Russia on to final after wild 7-5 win

The Russians had some early pressure but goaltender Hugo Hävelid was on his game. The first good scoring chance came five minutes in, with puck carrier Daniil Larkin choosing to shoot on a 2-on-1 and being denied by the Swedish keeper. Then Lekkerimäki struck twice for the Swedes just 3:15 apart. The first came at 8:40 on a great end-to-end rush by Fabian Wagner, who went wide and below the goal line before feeding out front to Lekkerimäki, who made no mistake. Then he took a cross-ice pass and worked with it inside the blueline before letting go a long wrister that found its way through the forest in front of Sergei Ivanov and in.

But Russia got one back less than three minutes later. The play started when Semyon Sinyatkin tried to beat three Swedish defenders but was stripped of the puck. However, Larkin found the loose puck at the side of the net and atoned for his earlier miss, as his shot from a bad angle somehow found its way between Hävelid and the goalpost.

The start of the second period was wild with four goals – two by each time – in the first 5:35.

First, Russia tied it thanks to some good work down low by Gazizov and Daniil Grigoryev, which resulted in a puck squeeking through Hävelid that Perevalov was able to punch in. Then came two quick Swedish goals to restore their two-goal advantage. Just 10 seconds after Russia tied it, Lekkerimäki drove to the net and completed his hat trick, firing the puck through Ivanov’s legs. Less than two minutes later it was Liam Öhgren on the power play, firing a wrister from the high slot that went low stick side.

After that, the Russians dominated the rest of the period – they fired 22 shots on Hävelid in the middle frame – but would only score twice more.

First it was Perevalov feeding Matvei Michkov on a breakaway, and he went high stick side. But after that barrage of goals it wasn’t until late in the period that Russia tied it on the power play. With 2:44 to play, Grigoryev put in a rebound amid a goalmouth scramble.

Russia’s momentum continued into the third period, and after killing off an early penalty they struck twice just 29 seconds apart. Ilya Rogovsky gave the Russians their first lead of the game when he picked up the puck below the goal line and stuffed it in, and then Ivan Demidov gave them a two-goal lead when he took a pass from Sinyatkin and fired it home.

The Swedes got one back by Filip Bystedt with 5:24 to go and they pushed for the equalizer with Hävelid on the bench for a sixth attacker, but Gazizov iced it with 45 seconds to go, sending Russia into the final.