Round-Up Ice Hockey - Day 11: RUS Beats CAN in the Men's Tournament

Team Russia, gold medallist of the Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament

Men

Bronze Medal Game – KAZ – SVK 4-5 (2-1, 0-1, 2-3)
The bronze medal game sometimes is more important than the gold one. Only one team takes home a medal, the reason why the battle between Kazakhstan and Slovakia was very fierce. Slovakia opened the scoring after two minutes of play via Martin Slovak. It took the Kazakhs only a few minutes to shoot in the equalizer when Kachulin collected on the powerplay. Lots of Slovak penalties and Kazakhstan scores again on the powerplay via Polomshnov. The Kazakhs leave the ice with a lead. In the second period Slovak scores his second goal and brings Team Slovakia back in the medal race. Early in the third, Slovak drills in his third goal of the game, signing for a hattrick. Halfway the period, Janisek scores a shorthanded goal, opening the gap on the scoreboard. However, Vorobyov retaliates and brings Kazakhstan back into the game. A few minutes later, Hartmann scores for Slovakia. With less than five minutes to go, Kachulin brings Kazakhstan closer again, but in vain. The Slovaks win the bronze medal.

Gold Medal Game – CAN – RUS 2-4 (1-2, 0-0, 1-2)
In front of a sold-out Harbin Ice Hockey Gym, Canada and Russia battled it out for the gold medal. The 5,800 spectators enjoyed a thriller of a hockey match with both teams playing a very tight and physical game with plenty of crunching bodychecks. It was the replay of the 2007 WU final in Torino, where Canada took the gold. But this time it was going to turn out differently. Team Russia scored the first goal via Valiullin. Both teams sniff the gold and play hard on the body which results in many trips to the penalty box for both contenders. However, neither of them can use the powerplay to score a goal. Then Dasilva equalizes the score for Canada and in the last minute of the period Fahrutdinov sets Russia off the ice with a 2-1 lead. In the second period there are plenty Russian penalties, but Canada is unable to collect. In the third, finally Team Canada takes advantage of Berdnikov’s Game Misconduct and scores on the powerplay via Gillen. When Wood is put in the sin bin for a roughing penalty, Kuokhrianov scores on the powerplay taking the lead again with less than three minutes to go. And then Kulikov ends the Canadian dream by scoring Russia’s fourth goal. Russia takes home the Men’s Ice Hockey Gold of the 24th Winter Universiade.