Bryzgalov causes a stir in Russian interview

Was something lost in translation, or is Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov feeling lost in the woods again?

Bryzgalov gave a lengthy interview to the Russian sports site Championat, and it was translated on the Deadspin website Wednesday.

It should be noted that in the past, Bryzgalov has claimed some of his Russian comments have been translated incorrectly into English.

The goalie could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.

Here is what he told Championat, according to Deadspin:

He is not fond of Philadelphia or New York, calling them big, bustling cities with grim gateways. "But Boston, Vancouver, and Dallas are quite different. These newer, cleaner - there I like."

The goalie was presumably asked if Philadelphia was a ghetto.

"This is not a small part of the city. Too many do not work, live on welfare, and get food stamps for. They just do not want to work. Their principle is: 'Why should I work when I can live, let them raise taxes on the rich,' which are injected."

Asked if there was a person he would like to talk to, Bryzgalov said, "A lot of them are not alive anymore . . . I would love to talk to Genghis Khan, Stalin, Einstein."

Asked about Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union for more than two decades, Bryzgalov said: "Yes, he knew what he was doing. He is described as a 'bloody tyrant.' But at the time it couldn't be any other way. Yes, there were innocent people who were victims of repressions. . . . But it happens. Not long ago in the U.S., a person was released from prison who spent 45 years there. It turned out he was innocent. Can you imagine, a person spending his entire life in jail for something he didn't do?"