Russia blanks out USA to play for the gold

What a crazy game. You would not believe this was a semifinal match. Both teams USA and Russia presented with open style, not too keen about defending, allowing its opponent to prepare quite many of scoring chances.

But even though the final score 0:4 is one-sided, it was not an one-sided game at all. Just a look on shots-on-goal balance proves so. Altogether during sixty minutes USA scored 35 and Russia thirty. And if there was a team dominating the play it was more the American one, even though just slightly.

The United States visibly were better in the puck possession and out of the total amount of shots, Americans prepared more scoring chances. Which were all covered by Sergei Bobrovski.

USA just couldn't get the puck in net.

However, in the last thirteen minutes of regulation Russians took the productivity to their hands and they turned this so-far-scoreless match to a clear-cut matter.

During the fourty-eight minute, Sergei Mozyakin took the puck near own net and while keeping it on the stick, he passed through the neutral zone, skipped the blue line, skated-in between the circles and with a hard wristshot he opened the score - 0:1.

Only three minutes later, Alexander Ovechkin imitated Mozyakin`s finishing and doubled the Russian lead. This goal action started on top of American defensive zone when Ovechkin converted a mistake by Justin Faulk who lost the puck, which was delivered by "Ovie" in Connor Hellebuyck`s net.

The situation became critical for Team USA four minutes and half before the last horn. Another confusion in American defensive was used by Vadim Shipachyov receiving a pass from the corner by Nikolai Kulyomin and turning it to 0-3.

The Stars and Stripes then soon decided to recall Hellebuyck from the ice, just fifteen seconds after Russian third goal, but it did not lead to any correction of the score difference. At least not from the U.S. perspective. Oppositely, Yevgeni Malkin`s combination with Ovechkin graduated to an empty net goal, scored by Malkin 85 seconds to go.

Oppositely to the mutual game which both rivals played during the group phase - and which went for USA - now it is Russia to take out the win. Steve Moses from USA thinks the difference between the two matches was rather small: "For example Bobrovski played a better game tonight than the last time. We had chances, but did not use them tonight and came out short."

Team USA now has a very limited time for regeneration as tomorrow, will challenge the Czech Republic to play for bronze medals, yet at 16:15

Russia skates into the gold medal game at 20:45 and its opponent will be the only so-far-undefeated club of Canada.

"We came over to take the gold," a Russian forward Yevgeni Dadonov replied on the question if possibly silver medals could be considered a success in his motherland, " Canada have good players, but winning is only possible as a team. We can beat Canada."

Tweets by @eurohockey