Karjala Cup. Sweden - Russia - 2:3

Today on the 5th of November, the senior Russian national team played their second Euro Hockey Tour match against Sweden. Head coach Oleg Znarok made a few changes to the line-up, and goaltender Igor Shestyorkin took the place of Ilya Sorokin between the pipes. Joel Lassinanti was Sweden's starting goalkeeper

It was an aggressive start to proceedings in Helsinki, as both sides counterattacked dangerously against each other. After passing up a few promising openings, Russia made the breakthrough - Rushan Rafikov broke free at the point, and he lashed into the left corner past the flailing goaltender. With that goal, Russia could play more freely, and the second marker came early on in the second stanza. Alexander Barabanov had too much pace for the Swedish defence, sped past his markers and bundled the puck over the line.

Nevertheless, Sweden were making Igor Shestyorkin work too. Not willing to back down, they got on the board themselves - on the powerplay, Richard Gynge sent a one timer high past the blocker. 

It was a tense third stanza, but forward Valery Nichushkin made sure of the Russian win - picking up a juicy rebound after Andrei Svetlakov failed to score clean through, Valery clinically backhanded in. Sweden got one back immediately, however Russia held on to take a 3:2 win over their Swedish opponents!

Match protocol:

Sweden - Russia - 2:3 (0:1, 1:1, 1:1)

Goals:

0:1 Rafikov (Tkachyov, Shumakov), 13.22

0:2 Barabanov (Gusev), 23.52

1:2 Gynge, 29.57

1:3 Nichushkin (Svetlakov), 48.19

2:3 Klingberg (Petterson), 49.19

Goalkeepers:  Lassinanti - Shestyorkin

05.11.2016. Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation