TURIN, February 16 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian men's hockey team defeated Sweden 5-0 in its second preliminary match in Group B at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy Thursday. Only 18 hours after a disappointing 3-5 upset from Slovakia, the Russians stepped up to knock out the strong rival, considered one of the favorites in the tournament.
After the goalless first period, Alexei Kovalev, Alexander Ovechkin and Maxim Sushinsky scored in the second. Viktor Kozlov and Makim Afinogenov helped lead the team to victory in the third.
Russia's next match is set for February 18 with Kazakhstan.
