Russia have got their ice hockey Eurotour season off to a great start with a hard fought 1-0 win over Sweden. This was the Russian team’s first match at home since winning the World Championships in Canada six months ago.
Vyacheslav Bykov's men dominated the Karjala Cup game for long periods against a side who are always tough opponents. But it took a goal late in the final period to eventually secure the world champions the win. The first period saw few chances for either side, and there was certainly no love lost between the teams. Bykov's men were creating some good opportunities, but they were unable to find a way past Johan Homquist in the visitors’ goal. Russia continued to dominate in the second period. The chances just kept on coming for Bykov's side, but the exceptional performance by Homquist held off the Russian attacks for almost an hour. Russia continued to waste numerous chances, but with 4 minutes to go, the deadlock was finally broken. Anton But broke quickly on the counter-attack, and Aleksey Mikhnov was on hand to finally send the puck past Homquist, much to the relief of the home support. Related news: