Guardian of MoscowDynamo » Ilya Konovalov in an interview with he spoke about joint training with the attackers “Edmonton » Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl .
On June 12, Dynamo reached an agreement with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv and obtained the rights to Konovalov. The contract with the 23-year-old goalkeeper is one-sided.
Ilya signed a two-year rookie contract with Edmonton last May, but never made his NHL debut. Last season he played in the agricultural club “Edmonton” of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played 17 games, reflected an average of 89.3% shooting, the reliability coefficient was 2, 73. In June, Edmonton put the Russian on an unconditional draft.
Does McDavid have a gold locker in the locker room?
– No, the most common. How special does everyone think McDavid is in a position at the club? He is cool on the ice, but in everyday life, like everyone else, he is rather modest. At least I didn’t notice Connor standing out in any way. He demonstrates more leadership through his actions on the ice than through his words in the locker room. When they fly with Draisaitl, it’s usually an eyesore – 100% objective.
– How did you feel when you played against them in training?
“No chance,” smiled Ilya. – No, in fact you play calmly, as always. Well, what to do now to get ahead and run away from the gate, if McDavid came out against you?
– Who in the KHL can be compared to McDavid in terms of speed?
– I remember that Poryadin played in Neftekhimik, a fast guy. In Lokomotiv – Yurtaykin, also always at high speed. When he ran along the board, he beat everyone. But speed alone is not enough, McDavid does everything with his head. He analyzes in detail the play of goalkeepers and defenders. For example, the goalkeeper lowered his leg, the stick went to the side, and immediately there is a throw between the legs. It’s the little things like that that make a great game. In Russia, few people analyze the opponents’ play so meticulously.
– There is McDavid in attack, there is Makar, who is called McDavid in defense. Who is McDavid in goal?
– For me, it does not exist. I like a lot of goalies. And I take useful moments from everyone. For example, for Saros, who is also small, I watch how far he rolls out of the gate under the throw. And Smith is great with a stick. Bobrovsky moves very well and is in contact with the defenders.
Source : MatchTV
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