Russia wins in final minutes in front of home crowd

Press Release

The Russian U18 team set a good omen for its seniors who will compete for Olympic gold next year, winning its inaugural game at the Bolshoy 4-3 against the United States.

Vladimir Tkachyov scored the game winner to beat the three-time defending U18 champions.

Tied 2-2 going into the third period, Russia got its first lead of the game just over a minute and a half into the frame. Pavel Buchnevich got the puck at the bottom of the circle in the U.S. zone, finding Ilya Ivanov open in the slot. Ivanov calmly roofed it past goaltender Thatcher Demko, giving Russia the 3-2 lead.

A penalty at 9:28 on the United States would have seemed to give Russia the chance it needed to close out its rival. But instead Team USA’s Tyler Motte stole the puck at the top of the U.S. blue line and took off with captain JT Compher on a two-on-one. Compher got the pass from Motte near center ice, and after skating into the Russian zone beat goaltender Igor Shestyorkin with a shot under his arm for the short-handed tying goal.

But the Russians, playing in the future site of their country’s Olympic Games, would not be denied. With just under two minutes to go, Ivan Barbashev passed the puck to Vladimir Tkachyov in the middle of the U.S. zone. Making a magnificent toe drag to get past the last defender, Tkachyov scored what would be the game winner, as Russia held off a late USA charge to seal the 4-3 win.

The game began with the opening ceremony for the tournament, featuring a trio of speeches from IIHF President René Fasel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Russian Ice Hockey Federation President Vladislav Tretiak. President Putin held a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston Marathon explosion that occurred just days earlier, as well as the explosion in Texas that occurred only hours earlier.

 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)