Losing 4-3 against team Finland in the fifth place deciding game, Plyuschev's team Russia got their second straight defeat and finished the World Junior Championships at a very disappointing sixth place, the worst result since 2001.
This year's team Russia performed badly throughout the whole tournament, and the match against Finland was no different. Ramis Sadikov started between the pipes, with Igor Bobkov being iced after twenty-sixth minutes.
The first period counted three goals: Maxim Trunev opened the score, while Teemu Eronen made it 1-1 with the man advantage at the sixteenth. All the four Finn goals will be scored while on the powerplay. With only twenty-three seconds to play, Alexander Burmistrov scored the go-ahead goal for the Russians.
During the second period Plyuschev subbed Sadikov with Bobkov, which allowed a goal to the Finns ninety seconds to the second horn.
The third period decided the game. With a double man advantage Jyri Niemi made it 3-2, but Burmistrov scored his second goal of the game to tie it up once again. At the fifty second minute team Russia was caught with too many men on the ice and the Finns spoiled the chance getting the game winning goal with Edmonton Oilers' prospect Teemu Hartikainen.
In the dying seconds Plyuschev recalled Bobkov on the bench for the extra-attacker, but the desperation move didn't work and thus the Finns could celebrate a well deserved win.
