Game 1: RUSSIA 8 – Latvia 2

Goals: Zaripov (Fedorov, Nikulin), Radulov (Fedorov, Kalinin), Ovechkin (Semin), Malkin (Afinogenov, Kovalchuk), Ovechkin (Datsyuk), Zaripov (Zinoviev), Kovalchuk (Malkin, Tyutin), Morozov (Malkin) – Vasiljevs (Nizivijs, Cipulis), Ankipans (Sprukts, Karsums)
Shots: Russia 45 – Latvia 20
Saves: Nabokov 18 – Masalskis 37
PIM: Russia 10 – Latvia 16

The coaching staff established the units as follows: Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Semin-Korneev-Grebeshkov, Kovalchuk-Malkin-Afinogenov-Gonchar-Tyutin, Zaripov-Zinoviev-Morozov-Markov-Nikulin, and Kozlov-Fedorov-Radulov-Volchenkov-Kalinin. Russia started out these Olympics with a bang as predicted, firing 19 shots on Latvia in the opening period. The team did ease defensively at times, allowing Latvia to realize two chances in the first four minutes of the third period, but Russia sealed the match with three goals in the same frame. In the end however, Russia scored on only one powerplay out of eight. Korneev played the most, logging 17:00 of ice time.

Photo Gallery:

Ovy in action

Nabokov did have work to do in this match

Alexander Radulov scores from a sharp angle

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