In the two final rounds of the group stage at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia, the Russian national team had to play with serious rivals. According to the tournament regulations, on May 19, Ilya Vorobyov's charges met with the Swiss national team, a team that had four wins in five meetings.
The Swiss national team brought a worthy squad to the hockey world championship in Slovakia. All the leaders of the national team, freed from their clubs in the NHL, joined the ranks of Europeans. At least two Swiss fives represented a formidable force.
The beginning of the meeting remained with the Russians. Already in their first shift, the Swiss hockey players earned a minority, but the "red car" failed to realize the numerical advantage. After that, the Russians continued to play actively, due to which the Swiss had problems getting out of their zone. At the 4th minute of the meeting, Dmitry Orlov made a solo run to the goal of the goalkeeper of the Swiss national team, but he could not score. Such an active action of the defender did not pass without leaving a trace - the forward of "Chicago" Artem Anisimov finished off the puck in the gates of Ginoni. Russia took the lead 1: 0.
After the goal, the territorial and playing advantage of the Russians increased, however, the audience did not see the second puck in the first period. Only in the second half of the twenty minutes did the Swiss begin to positionally attack the gate of Alexander Georgiev.
The final part of the period, the Swiss national team could put itself into an asset, which was facilitated by two removal from the Russians. Despite the dangerous throws of the nominal hosts of the match, the gates of the Russian team remained intact until the siren for the break.
The team started the second period with a four-player game. The numerical advantage of the Swiss did not last long and did not lead to dangerous attacks. However, soon the charges of Ilya Vorobyov left again. The numerical majority of the Swiss were sharp, but the New York Rangers goalkeeper continued to keep the goal intact. Perhaps Alexander Georgiev was the best player in the Russian national team in the second period. The young goalkeeper saved the Russian national team several times from an inevitable goal.
On the 7th minute the score on the scoreboard changed. For domestic fans, this was gratifying, because Nikita Kucherov, with the transfer of his friend Nikita Gusev, hit the gates of Ginoni, thereby earning his personal thirteenth point in the tournament on the goal + pass system.
The second half of the period was held in double-edged attacks, but the score did not change. The Swiss were behind 0: 2. At the end of the period, passions began to boil. The teams earned a mutual removal for rudeness, which led to the game in incomplete, but equal compositions at the start of the final twenty minutes.
The Russian team spent the third period neatly, with an eye on their own goal. There were comparatively fewer chances at the gates of Georgiev and Ginoni than in the first segments of the meeting. The Russians had a game advantage, they were more likely to shoot at goal. Nikita Gusev missed a chance to score at a great chance. The throw of the Las Vegas forward was reflected by the barbell. 5 minutes before the end of the game, the Toronto Maple Leafs defender Nikita Zaitsev gave an excellent pass to Artyom Anisimov, after which the center forward redirected the round to Nikita Kucherov. The Tampa forward went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and was accurate. This goal was the last in the match.
The Russians spent the last four minutes of the meeting in the minority (they retired twice). The Swiss changed the goalkeeper for the sixth field player, but they could not score. In the last seconds of the match, the bar played for domestic hockey players.
The final score of the confrontation is 3: 0 in favor of the Russian national team. This result allowed the Russians to stay at the top of the group B standings.
