Nikita Kucherov provided the dramatics as Russia avoided a major upset at the 2013 World Junior Championships on Wednesday, defeating Switzerland 4-3 in a shootout.
Kucherov, Tampa Bay’s second-round selection at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, scored the game-tying tally with less than two minutes remaining, then potted the shootout winner to send the Russians through to the semifinals.
The hosts were playing in front of a partisan crowd in Ufa, but that didn’t seem to faze the Swiss team in the slightest.
Switzerland twice rallied from one-goal deficits and looked to have pulled the stunner of the tourney when Sven Andrighetto scored midway through the third to give his club a 3-2 lead.
But then came Kucherov’s heroics.
The Lightning prospect has been outstanding for Russia throughout the tournament — he now has four goals in five games and the team scoring lead — and was incredibly clutch against the Swiss.
In addition to his late goal and shootout winner, Kucherov assisted on Mikhail Grigorenko’s second-period tally for his sixth point of the tournament, the most of any Russian player.
With the win, Russia will now face Sweden in one semifinal while the U.S. will take on Canada in the other.
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Boston leads New York 1-0 in the series.
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‘It’s up in the air right now’: Kings’ Clifford skating, but a trip to San Jose?
May 18, 2013, 12:45 AM EDT
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Oh, the mystery.
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Ottawa has yet to play with the lead in this series.
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Ottawa in a hole.
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Video: Penguins’ Morrow scores game winner against Senators
May 17, 2013, 11:35 PM EDT
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Pittsburgh now two wins away from advancing to conference final.
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Senators’ coach MacLean: Karlsson ‘wasn’t one of the best players’
May 17, 2013, 11:08 PM EDT
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Drastic reduction in ice time in Game 2 compared to Game 1.
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Continue the debate.
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Sid the Kid nets three.
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Video: Penguins’ Vokoun denies Senators’ Greening on the breakaway
May 17, 2013, 9:49 PM EDT
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Ottawa hanging around in the third period.
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Rangers’ Staal skates Friday, but no word on possible return
May 17, 2013, 9:26 PM EDT
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Played once in these playoffs.
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Video: Crosby scores hat trick, hits playoff milestone against Senators
May 17, 2013, 9:01 PM EDT
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Pittsburgh up in Game 2, up in the series.
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After 12-game absence, Miller could return to Wings lineup on Saturday
May 17, 2013, 8:07 PM EDT
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He’s been out with a broken thumb.
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Torres won’t appeal suspension, Sharks call punishment ‘grossly unfair’
May 17, 2013, 8:02 PM EDT
According to Sharks GM Doug Wilson.
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Havlat ‘getting closer and closer,’ could return for Sharks in Game 3
May 17, 2013, 7:12 PM EDT
Oh, and Adam Burish has a broken hand.
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AP
Shots haven’t been a problem
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Seth Jones, Nathan McKinnon and Jonathan Drouin all on hand.
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Avery: Playing for Tortorella ‘one of the best things that ever happened to me’
May 17, 2013, 5:04 PM EDT
Well, that was certainly unexpected.
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Both are tall defensemen, but only one is getting kudos for his conditioning.
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“He’s trying to do things the right way.”
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Marc-Edouard Vlasic would be cool with that probably.
