The match with Finland became an excellent opportunity for the Russian national team to complete the Channel One Cup on a positive note, as well as to take a clear first place in the Euro Hockey Tour standings.
The hosts in the first three meetings under the leadership of the new head coach Alexei Zhamnov won three victories with a total score of 10: 5 (over Canada, Sweden and the Czech Republic) and intended to extend the successful streak.
However, Suomi looked powerful enough in Moscow, as evidenced by the success in the shootout in the confrontation with the Czech Republic and four goals scored against Canada.
One got the impression that Yukka Yalonen's wards in the last game would be able to impose serious competition on the domestic team.
Moreover, Zhamnov gave rest to a number of leaders.
In particular, defenders Yegor Yakovlev and Nikita Nesterov, as well as forwards Vadim Shipachev, Anton Slepyshev and Yegor Korshkov, were not included in the application.
But Vyacheslav Voinov returned to the roster, missing the meeting with the Czech Republic.
And the place at the last line was again taken by Ivan Fedotov, who issued the shutout in the confrontation with Sweden.
As a result, Semyon Chistyakov, Voinov, Kirill Marchenko, Alexander Kadeikin and Andrey Chibisov got into the first link.
In the second - Sergey Telegin, Alexey Marchenko, Nikita Gusev, Pavel Karnaukhov and Mikhail Grigorenko.
In the third - Alexander Nikishin, Artyom Minulin, Sergey Tolchinsky, Kirill Semyonov and Arseniy Gritsyuk.
Finally, Damir Sharipzyanov, Vladimir Tkachev, Artyom Galimov, Sergey Plotnikov and Vladislav Kamenev were in the fourth.
And already the first period showed that the owners will really have a hard time.
If in previous matches they imposed their hockey on rivals, then on Sunday they had to adjust to their opponent.
The guests acted in a proprietary defensive manner and left a minimum of space, not allowing even to calmly take the puck.
As a result, the national team lost the opportunity to attack through a short pass.
The game had to be simplified - a throw-in through the middle zone in the center, followed by a transfer to the sides, most often to the right.
So the owners tried to undermine the reliable defense of Suomi at speed.
And moments at the gate of Harry Sateri periodically arose. For example, in the eighth minute, Chistyakov, after Karnaukhov's clever pass from close range, sent a shell into the near corner, but the goalkeeper miraculously parried the shot with his foot. Following Tolchinsky did not adjust to Semyonov's cross on the far post and did not have time to substitute the club. Finally, Karnaukhov himself completed a quick three-move at close range, but missed the target. In addition, the defender managed to prevent him at the last moment.
The Finns did not have so many chances and patiently waited for the opponent's mistake.
As expected, they relied on the speed of their attackers.
And shortly before the siren, the guests realized their rare moment.
After Miikki Salomäki's throw-in from his half, Joonas Nättinen grabbed the puck all alone and made a transfer to the absolutely free Valtteri Merel to a nickle.
He outplayed Fedotov on the second try.
And the hockey players of the Russian national team did not have time to go back and for the first time at the tournament found themselves in the position of recouping.
In the second period, the course of the game completely changed.
Although it did not start in the best way for the Russians.
They immediately earned the first majority for the bandwagon performed by Valtteri Kemiläinen, but in unequal compositions they could not come up with anything.
Moreover, soon Zhamnov's wards themselves were left in the minority for violation of the numerical strength.
And the Finns were much more specific than their opponent.
They created a whole series of dangerous moments.
Especially memorable was the throw of Marcus Granlund into the seemingly empty near corner, which Fedotov, sprawled on the ice, miraculously coped with.
Only Fortune helped the national team to keep the difference in the score the same.
After this moment, the owners began to act with more aggression and desire.
Their advantage became more and more serious, and the guests practically did not receive the puck.
At first, they still competently met the opponent in the middle zone and did not allow them to penetrate their own.
However, over time, the number of errors increased.
First, Gusev rushed forward on the starboard side and powerfully threw into the near corner.
Syateri was there.
Then Nikita already missed one hundred percent moment.
The Russians, turning on the pressure, sent the forward one on one with the goalkeeper, but he was unable to outplay him.
Grigorenko also failed to finish off the shell in the net.
Nevertheless, the team's pressure did work.
At the 36th minute, Grigorenko, having received an accurate pass from Gusev, struck a powerful click from the left circle of the throw-in.
Syateri coped with the threat, but deflected the puck in front of him, and it bounced off his partner's skate straight to Minulin, who needed to get into an empty corner.
Having equalized the score, the Russian national team rushed forward with a triple desire and could well come out ahead even before the break.
Voinov, Alexei Marchenko and Grigorenko missed great chances.
However, the Finns, in a rare counterattack, almost distinguished themselves when Leo Komarov fled almost one-on-one with Fedotov, but failed to break through.
The domestic team also started the final period powerfully.
The teams did not have time to return to the ice, as Alexei Marchenko broke forward on the left side and made a strong throw to the bar from an average distance.
Fortunately for Syateri, the projectile did not jump into the net from him.
Everything went well for the owners, but at the crucial moment Kadeikin let down.
With an equal score, not in the most dangerous situation, the defender in the middle of the court for some reason blocked the opponent and received a two-minute penalty for this.
The Finns seized the opportunity immediately.
Less than a minute later, Sakari Manninen sent the puck into the net from an almost zero angle.
So, Zhamnov's wards, possessing an overwhelming advantage, themselves gave the guests an excellent chance and were again forced to recoup.
They could not recover immediately.
Suomi, coming out ahead, held the initiative for about five minutes and did not allow the opponent to do anything.
On the contrary, the guests could well have increased the advantage in the score.
For example, Granlund, after an excellent pass to Teemu Hartikainen from a slaughter position, miraculously missed the far top corner.
Gradually, the Russians played out and again pressed the Finns to the gate. The pressure of the domestic team became more and more serious, and Syateri, with great difficulty, rescued his partners. What is at least his double save after two consecutive shots of Voinov at close range. At the same time, the vaunted defenders of the opponent did not have time to cover Vyacheslav. And less than six minutes before the end of regular time, Mikael Seppälä also let the guests down. He, like Kadeikin before, made a block and left his team in the minority.
Suomi turned out to be close to standing, but still conceded in unequal compositions. And again he saved the national team, as in the match with Sweden, Voinov. He made a powerful shot from the far line, which the goalkeeper could not cope with. True, the goal was not counted right away. At first, the referee team decided that Aleksey Marchenko was interfering with Syateri. The hosts took the challenge and achieved their goal. After watching the replay, the judges still decided: the striker did not break the rules, and the puck should be counted. It took another couple of minutes to calm down Jalonen, who did not agree with the verdict.
As a result, the fate of the confrontation was determined in overtime.
The coaching staff of Zhamnov behaved boldly, changing Fedotov for the fourth field and, in the end, paid for it.
If in the first episode the goalkeeper managed to return and transfer Juuso Hietanen's throw to the post, in the second he was powerless and watched what was happening from the bench.
The guests, having gone into a deep defense, made a rare interception and took Manninen to an empty net.
Voinov tried to save the situation, who in the fall knocked the puck out from under his opponent's feet.
This time the judges took the side of the guests.
In their opinion, for violation of the rules by the defender, a bullet should have been assigned, which was automatically interpreted as a goal.
Thus, the Russian national team suffered the first defeat under the leadership of the new coaching staff, but won the Channel One Cup, and also shares the first place in the Euro Hockey Tour standings with Sweden.