2010 U18 WJC: Team Russia finishes without medals (Photo © fhr.ru)

After the defeat against Team Sweden in the 2010 U18 WJC semifinals, Team Russia lost the third place to Finland losing the bronze medal game 5-1.

Team Finland got the lead only during the second period with a goal by Teemu Pulkkinen, then in the third period they scored four unanswered goals (with Pulkkinen getting the hat trick) to get a five goals lead.

Team Russia lost the nerves and at the 57th minute a fight broke out and six players were sent off, three for Finland, Hovinen, Partanen and Moisio, while for Russia Nikita Nesterov, Zakhar Arzamastsev and Maxim Shalunov.

On the 58th minute team Russia scored the consolation goal with Emil Galimov.

“I have no claims toward players”, declared team Russia’s head coach Mikhail Vasiliev, who once again iced 15-years old Andrei Vasilevski between the pipes.

Team USA won their second straight Gold Medal after defeating Team Sweden 3-1 in the April 23rd final. Team Russia captain Evgeny Kuznetsov has been included into the tournament’s All-Star team.

2010 U18 WJC: Russia makes it through to quarterfinals (Photo © fhr.ru)

In the 2010 U18 WJC‘s fourth game Team Russia defeated Team Slovakia 3-1. Thanks to this result Vasiliev’s team clinched the second spot in the Group B standings and will face Team Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

Team Russia scored all three goals with defensemen and interestingly all the game’s goals have been scored in the first period. Team Russia got the early lead on the first shift with 93-born blue liner Nikita Nesterov. After five minutes third line defenseman Efim Gurkin made it a 2-0 game for Russia. At the fifteenth minute Tomas Matousek cut down Russia’s lead by one goal, but less than three minutes later Efim Gurkin scored again and restored Russia’s two-goal lead.

In the second and third period Team Russia controlled the game. Goalie Sergei Kostenko finished the game with 19 saves. Team Russia’s next game will be played on Tuesday, as said, against Switzerland. Just like at the U20 WJC. The winner will face Team Sweden on Wednesday.

2010 U18 WJC: Finland prevails over Russia 5-4 (Photo © fhr.ru)

In the third match of the 2010 U18 WJC Team Russia lost to Finland 4-5. Markus Granlund opened the score after less than two minutes in the first period, but Emil Galimov made it an 1-1 game just before the first horn.

In the second period Finland got a quick two goals lead thanks to two goals by Teemu Pullkinen. After Finland’s third goal, head coach Mikhail Vasiliev swapped goalie Sergei Kostenko for Andrei Vasilevski.

In the third period Russia tried hard to get back on track and it paid off when captain Evgeny Kuznetsov cut down the opponents’ lead spoiling a mistake by a defenseman midway through the latest stanza. Two minutes later center Vladislav Namestnikov scored the game tying goal. But it didn’t last long as Makinen scored another goal that allowed the Finns to go ahead. Later on Vasiliev called the goalie on the bench, but Finland scored the 5-3 on the empty net with Asten. Russia added another goal at the 59th minute with Sergei Barbashev, but it was too late and the game thus ended 5-4.

Team Russia’s next match will be played on Sunday against Slovakia.

2010 U18 WJC: Russia routs Latvia 9-0 (Photo © iihf.com)

In the second day of the 2010 U18 WJC Team Russia faced Team Latvia and easily beaten them with a score of 9-0. Head Coach Mikhail Vasiliev decided to give Sergei Kostenko a rest and thus 94-born Andrei Vasilevski started between the pipes.

In the first period team Russia got the early lead with young defenseman Nikita Nesterov during a powerplay. Two minutes later, at the seventh minute, Vladislav Namestnikov gave team Russia a two goals lead.

In the second period team Russia pushed the gas and scored four unanswered goals. Team Russia’s captain Evgeny Kuznetsov made it a 3-0 game, then Namestnikov added other two goals to complete his hat-trick. After the fifth goal Latvia changed the goalie and iced Kristers Gudlevskis, but after seven minutes Grigori Zheldakov scored once again to put Russia up by six goals. Namestnikov assisted this powerplay goal.

On the third period Kuznetsov scored other two goals and got a hat-trick too giving Russia a 8-0 lead. 93-born Maxim Shalunov at the fifty-seventh scored the ninth goal of the game.

Vasilievski finished the match with 18 saves.

2010 U18 WJC: Russia defeat Czech Republic 4-1 (Photo © wikimedia.org)

Team Russia won its 2010 U18 WJC inaugural match against Czech Republic with a comfortable 4-1 score. Sergei Barbashev opened the score after Vasiliev’s team killed a penalty whistled against Roman Berdnikov. On the last minutes of the first period team Russia had a powerplay, but they weren’t able to score.

Midway through the second period 93-born Maxim Shalunov doubled the score for Team Russia, but Michal Vacovek made it a 1-2 game at the thirty-ninth minute of play.

In the third period defenseman Viktor Antipin restored team Russia’s two goal lead during a double powerplay, then center Vladislav Namestnikov sealed the deal with a goal at the fifty-seventh minute.

Team Russia’s star of the tournament is supposed to be Evgeny Kuznetsov (pictured), who got an injury during the second period. Sergei Kostenko of Metallurg Novokuznetsk was the starting goalkeeper and finished the game with 14 saves.

On the other today’s games, Switzerland surprised Canada 3-1, Finland defeated Latvia 7-2 and the USA lost to Sweden 2-4. Team Russia’s next game will be tomorrow against Latvia and then on Friday against Team Finland.