Reigning world champions Russia started their title defense with a hard-fought 3-1 Group A win over Slovakia in Cologne, Germany, on Sunday.
Viktor Kozlov collected a goal and an assist, while goalkeeper Vasili Koshechkin recorded 32 saves to help Russia to win the match, which will likely decide the group winner.
Russia seized the initiative and began testing Slovakia’s tough defense right from the start, outshooting their rivals 15-7 in the opening period, but they missed all of their chances including two-man powerplay before Atlanta Thrashers striker Maxim Afinogenov scored on 14 minutes, 51 seconds when he beat Slovakian goalie Peter Budaj with a precise wrist shot.
PHOTO: AFP
The second period looked almost a carbon copy of the first as the Russians squandered chances before Washington Capitals marksman Alexander Ovechkin netted his goal at 29 minutes, 23 seconds, also with a wrist shot.
In the earlier Group A match, Belarus battled from two goals down to clinch a 5-2 win over former compatriots Kazakhstan in a match that has likely decided the team to play the relegation group of the event.
After a goalless first period, Dmitri Dudarev lifted Kazakhstan 1-0 up just 17 seconds into the second.
His teammate Vladimir Antipin made it 2-0 for Kazakhstan 10 minutes later, but Dmitri Meleshko and Mikhail Stefanovich of Belarus scored one apiece within just 90 seconds to level at 2-2.
In the third period, the Kazakhs suddenly ran out of gas and Belarus pounced, scoring three goals through Alexei Kalyuzhny, Ruslan Salei and Sergei Demagin to deservedly gain maximum three points.
In a Group C Scandinavian derby, Sweden outclassed Norway 5-2.
Mattias Weinhandl put Sweden into the lead at six minutes, 43 seconds, wristing the puck under the crossbar after a piece of good individual work. Erik Karlsson added his powerplay goal six minutes later to give the Swedes a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
Norway refused to surrender, however, and pulled level through Patrick Thoresen, who scored in the second on powerplay and Henrik Solberg, who leveled four minutes, 57 seconds into the third after the Swedes’ mixup in defense.
Weinhandl scored twice again, however, recording the first hat-trick of the event to clinch the lead in the scorers contest, while Magnus Paajarvi Svennson added his goal to secure Sweden’s well-deserved win.
In the other Group C match, the Czech Republic also had few problems in seeing off France 6-2.
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