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2012 IIHF World Championship: Alexander Semin Scores Twice, Russia Wins Gold Medal Game 6-2

2012-05-20T20:55:56Z

Team Russia completed a dominant performance in the 2012 IIHF World Championship, defeating upstart Slovakia 6-2 on Sunday in the gold medal game. The Russians finished 10-0-0 in the tournament, the first champions to win all of their games in regualtion since the 1989 Soviets.

Alexander Semin scored two goals and added an assist for Team Russia in the victory, with his Washington Capitals teammate Alex Ovechkin adding two assists in the title game. Tournament scoring leader Evgeni Malkin (19 points) of the Pittsburgh Penguins was named MVP. Semyon Varlamov of the Colorado Avalanche stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced from Slovakia.

This is Team Russia's third world title in the past five years. The last team to accomplish that feat was Canada, in 2003, 2004, and 2007.

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2012 IIHF World Championship: Alex Ovechkin Notches Goal, Russia Advances To Final

2012-05-19T14:06:59Z

Team Russia defeated Finland 6-2 on Saturday in the semifinal round of the 2012 IIHF World Championship, propelling Russia into the championship game against the winner of the Czech Republic-Slovakia matchup. Alex Ovechkin scored a goal for Russia, his second in as many games since joining his national team after the Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Teamma Evgeni Malkin was dominant for Russia, notching a hat trick. Malkin, the NHL scoring champion this past season, is also the leader in points at the world championship. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced in net for Russia.

With Finland falling, the home ice failures of host nation's continues. No host team has won the tournament since the Soviet Union in 1986.

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2012 IIHF World Championship: Nicklas Backstrom, Sweden Eliminated In Quarterfinals

2012-05-17T21:07:05Z

Nicklas Backstrom and Sweden put together a strong group stage performance in the 2012 IIHF World Championship, taking out all of their competitors save for Russia en route to a 6-1 record, but their tournament has ended in the quarterfinals. They came from 3-1 down to tie their game against the Czech Republic in the third period, but the Czechs found a late game-winning goal to down Sweden, 4-3.

Backstrom did not record a point for Sweden in their three-goal performance. Loui Eriksson got them off to a great start with the opening goal, but the Czechs scored twice before the end of the first period. In the second period, a penalty by Jonathan Ericsson set up the third goal for the Czech Republic, scored on the power play by Martin Erat. Just seconds before the end of the second period, Henrik Zetterberg hauled one back, bringing Sweden back into the game.

Jonathan Ericsson atoned for his earlier mistake early in the third with a game-tying goal. It appeared that the game was headed for overtime until the final minute, when Milan Michalek scored a heartbreaking winner with just 29 seconds remaining.

The Czech Republic moves on to face Slovakia in the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Finland takes on Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Russia.

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2012 IIHF World Championship: Alex Ovechkin Nets A Goal, Alexander Semin 2 Assists, In Russia Win

2012-05-17T15:29:38Z

Shortly after being eliminated in the Playoffs by the New York Rangers, some of the Capitlas have taken their talents to the IIHF World Championships to represent their Country. Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin both play for the Russian National team, and on Thursday they squared off against Norway. With some help from the Capitals stars, the Russian National team was able to secure a 5-2 win.

Ovechkin got the scoring started early, putting one in the net just 7:26 into the first period. The assist, unconfidently, came off the stick of Alexander Semin. Semin also registered a secondary assist on a goal early in the third period.

Russia now advances to the semi-finals of the tournament where they will face the winner of Finland and the United States.

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2012 IIHF World Championship: Capitals Announce Ovechkin And 2 Others In Tournament, Game Dates Set

2012-05-14T14:47:58Z

Three members of the Washington Capitals will represent their countries at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The tournament began on May 4, while Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Niklas Backstrom were part of the Capitals' playoff run, and concludes on May 20. Dates for their next games were announced on Monday by the Capitals.

Ovechkin and Semin will play in Russia's next game which is set for Monday, May 14. They will face Italy. Backstrom takes the ice with the Swedish team on Tuesday, May 15. Sweden takes on Latvia.

All three players are familiar with high-profile international hockey tournaments. Ovechkin played in three World Junior Championship tournaments, the 2004 World Cup and the 2006 and 2010 Olympics. Semin represented Russia twice in the World Junior Championship as well as the 2010 Olympics.

Backstrom was part of the Swedish team in the 2010 Olympics and three World Junior Championship appearances.

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2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship: Alex Semin, Alex Ovechkin To Join Team Russia

2012-05-13T21:03:25Z

With the Washington Capitals season now over courtesy of a Game 7 loss on Saturday night to the New York Rangers, Alexander Semin and Alex Ovechkin will play for Russia in the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Via Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo! Sports Puck Daddy blog:

Team Russia coach tells @plysenkov he spoke with both Ovechkin and Semin this am and both will join the team in time 4 the Worlds QF. #Caps
— Dmitry Chesnokov (@dchesnokov) May 13, 2012

Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post bumped into Semin at the Capitals practice facility on Sunday and received confirmation that the two Alexs would indeed be playing for their homeland.

Just ran into Semin at KCI. #Caps winger confirmed that both he and Ovechkin will play for Russia at World Championships.
— Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikElBashir) May 13, 2012

This will be Ovechkin's eight appearance and Semin's sixth for Team Russia at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

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2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship: Washington's Nicklas Bäckström Will Play For Sweden

2012-05-13T20:15:32Z

After being eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday night in Game 7 by the New York Rangers, the Washington Capitals' Nicklas Bäckström will play for his homeland of Sweden in the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. From the tournament's official site:

It was announced today that Washington Capitals forward Nicklas Bäckström has accepted an invitation to join the Swedish national team in time for the quarter-finals of the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

Bäckström is expected to arrive in Stockholm on Tuesday if everything works out. Sweden plays Latvia in the final game of the Preliminary Round that night at the Globe Arena.

This will be Bäckström's fourth time representing Sweden at the World Championship. In 22 World Championship games, Bäckström has amassed 13 points, scoring four goals.

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