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USA, Russia renew rivalry
USA, Russia renew rivalry
Russia has won 3 of last 5 meetings
OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC - MAY 4: Russia's Yevgeni Medvedev #82 collides with USA's Jack Eichel #9 along the boards during preliminary round action at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)
The semi-final at O2 Arena tonight will once again ignite the passions of East and West on the ice. There has always been a rivalry between these two hockey nations. Here’s a look back at recent encounters and what clues they offer for today's game.
2015 USA 4 RUSSIA 2
With a strong start to the game, the upstart Team USA ran its record to 3-0 with a win over Russia. Jack Campbell got his first start in goal and made 15 saves. Goals by Trevor Lewis and Torey Krug gave the Americans a 2-1 lead heading into the third and Marc Arcobello’s tally midway in the final period. Defenceman Seth Jones contributed two assists. It was perhaps the most complete game the United States would play in the Preliminary Round.
2014 RUSSIA 6 USA 1
Russia got revenge on the Americans after the 2013 quarter-final drubbing in Stockholm. Team USA outshot their opponent 40-23. But it was the Russians who would make the most of their chances. After taking a 2-0 lead after the first period, Russia scored four goals on seven shots in second period to put the game away for once and for all. Alexander Ovechkin scored a goal and added two assists while Viktor Tikhonov scored twice with an assist. American netminder Tim Thomas was chased from the game after giving up five goals on ten shots. It was Russia’s third win of the tournament en route to an undefeated tournament that ended with the gold medal.
2013 USA 8 RUSSIA 3
Continue readingIn the quarter-final game at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, Team USA defeated Russia to advance in the tournament. Paul Stastny scored two goals and four points. Craig Smith dished out five assists in the game. After scoring the first two goals of the game, the Americans rode that throughout the contest, maintaining the lead and breaking the game wide open with a four goal third period. Team USA shut down a Russia side that featured high flying forwards Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov. Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Bryzgalov suffered in goal giving up four goals each. The USA moved into the semi-final against Switzerland where they 3-0 lost to the eventual silver medallist. However, Team USA would capture the bronze with a 3-2 win over Finland.
2013 RUSSIA 5 USA 3
In their first meeting in 2013 in the Preliminary Round, Yevgeni Medvedev broke a 3-3 tie with a goal at 13:35 of the third period and Alexander Radulov would add another at 15:27 on the power play to lead Russia. Radulov and Ilya Kovalchuk each scored a goal and assist. Both teams entered the game having won each of their first two games in the tournament.
2009 RUSSIA 3 USA 2
Russia and the United States met in the Qualifying Round of the 2009 World Championship in Switzerland. The Americans took a 1-0 lead with a Lee Stempniak goal but that would be their only lead of the game. Russia scored three goals in the remaining fifteen minutes of the period that ended in a 4-1 win. Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 26 of 27 shots in the game. Russia won the gold medal that year, their second straight,
TALE OF THE TAPE
Russia
Wins: 3
Goals for: 19
Goals against: 18
When scoring first: 2-0
Tied going into third: 1-0
Leading going into third: 2-0
Medals: 2 Gold (2009, 2014)
USA
Wins: 2
Goals for: 18
Goals against: 19
When scoring first: 2-1
Tied going into third: 0-1
Leading going into third: 2-0
Medals: 1 Bronze (2013)
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