Defending champions Russia battled from a goal down to clinch a place in the final of the world ice hockey championship to beat the US 3-2 in their semi-final showdown in Bern, Switzerland, on Friday.
Atlanta Thrashers marksman Ilya Kovalchuk fired a goal and an assist, while Russian netminder Ilya Bryzgalov made 18 saves to put their side into the second consecutive world championship’s final.
Today’s final will be a replay of last year’s trophy match as Russia will face Canada, who clinched a confident 3-1 win over Sweden in the late semi-final.
PHOTO: AFP
The loss sent the Scandinavians into the bronze medal match with USA.
“I didn’t do anything! It was Alexander [Radulov] who scored. The puck just hit my foot and went into the net,” said Konstantin Gorovikov, who was named the Russians’ winning goal scorer. “It wasn’t easy to play after the US went into the lead as they played very well today but luckily we managed to came back. It was Kovalchuk’s great match. I’d say he put us into the final.”
The US outshot Russia 5-0 in the opening minutes but failed to find the net. Russia soon settled down and created a range of opportunities, but also missed them all before the first break.
US team skipper Dustin Brown broke the deadlock 3:46 into the second, when he shot between Bryzgalov’s pads after a mixup in the Russian defense.
Russia leveled through Kovalchuk, who wristed the puck in from the right face-off circle at 31:20.
Kovalchuk created Russia’s second goal three minutes later when he stole the puck from David Backes in his home zone and skated to the US net to score off a ricochet from teammate Alexander Frolov, who was credited with the goal.
But the Americans pulled to level at 2-2 through New York Islanders striker Kyle Okposo, who scored from Ron Hainsey’s cross-ice pass on a power play with 1:57 remaining before the second break.
Alexander Radulov netted Russia’s power-play winner with an excellent wrister at 58:13 with a ricochet off Gorovikov.
The US substituted Robert Esche for the sixth field player with 1:19 to go, pinning Russia back in an attempt to level again, but failed to save the day.
“It’s a pity we didn’t win, we played a very good game today,” US defender John Michael Liles said. “Hope we will be more lucky in the bronze medal match.”
In the late game, Buffalo Sabres forward Derek Roy put Canada 1-0 up against the Sweden 6:51 into the match, beating keeper Jonas Gustavsson with a close-range sharp-angled shot.
The Swedes poured into attack seeking an equalizer, but to no avail as Canada defended well with goaltender Dwayne Roloson in command of his net and threatening back on the counter-attacks before scoring their second on the half-hour mark through Shawn Horcoff.
Roy gave Canada a commanding 3-0 advantage with his second of the match just 45 seconds later, sweeping in a rebound on powerplay.
In the third period, Roloson lost a shootout at 46:14 when Loui Eriksson of Dallas Stars netted a consolation for Sweden, but that remained scant consolation.
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