2008 World Championship

Host cities: Quebec City and Halifax, Canada
May 2-18, 2008
RESULT: GOLD MEDAL

For the first time since 1993, Russia won the IIHF World Championship! They were the first to do it on Canadian ice, in the historic Colisée in Quebec City. Even before the game started, Russia had enough reasons to triumph over the hosts and keep the World Championship home ice jinx going. Canadian law enforcement did not allow the team bus to approach the arena, forcing Russia’s players to walk almost a kilometre to the game. Coach Vyacheslav Bykov’s team was further upset by falling behind 3-1 and then 4-2 largely due to time spent killing penalties. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov, fresh out of the Stanley Cup playoffs, was a spectacular addition for the playoff round and was overworked by Canada’s behemoth forward lines in the first two periods of the final. However, Canada’s netminder Cam Ward was under greater pressure in the latter half of the game. Ilya Kovalchuk emerged as the hero, saving his only goalscoring at the tournament for tiying the game with five minutes remaining and then winning it on a powerplay in overtime, with the talented Fedorov, Ovechkin, and Semin also on the ice. Fedorov was the only Russian player to have previously tasted gold at the WC, in 1990 with the Soviet team. The energy and quality of the final match has surely set a new benchmark in modern hockey and continued a legendary hockey rivalry. Russia tied Canada with its 24th World Championship golden finish. Nabokov was named the best goaltender of the championship and placed on the tournament all-star team along with Ovechkin.

Game 1: Russia 7 – Italy 1
Goals: Semin (Grebeshkov), Ovechkin (Semin, Fedorov), Morozov (Kovalchuk, Zinoviev), Tereshchenko (Afinogenov, Proshkin), Semin (Grebeshkov), Sushinsky (Gorovikov), Zaripov (Morozov, Zinoviev) – Cirone (Iannone, Scandella)
Shots: Russia 44 – Italy 18
Saves: Eremenko 17 – Tragust 25, Hell 12
PIM: Russia 8 – Italy 16

Game 2: Russia 5 (OT) – Czech Republic 4
Goals: Zinoviev (Morozov, Kovalchuk), Gorovikov (Vorobiev), Morozov (Markov D., Kalinin), Korneev (Semin, Kovalchuk), Morozov (Zinoviev, Kalinin) – Elias (Zidlicy, Hlinka), Kotalik (Fleischmann, Kuba), Elias (Zidlicky, Kaberle), Elias (Hlinka, Kaberle)
Shots: Russia 27 – Czech Republic 43
Saves: Eremenko 16 (injured), Biryukov 23 – Hnilicka 22
PIM: Russia 22 – Czech Republic 20

Game 3: Russia 4 – Denmark 1
Goals: Afinogenov (Grebeshkov, Radulov), Ovechkin (Fedorov, Kovalchuk), Fedorov (Korneev, Kovalchuk), Gorovikov (Mozyakin, Sushinsky) – Staal (Eller)
Shots: Russia 43 – Denmark 20
Saves: Biryukov 19 – Galbraith 39
PIM: Russia 10 – Denmark 22

Game 4: Russia 4 (SO) – Belarus 3
Goals: Afinogenov (Proshkin, Tereschenko), Ovechkin (Semin, Fedorov), Afinogenov (Ovechkin) – Mikhalev (Grabovski, Ugarov), Dudik, Ugarov (Grabovski)
Shots: Russia 55 – Belarus 23
Saves: Biryukov 20 – Koval 52
PIM: Russia 6 – Belarus 14
Shootout winner: Morozov

Game 5: Russia 3 – Sweden 2
Goals: Semin (Ovechkin), Fedorov (Zaripov), Ovechkin (Semin, Grebeshkov) – Weinhandl (Martensson, Ledin), Martensson (Frogren)
Shots: Russia 42 – Sweden 30
Saves: Nabokov 28 – Lundqvist 39
PIM: Russia 39 – Sweden 66
In the first period, Morozov left the game with a concussion after a hit by Murray. In the same frame, Kovalchuk was ejected for roughing.

Game 6: Russia 5 – Switzerland 3
Goals: Kalinin (Zaripov, Radulov), Ovechkin (Kovachuk, Korneev), Sushinsky (Gorovikov), Fedorov (Ovechkin, Semin), Sushinsky – Sanitz (Forster, DiPietro), Vauclair, Lemm (Ambuhl, Sprenger).
Shots: Russia 37 – Switzerland 22
Saves: Nabokov 19 – Hiller 32
PIM: Russia 6 – Switzerland 12

Quarterfinal: Russia 6 – Switzerland 0
Goals: Semin (Grebeshkov, Fedorov), Afinogenov (Zaripov, Tereshchenko), Zaripov, Fedorov (Grebeshkov, Korneev), Afinogenov (Zaripov, Tereshchenko), Ovechkin (Korneev, Nabokov)
Shots: Russia 30 – Switzerland 22
Saves: Nabokov 22 – Gerber 9, Hiller 15
PIM: Russia 29 – Switzerland 14
Kovalchuk received a game misconduct penalty and a suspension for the next game for a hard hit on a Swiss player.

Semifinal: Russia 4 – Finland 0
Goals: Fedorov (Semin, Ovechkin), Zaripov (Markov A., Zinoviev), Morozov (Nikulin, Zinoviev), Sushinsky (Tereshchenko)
Shots: Russia 27 – Finland 24
Saves: Nabokov 23 – Backstrom 23
PIM: Russia 10 – Finland 14

Final: Russia 5 (OT) – Canada 4
Goals: Semin (Ovechkin, Fedorov), Semin (Korneev, Markov A.), Tereschenko (Semin, Tyutin), Kovalchuk (Proshkin, Radulov), Kovalchuk (Fedorov, Ovechkin) – Burns (Roy, Green), Kunitz, Burns (St. Louis, Heatley), Heatley (Getzlaf)
Shots: Russia 32 – Canada 29
Saves: Nabokov 25 – Ward 27
PIM: Russia 12 – Canada 8

Roster:

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
D #5 Ilya Nikulin	9	0	1	1	0
D #6 Dmitry Vorobiev	5	0	1	1	4
D #7 Dmitry Kalinin	9	1	2	3	4
D #22 Konstantin Korneev	9	1	5	6	0
D #37 Denis Grebeshkov	9	0	6	6	2
D #45 Vitali Proshkin	8	0	3	3	12
D #51 Fedor Tyutin	6	0	1	1	0
D #52 Andrei Markov	6	0	2	2	4
D #55 Daniil Markov	8	0	1	1	2
F #8 Alexander Ovechkin	9	6	6	12	8
F #10 Sergei Mozyakin	7	0	1	1	2
F #21 Konstantin Gorovikov	9	2	2	4	8
F #25 Danis Zaripov	8	3	4	7	0
F #27 Alexei Tereshchenko	9	2	4	6	2
F #28 Alexander Semin	9	6	7	13	8
F #29 Sergei Fedorov	9	5	7	12	8
F #33 Maxim Sushinsky	9	4	1	5	6
F #42 Sergei Zinoviev	9	1	5	6	12
F #47 Alexander Radulov	6	0	3	3	2
F #61 Maxim Afinogenov	8	5	1	6	2
F #71 Ilya Kovalchuk	8	2	6	8	52
F #95 Alexei Morozov	8	5	2	7	4
Goaltender	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO
G #20 Evgeni Nabokov	5	5	0	0	1.78	2
G #30 Alexander Eremenko	2	2	0	0	2.10	0
G #35 Mikhail Biryukov	3	3	0	0	2.22	0