Learning from the master

Khabibulin enjoying tutoring from idol Tretiak

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) -- Nikolai Khabibulin still doesn't impress his boyhood idol.

Vladislav Tretiak isn't joining the chorus praising Khabibulin as the greatest Russian goalie since Tretiak himself -- not even after Khabibulin's several fine NHL seasons, a shutout period in the latest NHL All-Star Game and a phenomenal Olympic performance against the defending gold medalists.

"He's a good goalie," Tretiak said with a shrug Thursday. "If he wins the Olympic Games, then maybe he's [the best]. Now, he's a good goalie. You watch him play tomorrow. We will see."

Tretiak's cool answer belies a growing bond between Khabibulin and Tretiak, who is a member of Slava Fetisov's coaching staff at the Olympics. The goalies speak often, with Khabibulin attempting to glean wisdom from his sometimes sphinxlike idol.

"He tells me things," Khabibulin said. Asked to be more specific, he replied with a grin: "Lots of things."

Like any Russian kid goalie, Khabibulin wanted to be Tretiak, a star on the Soviet Union's greatest teams. Usually called the best goaltender of all time by those who saw him play, Tretiak was the first Russian-born player to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Tretiak still cuts an imposing figure in the red track suit worn by Russian coaches. He claims to have no particular insights into a goalie's mental preparation for action, but his mere presence behind the Russian bench must be a motivation.

"The goalie, inside, he's a different guy," Tretiak said. "Every one is different. Nobody can say who will be successful. One night, [Dominik] Hasek. [Wednesday] night, Khabibulin."

Still, shortly after Tretiak and Khabibulin had their latest talk, Khabibulin played his best game of the Olympics, stopping 41 shots in a 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic that put the Russians in the semifinals against the United States.

"The way he's playing lets us be more aggressive offensively," Russian forward Sergei Fedorov said. "We're very confident that he can stop the other team, so we're confident in attacking. It makes a big difference."

It's the same advantage Russia's forwards enjoyed during Tretiak's heyday. Russia didn't have that comfort four years ago, when Mikhail Shtalenkov and Andrei Trefilov were in its nets while Khabibulin sat out in a dispute over his gold medal from the 1992 games.

Khabibulin didn't play well in his first three games in Salt Lake City, allowing nine goals. Against the Czech Republic, he was the dominant force everyone expected.

"You play with a hot heart and a cool head, that's what you try to do," Khabibulin said. "The first three games, I felt heavy. I was having trouble breathing, and I felt a little uncomfortable. I think we're finally adjusting to the high altitude."

Tretiak isn't taking credit for Khabibulin's turnaround, just as he won't criticize Khabibulin's average play in the round robin. The only game that matters to Tretiak is on Friday - and he plans to make sure Khabibulin is ready to evoke memories of his own great performances.

"I tell him, 'Enjoy life. You will like the competition,'" Tretiak said. "'It's all about who is better, you or them.'"

 

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