Russia beats Sweden to reach gold medal game at Worlds
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Minsk, Belarus (SportsNetwork.com) - Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves to help Russia earn a 3-1 win over Sweden in the semifinals of the 2014 World Hockey Championship.
Sergei Plotnikov, Sergei Shirokov and Anton Belov scored for Russia, which remained undefeated in the tournament. The Russians won all seven games during the preliminary round and earned a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over France before Saturday's triumph.
The Russians have outscored the opposition 37-8 en route to the gold medal game and will next play the winner of Saturday's second semifinal between the Czech Republic and Finland. Russia last won the title in 2012.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oscar Moller scored the lone goal for Sweden, the defending world champs, while Anders Nilsson made 31 saves in defeat.
Moller gave Sweden the lead just 19 seconds into the game with a breakaway goal, tucking a shot between Bobrovsky's pads, but the Russians scored twice before the end of the opening stanza.
Plotnikov tied it with 6:35 left in the period on a rebound from the low left circle and Shirokov put Russia ahead with two minutes remaining on a screened shot from the slot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bobrovsky kept Russia in front with a brilliant glove save on Moller in the second and Belov made it 3-1 midway through the period, beating Nilsson with a shot from the top of the left circle.
The Swedes nearly pulled within one with just 1:40 to play in the third, but a video review determined the net was dislodged before the puck crossed the goal line.