Russia’s ice hockey team will play to its full potential against Sweden after a difficult start to the country’s world championship campaign, Russia defenseman Evgeny Ryasensky told RIA Novosti ahead of Friday’s game.
Both teams go into the match with winning records in their four games so far, and the winner will take first place in the group.
Russia has faced lowly opposition in games against Latvia, Norway and Germany and made a series of defensive errors in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Denmark, ranked 13th in the world.
“This game will be interesting and demonstrative and hard for us. It will reveal what we are really capable of. This match will be at the level of quarter- or semifinal,” Ryasensky said Friday.
“Some things are not working the way they should yet. But our hockey is getting better every day. Before facing the Swedes we will work on certain areas and I think will be able to win. We have a strong team with good goaltenders and we create a lot of chances.”
The Swedes have yet to record a shutout in any of their games, but recorded a 4-1 win over 2010 champion the Czech Republic, as well as beating Norway, Denmark and Germany.
There are 14 NHL players in the Swedish squad, including the Detroit Red Wings pair of forward Henrik Zetterberg and defenseman Niklas Kronwall.
Russia has won five of its last six games against Sweden at the world championships, and won 4-2 in the Czech Hockey Games warm-up tournament last month, albeit with both countries fielding weakened squads.
The Swedes have had an extra day of rest before the game, while the Russians, with Pittsburgh Penguins center and NHL regular season top scorer Evgeni Malkin and Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk, will be playing the day after the win over Denmark.
Russia coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov elected to rest Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov for the Denmark game after he played in the first three matches, instead fielding Ak Bars Kazan’s Konstantin Barulin, who saved several Danish breakaway shots.
The Swedes last won the World Championship in 2006 and lost the 2011 final 6-1 to fierce rival Finland.
After two successive triumphs in 2008 and 2009, the Russian national team lost to the Czechs 2-1 in the 2010 final before finishing fourth in 2011 after a 3-0 semifinal defeat to the Finns.
