WHL Red Deer Rebels

Russians Bounce Back from Opening Day Defeat to Down Swiss

Published on December 28, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release


The Russians weren't about to be denied two days in a row.

Roughly 24 hours after losing to Sweden in the tournament opener for both teams, Russia posted its first win in Group B of the World Junior Hockey Championship Monday afternoon at the Peavey Mart Centrium, downing a game Switzerland squad 4-2.

The Swedes fired three power play goals in Sunday's 6-3 victory, but the Russians made the necessary adjustments against Switzerland.

"Basically what coaches told us was we should play more with discipline and we were playing better today," said Russian forward Danila Yurov. "This is why we get the W."

Yurov opened the scoring for the Russians 7:21 into the contest, burying a rebound from the right circle that glanced off a Swiss skate and past netminder Kevin Pasche.

Dmitri Zlodeyev increased the lead eight minutes later when he circled the net and beat Pasche from close range, and just two minutes had passed when Pavel Tyutnev made it 3-0 with a shot from the low slot.

"I entered the zone and first I was about to score from the short end, but I went behind the net and found the puck again and found a way to score," said Zlodeyev of his goal. "Scoring at world junior level is always great feeling but the most important thing is we actually won.

"We were playing and doing our job and here is the result."

The Swiss got back in the game with a late first-period marker as Attilio Biasca burst down the left side and caught the far side of the net, his shot appearing to glance off the glove of netminder Yegor Gushkov.

Following a scoreless second period, the Russians went up 4-1 at 11:57 of final frame when Matvei Michkov connected from in tight, finding a space between Pasche's glove and pad.

Switzerland cut the deficit to two with a late goal, courtesy of a redirect by Fabian Ritzmann, and the underdogs pulled Pasche during a last-minute power play but failed to draw any closer.

Pasche made 28 saves in a losing cause for the 0-1 Swiss while Russian stopper Gushkov stopped 16 shots.

Despite the setback, Switzerland head coach Marco Bayer was satisfied with the way his team performed as the game progressed.

'We started for sure not what we accept, but as long as the game went we did the right steps," he said. "As long as the game was on I think the team made good progress. That's what made me happy but we still need to find another gear if we're going to win some games here."

Added Biasca: I thought we got better the whole game and we're going to take that for sure into tomorrow's game (versus the United States, 2:30 p.m. at the Centrium)."

Sweden 3 Slovakia 0

In the evening game at the Centrium, Jesper Wallstedt was a one-man show for Sweden, stopping all 48 shots he faced in a 3-0 shutout of Slovakia.

Theodor Niederbach and Albert Sjoberg scored first- and second-period goals for Sweden, and Daniel Ljungman added an empty-net marker.

Slovakia netminder Simon Latkoczy made 17 saves.

Germany 2 Czechia 1 (OT)

Alexander Blank broke down the left wing and beat netminder Jan Bednar with a high shot at 1:20 of overtime to give Germany a 2-1 win over Czechia in Group A action at Edmonton's Rogers Place.

Blank scored twice for the winners, who got a 39-save effort from Florian Bugl.

Jan Myska was the lone sniper for Czechia. Bednar made 30 saves in a losing cause.

Finland 7 Austria 1

In an earlier game at Rogers Place, Ville Koivunen scored twice as Finland routed Austria 7-1.

Also scoring for the winners were Brad Lambert, Kasper Simontaival, Samuel Helenius, Kalle Vaisanen and Topi Niemela.

Juha Jatkola faced only eight shots in the Finnish net. Sebastian Wraneschitz made 41 saves at the other end.

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2021


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