out of your mind?

— There was sadness in the locker room. Everyone understood that they had missed a game that they shouldn't have missed. In fact, it was our match, but hockey is a sport in which everything can turn around in two minutes. We need to get over it, learn a lesson so that it doesn't happen again. For us, this is both a life and sports experience that will be useful to the team. We have a lot of young guys who will benefit from this.

— You scored a hat-trick in the third match of the series. Scoring three goals in a playoff game and a regular season game — does it feel different? And didn't you have the same story as Andrei Svechnikov, who even had caps thrown in front of his house after a hat trick in the Cup?

— There were such emotions that we lost two matches in Winnipeg, came home, expected a tough game. We went out and scored right away — bam-bam! (Buchnevich scored the first two goals in just over three minutes. — Ed.). Of course, it's always nice to score a hat-trick, but the main thing is that the team needed these goals. People in St. Louis came up after the hat trick and said, "Oh, cool, congratulations!" There was a lot of excitement in the city, everyone was watching and knew everything. But they didn't throw the caps at the house.

— On April 17, you turned thirty, on which I congratulate you on behalf of all readers. What did the team say, considering that it was the last day of the regular season?

— There was a meeting at which the cake was taken out, they sang a song, giggled: "The third decade — welcome to the club!" There was more laughter. But it's nothing special.

— I've often heard that teams that are fighting to reach the playoffs before the last match are better prepared for the Cup than those who secured their exit long before the end of the regular season. Did you feel this for yourself and did the feeling of the last few months in the series with Winnipeg help?

— It seems to me that it works both ways. Yes, you're fighting for the playoffs to the end and you go into the cup games in good shape, but some teams give their leaders a break, and that's important too. I think we started every game very well against Winnipeg, but in some matches we got hooked by the third period. The opponents were more capable, fresher, and it still affected.

— Do you have an explanation for what happened at the end of the seventh match?

— I don't even know what to answer. It's a big lesson, and it's hard to get over it. I'll have an unpleasant taste in my mouth all summer. I talked to the guys — everyone already wants to start the new season. Especially since we found our game at the end of the previous one. And I think things will only go up for us.

Ovechkin is unique, and we are lucky to play against such a person.

— No matter who you ask, during the season they said, "We wish Ovechkin would break the record, but not on my shift." Can you explain what's wrong with that? On the contrary, you'll get into the NHL highlights for a century to come.

— We talked once with our second goalkeeper Joel Hofer, how he would theoretically react if a record goal was scored for him. He started to say that he didn't want to, but I "threw": "And if you had been scored, would you have printed out a picture of that goal and asked Ovechkin to sign it?" And here he already confessed: "Yes, of course!" And there is nothing shameful in this — the man has already scored almost 900 goals, and 900 times someone was on the ice at the same time. It is clear that no one will specifically let him score. But if a player knows how to do it at this level, then someday he will score, no matter who is on the ice.

— How do you like what Ovechkin is doing this season?

"It's crazy. It's crazy. I remember playing against Colorado, we come to the rink, and in the locker room we see that Ovechkin scored three. This is the second time in the season. A lot of guys were standing by the TV, and everyone was in shock: "How is it three again? At 39 years old?!" Everyone was very surprised, but they understood that this was unique and we were lucky to play against such a person.

— How well do you know him?

"I know him, and I hope he knows me, too, haha! We didn't go to dinners—I'm too young to invite him. Maybe he'll call someday. And I didn't get into the national team often enough to be well acquainted with him. In any case, he is a good role model for the younger generation, and he has a lot to learn. And I am glad that he is a Russian.

— Who else from Russia, besides Ovi, pleasantly surprised you this season?

— The guys from Columbus. They play well as a link (Kirill Marchenko – Dmitry Voronkov – Egor Chinakhov. — Ed.), they are not afraid to create. When we played against them, it was interesting. And when Verensky comes out with them in defense, it gets really hard. They ride, they don't get thrown away, they always go to each other's aid — it's nice to watch. And what Kaprizov did at Minnesota when he was healthy! He was involved in 50% of the team's goals or so. You look at it and you realize how important it is to them.

Our national team is strong, which is worth only three goalkeepers — the strongest in the world.

