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Sixteen-year-old phenom Matvei Michkov recorded two goals and two assists in Russia´s 5-2 victory over Finland to open the Břeclav Group at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The game was much closer than the score indicates, as it was 3-2 before a pair of empty-net goals in the last two minutes.
Penalties: 7:6. PP goals: 2:1. SH goals: 0:0.
Referees: Jeřábek, Vrba – Komínek, Lukáš. Attendance: 304.
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Michkov’s first point came in the eighth minute on Russia’s first power play of the game. His shot through a screen was stopped by Niklas Kokko but Ilya Kvochko scored on the rebound.
Joakim Kemell got Finland’s first good scoring chance of the game when he found himself unguarded from the top of the circle but just missed the net trying to pick the corner. He made no mistake a couple of minutes later, though, when he found some open space in front of the net and Otto Hokkanen found him with a pass from behind the net that he one-timed. Russian goalie Sergei Ivanov had no chance and it was 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Michkov put Russia back in front on another power play just shy of the game’s midpoint. It was a typical goal by the 16-year-old who scored 12 at the U18 World Championship, firing a wrister from the top of the circle that went just under the crossbar over the shoulder of a screened Kokko.
The game had been pretty physical to this point and it got moreso, with Kemell and Gleb Trikozov getting into a spirited altercation after some goalmouth action. The Finns had a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:19 but were unable to score. However, they made good on their fifth advantage late in the middle frame when Jani Nyman made a nifty play and found Topi Rönni with a cross-ice pass that Kvochko lost track of and the score was once again tied after two.
With the teams skating 4-on-4, the Russians went back in front again. Michkov picked up the puck along the right-wing boards and found Gulyayev in the high slot, and he made a move to freeze a defender and beat Kokko high to the blocker side.
The Russians had a few good chances to widen their lead over the last 15 minutes but Kokko made some good saves to keep it close –the biggest coming off a clear-cut breakaway by Semyon Siniatkin with just under three minutes to play. At the same time, the Russians did well to limit the chances against, although Rönni hit the crossbar with just under four minutes to play.
Michkov’s second goal and fourth point of the night went into an empty Finnish net with 1:52 to play to relieve the pressure. Trikozov added another empty-netter with 33 seconds left to round out the scoring – it was the only Russian goal that Michkov played no part of.