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Loktionov says Russian team had too many stars, no chemistry

Ottawa Senators v New Jersey Devils

skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on December 18, 2013 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Senators 5-2.

Bruce Bennett

Team Russia’s failure to win a medal on home ice in Sochi is a disappointment for Russians all over, especially those who didn’t get to represent their country.

New Jersey Devils forward Andrei Loktionov was asked about his feelings on the Olympics and didn’t hold back. Rich Chere of The Star-Ledger shares the story.

“It’s happened way too many times in the last three Olympics. A lot of star players. I think they can’t play with each other. Too many leaders,” said Loktionov. “Everybody was waiting for something. Hockey is the (most important) medal.”

Direct and to the point.

That said, were there too many stars on the Russian team? Outside of the top six forwards (Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Radulov, Evgeni Malkin, Alexander Semin), the Russian lineup was filled with either young, upcoming potential stars or guys from the KHL.

Chemistry, on the other hand, is a good point. Throwing everyone together and expecting them to jell immediately can be asking a lot. In Russia’s situation, goals were hard to come by and they did look out of sync in the five games they played.

As for having too many leaders, well, there are a lot of captains on the Canadian and United States rosters and they’re playing tomorrow for a shot at gold.

Follow @JoeYerdonPHT