— How do you like the Four Nations Tournament itself? Did you turn it on? Ovechkin didn't look at the screen at all, despite the fact that his children were watching the finale. And you?

— I watched something, including the first period of the opening match Canada – Sweden and the final. I've seen all the highlights. Cool! These three fights are at the beginning of the Canada–USA match...

— And how do you like it all?

— Actually, I got goosebumps. It would be great to participate in this, but I don't know when it will work out. But I do know that many Russian guys in those days wrote to each other and communicated with each other. And everyone wants to play in such a tournament. I really wanted to return to the international arena. Especially for the Olympics.

The guys who participated in the Four Nations Tournament are generally handsome. No wonder he had crazy TV ratings. No one was afraid to get injured, they fought — well done! There was an NBA All-Star Game on the same dates, and it's very rare for hockey to have high ratings against such a background. And then they just went through the roof.

— Do you think our national team could match the level of the tournament finalists?

— On paper, it's clear that our national team is strong. What are only three goalkeepers worth — the strongest in the world. And the extreme attackers too. But on paper and in practice, it's completely different. I hope Russia will be allowed to participate in the Olympics, and we will play in Milan. But there's one thing nobody's talking about. Canadians, Americans, Swedes, and Finns will already be able to prepare, remembering the past tournament. They will know the style, both their own and the opponents', and understand how games can develop. They have this experience, and we haven't played on the international stage for more than three years. There won't even be a week to prepare for the Olympics, so I skated a few times and went to play. In such a situation, the coach must first of all rally everyone around one goal.

— Do you have an understanding of why Russia is so slow in training center forwards? There are plenty of cool edges and goalkeepers, there are defenders too, but with the centers there is a real problem. Where are the new Fedorovs, Datsyuks, and Malkins?

— I think when the KHL was just beginning, foreigners were brought to the central positions, but the young ones were not trusted. Now there are teams like Torpedo under Larionov or Spartak, which attract young people, and the guys play in this position periodically. It's just that in Russia, it seems to me, there is too much demand from coaches for results. Therefore, they are afraid to put young people in such responsible roles as in the center. After all, a lot depends on the central one, and when you're 17-19 years old, you realize that you're not physically strong yet, but you're playing against men. Even here, there are vivid examples: everyone was saying how cool and talented Bedard was, but look at his stats on face-offs.

— Terrible — less than 40% of the winnings.

— A lot comes with experience. You're maturing and getting stronger. But coaches don't always have the patience for this. Either you have to be a super talent, or they'll bet on experience. That's why, it seems to me, the central ones were always brought from abroad. Hence, I think, the gap with them in the country.

Montgomery said, "I don't want to make a robot out of you. Trust your instincts"

— Jim Montgomery, unlike his predecessors in St. Louis, if I'm not mistaken, has never put you in the center?

— Robert Thomas returned from injury, and Montgomery, when he joined the team, immediately said: "I've seen you play from the edge, and I need you there." I've already worked with him, he was the assistant manager at the Blues and has known me for a long time.

Are Montgomery the assistant and Montgomery the chief two different people?

— It is clear that he has become stricter. He was always a cheerful assistant, encouraging, joking, but the head coach needs to be serious. But I like it. Now I really understand that we have a very strong and smart coach. And a good man. I believe that St. Louis is in good hands with him.

We had some very good moments when Monty was an assistant, and I always remember some funny things. When things weren't going well, he could always lighten the mood with a joke between shifts. He dealt with the minority and told me, "I trust your instincts, you read the game. Most of your decisions on the field are close to the right ones. I don't want to limit you and make a robot out of you. Trust your instincts."

Such words help a lot. It's not like you were forced into some kind of framework, they said — run like a horse, on the right edge and throw from such and such a point. It's clear that the whole team has to play defensively according to his system, but when you play offensively, you're not handcuffed. Montgomery lets you create and encourages creativity. If you didn't even score, but knocked the puck out of the opponent and created a moment with your work, he will always notice it — not just goals or blocked shots. There were some things that no coach had ever mentioned to me before. In other words, it seems to me that this is a more modern school. Rather, it's a cross between the attention to detail from the old school with its exactingness and the coaches of the new generation.

