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27 марта 2003 года. 
Soviets' last stand: Zubov carries on USSR hockey tradition - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

By MAC ENGEL

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - When communism fell in the former Soviet Union, James Bond suddenly had to find new bad guys, Ronald McDonald welcomed an untapped market and the NHL no longer had to smuggle players across borders.

And with the collapse of the USSR, so too fell the Soviet way of hockey, its famous Red Army teams, and a style and system that bred some of the most skilled and dynamic players over the past 30 years, players such as Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Kovalev, Alexander Mogilny, Igor Larionov and other All-Stars.

"There aren't many of those players left," said 23-year-old Russian center Artem Chubarov of the Canucks.

The Dallas Stars and their fans have grown spoiled by one, defenseman Sergei Zubov, who in the prime of his career is one of the final surviving, and thriving, pieces of the USSR. Playing a dying style, his sustained production continues to impress all, including one of his harshest critics.

"I think he's a little bit more aggressive now, not necessarily physically, but the way he plays the game. He's a lot better than he used to be when he was here in Pittsburgh," said Penguins center Mario Lemieux, who is usually regarded as the player who had Zubov traded from the Penguins to the Stars in June 1996.

"You know, if you look at his game all around, he's certainly improved over the last few years," Lemieux said.

With a pair of power-play goals in the past two games, including one in the Stars' 4-3 victory against the Canucks on Tuesday, Zubov moved past the 10-goal mark for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. His 53 points ranks second on the Stars and fourth among NHL defensemen.

Lemieux must wonder why he ran Zubov out of town so many years ago. At the time, he wanted Zubov to shoot more, a plea often heard any time Zubov waits, waits and waits before either passing or shooting.

What Lemieux and many North Americans couldn't understand was that this is the way Zubov was raised.

Though now a U.S. citizen who enjoys the fruits of capitalism as much as any player - i.e. nice threads, cool car, slick shades, etc. - his game is at the core Soviet: Controlled, thinking, passing, skating, precision, timing, patience.

Hitting?

"You ever see Mogilny hit somebody?" Zubov asked. "We didn't hit guys."

It's no different than Fedorov, Pavel Bure and the other few remaining NHL veterans who were raised that way.

"To be honest, we grew up playing differently," Zubov said. "Right now, I would say it's fading away a little bit. Russian kids now, and they get it from the coaches, they look forward coming to the West and North America. They play a more physical game now because that's what they look for here. Sometimes they forget the Russian style.

"It's sad to see. It's hard to see."

Russian players of today, such as Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk or Anaheim's Stanislav Chistov, may skate like gazelles and are equally skilled, but their games would no more be equated solely to Russia than Mike Modano's to suburban Detroit.

"If you watch (Fedorov) or Zubov play, it's not a physical game at all," Chubarov said. "The circumstances have changed. In Russia today, they look for physical presence besides the skill. You are forced to do that. Unless you have tons and tons of skill, you have to prove yourself some way else."

Zubov has tons and tons of skill. At one point with the Central Red Army Team during an international competition in Germany, he played two games at center, scoring two goals and two assists.

"If you watch him play, his ability to make a play before it happens is exceptional," said former Blue Jackets coach Dave King, a veteran of international competition. "He's always one play ahead. Chronologically he might be 30, but he plays like he's 50. He's that much ahead of the game."

Страничка Сергея Зубова на сайте "Звёзды с Востока"

ПРЕДЫДУЩИЕ МАТЕРИАЛЫ

15 сентября. Stars' Zubov may benefit from rules changes -  The Dallas Morning News

31 июля. Зубов продлил контракт с «Далласом» еще на три года. 

22 июля. Встреча для вас. Двукратный обладатель Кубка Стэнли Сергей Зубов: 17 лет в хоккее пролетели, как один миг! - Советский Спорт

6 декабря. Сергей Зубов - "Так кто же отправил меня в "Ак Барс" // "Спорт-Экспресс"

2 июля. Защитник «Далласа» Сергей Зубов: Я дал зарок не играть за сборную - "Советский Спорт" 

23 июня. Сергей Зубов: "В блокаде нахожусь уже два года" - Спорт-Экспресс. 

4 апреля, воскресенье - Зубов к плэй-оффу готов. . . Буре-младший набрал 400 очко

22 марта, понедельник - Зубов получил травму бедра. 

20 февраля, пятница - Зубов стал третьим европейским защитником с 600 очками в НХЛ. 

17 января. Сергей Зубов: Будет локаут – поеду на рыбалку - Советский Спорт

15 октября. Русский ковбой. (Сергей Зубов) - "Советский Спорт" 

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