Visiting Decorated Homes Worth The Trip 
Enlightening Experience

Andrew R. Calabrese Jr.

STEVE SEMBRAT STEVES@LEADER.NET
 Sunday, December 23, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3C 





WILKES-BARRE TWP. - When the goals return, it will be a signal that
Alexander Zevakhin is one step closer to departing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The second-year pro from Perm, Russia, had four goals for
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton heading into Friday's game against Hershey, and all of
those came in October. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ``I need a goal,'' Zevakhin said. ``It's been a couple (of months). I've
had chances to score.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The 21-year-old right wing said he just hasn't been getting any breaks
while going 19 games and nearly two months without scoring. While this may be
construed as a slump, it does not mean that Zevakhin is regressing as a
prospect in the Pittsburgh organization. Just the opposite is true, as his
full potential is starting to unfold. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``In order for him to get more ice time and for him to have a bigger impact
on our team, he had to get better in his own zone,'' Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
assistant coach Mike Yeo said of Zevakhin. ``You have to teach these guys new
things. You have to develop new habits. Zevy knows that's what it's going to
take to make it to the NHL.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 As a result, Zevakhin has concentrated on improving his defense. Sometimes
that means not taking a chance that could lead to a goal, but would more
likely result in an opponent scoring. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``That's part of the game,'' Yeo said. ``You're not going to score the
dipsy- doodle breakaway goals when you take more pride in your own zone. What
Zevy has to do now is learn how to score in other ways.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So Zevakhin has added a physical element to his game. He was involved in
his first fight in a professional game when he tussled with Hershey defenseman
Bryan Muir on Dec. 14. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Actually, it was more of a wrestling match. Muir was holding Zevakhin's
stick, and a skirmish followed as he tried to pry his stick free. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``He's not afraid to mix it up with anyone,'' Yeo said of Zevakhin.
``That's what I like about Zevy. He's not going to go out there, drop the
gloves and fight all these guys, but he is going to finish his checks. He's
going to play gritty and he is going to try to win all of his one-on-one
battles.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That fighting penalty gave Zevakhin a modest 13 penalty minutes this
season, but it is up from his total of eight minutes during his rookie season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The AHL, it's a tough league,'' Zevakhin said. ``I want to do what is
best for everybody. I want to play physical.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's not just Zevakhin the player who is starting to emerge. Zevakhin the
person is turning out to be what Yeo called ``a breath of fresh air'' in the
Penguins' locker room. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The first few months last year he was real quiet,'' Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
alternate captain Tom Kostopoulos said. ``You didn't know what to think.
Getting to know him, he is one of the funnier guys on the team. He's always
joking around.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The reason Zevakhin was so quiet during the first few months of his rookie
season is that he didn't speak English. There were no other players on the
team who spoke Russian, leaving him with precious few ways to communicate. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On top of that, he was coming off a major injury when he came to Pittsburgh
training camp in 2000. He broke his shoulder in the World Junior Championships
earlier in the year, and had been out for six months before reporting for
training camp. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``When I went to camp, I wasn't quite ready,'' Zevakhin said. ``Now I'm
ready, and I want to play better in every game. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I'm a lot more comfortable this year. Last year was my first year in the
USA and I didn't speak English.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His English has improved dramatically, as has his game, although the
statistics don't show it. All he needs now is a few goals to break out of the
current slump. If he can do that through grinding, gritty play, it is another
step toward making it to the NHL. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``He has always been a talented guy,'' Kostopoulos said of Zevakhin. ``Now
he's concentrating on defense in his own zone and taking the body, things that
will make him a good all-around player.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Zevakhin Enduring Growing Pains In Quest To Make The Nhl 
The Russian's Scoring Suffers While He Tries To Become A More Physical Wing
Who Plays Tough Defense.

Zevakhin Enduring Growing Pains In Quest To Make The Nhl The Russian's Scoring Suffers While He Tries To Become A More Physical Wing Who Plays Tough Defense.