2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup

RUSSIA TOPS CZECH REPUBLIC TO CLOSE PRELIMS

QUINTON AMUNDSON

PARADISE, N.L. – Evgenii Petrov finished with five goals and an assist and Dmitrii Lisov produced two goals and four helpers in Russia’s 10-0 win over the Czech Republic on Wednesday afternoon at the 2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup.

Nikolai Terentev chipped in a goal and two assists, and Mikail Miachin and Ilia Volkov also lit the lamp for Russia, which received three- and two-assist outings from Airat Khamzin and Konstantin Shikhov, respectively.

Evgenii Plotnikov made nine saves for a Russian squad that awaits the result of Wednesday night’s United States-Canada clash to figure out if it will close the preliminary round in second or third place.

By falling in regulation time for the third contest in a row, the Czech Republic finishes the prelims in fourth place. It will take on the No. 1 seed in the semifinals on Thursday.

Czech goaltender Martin Kudela stopped 18 of the 28 shots that came his way.

After the first half of the first period saw the two combatants trade scoring chances off the rush, the Russian offence took command with two goals in a 2:03 span

Lisov drew first blood with a laser-precise snipe from the right face-off circle to the top left corner, and Terentev doubled the lead by completing a pretty back-and-forth passing play with Shikhov with a sweeping shot into a wide-open cage.

Russia outshot the Czech Repubic 8-6 in the first frame.

Building off their momentum, the Russians enhanced their territorial edge in the game by outshooting the Czech Republic 8-2 in period two. Nearly all the attempts made by the Czech Republic to generate offence in transition was nullified by strong physical play from Russia.

Petrov expanded the lead to 3-0 with just over five minutes remaining in the period, slamming a spinning forehand shot over a heavily-screened Kudela.

Petrov and Lisov proved to be an unstoppable duo in period three as they factored in on five of the seven goals, including the first four. Every single one of their markers were manufactured at even strength. The only goal not scored at five-on-five was Miachin’s goal with 4:24 left.

Russia, participating in the competition for the first time since January 2016 in Bridgewater, N.S., broke new ground in group play by finishing with five points. It closed the preliminary round with three points in each of its previous three appearances.