— In a year and two months, your coaches have changed twice: first Bannister instead of Beruby, then Montgomery instead of Bannister. From your words, it feels like the latter lacked experience.

— Regarding Bannister— the general manager (Doug Armstrong — Ed.) said that Monty was just free, and if he had waited any longer, I'm sure another team would have picked him up. A very strong specialist, whose chances of getting a job are not so common. A lot of people have stayed on the team since he was an assistant. Everyone loved working with him, and everyone understood what level of specialist he was. And everyone who played with him back in Dallas was thrilled. So I don't think it's Bannister, it's Montgomery.

— Dmitry Orlov praised him very much for the short period of their work in Boston.

— No matter who I talk to, everyone was satisfied with working with Monty. He was in Ufa and also told a lot of stories. "I played poorly," he said, "but they loved me there." He has good impressions of Russia. From conversations with him, I got the feeling that he loves Russians and understands our mentality. He's always fun to be with.

— He came to you four days after he was fired from Boston. Did he really manage to restore the energy that should always come from the head coach in such a short period of time?

— One hundred percent yes. He's always positive. Monty immediately brought very good motivational speeches before the games and during the breaks. You want to play for this coach, you understand that people believe in you, and this gives you more emotions and confidence. Many people saw what he was saying in the locker room at the Road to the Winter Classic, although something was cut from there. The guys still love to remember it.

I stopped being myself, started eating myself from the inside out.

— This summer, you will have a new contract for $8 million per year. Did this amount bother you? Did it affect the fact that you didn't start this season very well, and did the management stifle you in this regard?

— It was a little bit like that, but I wouldn't call it that much pressure. Although I heard from Monty: "What's going on with you? Where is the game I remember?" It was in a rather joking manner, and when something worked out, he would say, "Well, you've finally found your hands." Anyway, when you sign a big contract and something doesn't work out, you expect a lot from yourself, and when it doesn't work out, you start eating yourself from the inside out. That is, to think, to drive, and all this accumulates and turns into a snowball.

I think that's what happened to me. I stopped being myself. And people see it. It happens that a person can't do it, but he walks around cheerful, as if he doesn't care. This has never happened to me. Even the guys in the team began to notice this: they say, you used to always be positive in training, giggling, but now you're sad. Someone is trying to cheer you up, but you realize that something is wrong, and you're gnawing at yourself from the inside out.

— I can imagine how you felt after 13 consecutive matches without goals.

— I'm the biggest judge of myself. It's clear that the manager or coach will tell you something, but you understand enough yourself and expect more from yourself. I think the break for the Four Nations Tournament helped me. I had the opportunity to reboot, think, review some of my games and come out with renewed vigor. Yes, our whole team benefited from this pause. But I don't want to pretend that I've already forgotten what happened. I've been through a difficult time, just like the rest of us. We need to learn from this and prevent this from happening in the future.

— Were the local journalists strangled during this difficult time? What kind of relationship do you have with them in St. Louis?

— They don't touch me much. I'll talk to you when I have to. When I don't like the question, I reply that I don't understand what you're talking about, and I get off the subject. In any case, St. Louis is not Montreal or Toronto, when 500 people come up after each training session, everything is much calmer in it. I can't say that my relationship with reporters is bad, but I can't say that Vasya is either.

— Starting from July 1, if I'm not mistaken, you have a complete ban on trading. Before the break for the Tournament of Four, did you worry about being traded? And then former tafgai Nick Kypreos, a Sportsnet insider, claimed that you and Kairou are under threat.

— It seems to me that my total ban has come into force since this season, although the new contract is valid from next year. But it is clear that when your name flashes in rumors about exchanges, in all sorts of lists, it does not come from a good life. They don't want to trade McDavid. The main thing is to survive this, show your level and help the team win matches.

— Were there any difficult conversations with the general manager during the season?

— This season? No. Zero.

— Which of your teammates do you communicate with the most?

— With an Axe, of course (Alexey Toropchenko. — Ed.). With Thomas, with whom we play a lot together and go to dinners, we talk a lot about hockey. With Kairou, and lately with Suter. An adult, there's a lot to learn. And he tells me a lot from his life experience. A very interesting character!