Monday, January 03, 2005 8:04:30 PM
Russia 7, USA 2 ~ Jan. 2 /SEMIFINAL ROUND/RELEGATION
Russia moves on to play Canada for the Gold
. 
Herald photo by Eric Hylden
USA'S Kevin Porther and Russia's Dmitri
Megalinski reach for the puck during
Sunday's World Junior Hockey Championsip
in Ralph Engelstad arena in Grand Foorks
Herald photo by Jacie Lorentz
USA players look at the clock as time winds down in the their defeat to Russia.
Posted on Mon, Jan. 03, 2005
By Brad E. Schlossman
Herald Staff Writer
Russia eliminates Team USA 7-2 in WJC semifinals
Repeat dreams die
This time there was no third-period rally for the Americans.
And this year, there will be no gold medal at the World Junior Championship for Team USA.
Team Russia ended the Americans' dreams of repeating as gold medal champions in the WJC with a 7-2 semifinal win Sunday before 9,024 fans in Grand Forks' Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Last year in the WJC at Helsinki, Finland, Team USA rallied for three goals in the third period to top Canada for the gold medal. Sunday night, the Russians rallied in the third period and blew open what had been a close game for two-and-a-half periods.
Russian stars Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, the top two picks in the 2004 NHL draft, each scored two goals and had an assist.
"I didn't think it was that easy," Malkin said. "For two periods it was an even game. I thought the power play was the difference. (The Americans) were also playing their second game in two days. Maybe that is why we were quicker than they were at the end."
Russia advances to play Team Canada in the gold-medal game at 7:08 p.m. Tuesday. Team USA will play the Czech Republic for the bronze medal at 3:08 p.m. Tuesday.
Russia avenged an opening-day 5-4 loss to the Americans by way of a four-goal third period. Two of the goals were empty-net goals and the final score came as time expired.
"We didn't come out as hard as we did in the first game," Team USA defenseman Jeff Likens said. "We got our wheels going in the first game. (Sunday) night was a little different. They came out with more jump and they were more ready than we were."
And the Russians had more gas in the tank than the Americans, too. Team Russia outshot Team USA 43-24 and was constantly pressuring American goaltender Al Montoya.
Montoya, who was named the Team USA player of the game, finished with 36 saves and kept his team in the game during the second period when the Russians peppered him with 17 shots.
But like the Christmas Day game, the Americans struggled to score after a quick start. Team USA scored both of its goals on the power play in the first period. For the last two periods Russian goaltender Anton Khudobin (22 saves) shut the door on Team USA's few chances.
On Christmas, the Americans and Russians combined for nine goals in the first 30 minutes. Nobody scored in the final 30 minutes.
"We deserved this win," said Team Russia forward Enver Lisin, who had a goal.
"We outplayed them the first time we played them. They just got the bounces. So we were confident coming into this game."
The Russians threatened to blow the game open early. Team Russia took a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game on power-play goals by Lisin and Ovechkin. Just minutes after Ovechkin's goal the Russians had a few chances to go up 3-0, including hitting a goal post.
But the Americans settled down and answered with a pair of power-play goals by Robbie Schremp and Patrick O'Sullivan to tie it in the first period. Schremp fired a wrist shot from the right circle, which hit Khudobin and trickled across the goal line. O'Sullivan scored on a slap shot from the point.
The Russians took the lead back before the end of the period. Sergei Shirokov skated in from the right side and fired a wrist shot top shelf for the goal.
After a scoreless second period, Malkin scored a key goal midway through the third. Coming in from the left wing, Malkin fired a wrist shot past Montoya to give Russia a two-goal cushion with 9:57 left.
Team USA's comeback efforts were hurt by penalties. O'Sullivan took a four-minute high sticking penalty after Malkin's goal. After he got out of the box, the Americans pulled Montoya for an extra attacker.
Then the Russians scored the clinching goals.
We just didn't come out and play our game," American captain Ryan Suter said.
"(The penalties) were a big factor. We didn't get the breaks we wanted."
"It's obviously disappointing," Team USA coach Scott Sandelin said.
Russia moves on to play Canada for the Gold
. Herald photo by Eric Hylden
USA'S Kevin Porther and Russia's Dmitri
Megalinski reach for the puck during
Sunday's World Junior Hockey Championsip
in Ralph Engelstad arena in Grand Foorks
Herald photo by Jacie Lorentz
USA players look at the clock as time winds down in the their defeat to Russia.
Posted on Mon, Jan. 03, 2005
By Brad E. Schlossman
Herald Staff Writer
Russia eliminates Team USA 7-2 in WJC semifinals
Repeat dreams die
This time there was no third-period rally for the Americans.
And this year, there will be no gold medal at the World Junior Championship for Team USA.
Team Russia ended the Americans' dreams of repeating as gold medal champions in the WJC with a 7-2 semifinal win Sunday before 9,024 fans in Grand Forks' Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Last year in the WJC at Helsinki, Finland, Team USA rallied for three goals in the third period to top Canada for the gold medal. Sunday night, the Russians rallied in the third period and blew open what had been a close game for two-and-a-half periods.
Russian stars Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, the top two picks in the 2004 NHL draft, each scored two goals and had an assist.
"I didn't think it was that easy," Malkin said. "For two periods it was an even game. I thought the power play was the difference. (The Americans) were also playing their second game in two days. Maybe that is why we were quicker than they were at the end."
Russia advances to play Team Canada in the gold-medal game at 7:08 p.m. Tuesday. Team USA will play the Czech Republic for the bronze medal at 3:08 p.m. Tuesday.
Russia avenged an opening-day 5-4 loss to the Americans by way of a four-goal third period. Two of the goals were empty-net goals and the final score came as time expired.
"We didn't come out as hard as we did in the first game," Team USA defenseman Jeff Likens said. "We got our wheels going in the first game. (Sunday) night was a little different. They came out with more jump and they were more ready than we were."
And the Russians had more gas in the tank than the Americans, too. Team Russia outshot Team USA 43-24 and was constantly pressuring American goaltender Al Montoya.
Montoya, who was named the Team USA player of the game, finished with 36 saves and kept his team in the game during the second period when the Russians peppered him with 17 shots.
But like the Christmas Day game, the Americans struggled to score after a quick start. Team USA scored both of its goals on the power play in the first period. For the last two periods Russian goaltender Anton Khudobin (22 saves) shut the door on Team USA's few chances.
On Christmas, the Americans and Russians combined for nine goals in the first 30 minutes. Nobody scored in the final 30 minutes.
"We deserved this win," said Team Russia forward Enver Lisin, who had a goal.
"We outplayed them the first time we played them. They just got the bounces. So we were confident coming into this game."
The Russians threatened to blow the game open early. Team Russia took a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game on power-play goals by Lisin and Ovechkin. Just minutes after Ovechkin's goal the Russians had a few chances to go up 3-0, including hitting a goal post.
But the Americans settled down and answered with a pair of power-play goals by Robbie Schremp and Patrick O'Sullivan to tie it in the first period. Schremp fired a wrist shot from the right circle, which hit Khudobin and trickled across the goal line. O'Sullivan scored on a slap shot from the point.
The Russians took the lead back before the end of the period. Sergei Shirokov skated in from the right side and fired a wrist shot top shelf for the goal.
After a scoreless second period, Malkin scored a key goal midway through the third. Coming in from the left wing, Malkin fired a wrist shot past Montoya to give Russia a two-goal cushion with 9:57 left.
Team USA's comeback efforts were hurt by penalties. O'Sullivan took a four-minute high sticking penalty after Malkin's goal. After he got out of the box, the Americans pulled Montoya for an extra attacker.
Then the Russians scored the clinching goals.
We just didn't come out and play our game," American captain Ryan Suter said.
"(The penalties) were a big factor. We didn't get the breaks we wanted."
"It's obviously disappointing," Team USA coach Scott Sandelin said.
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