Russia won big, but also lost big.
Buffalo Sabres right-winger Maxim Afinogenov scored twice as Russia blasted Switzerland 6-0 in the quarter-finals at the world hockey championship in Quebec City yesterday.
But star forward Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers earned a one-game suspension for a charging major on Switzerland’s Julien Vauclair, a major loss for powerful Russia as it prepares to face Finland in tomorrow’s semifinals.
Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Danis Zaripov and Sergei Fedorov rounded out the scoring and San Jose Sharks goalie Evgeny Nabokov posted a 22-save shutout.
In the other quarter-final, Mattias Weinhandl scored in overtime to lift Sweden to a 3-2 victory over the Czech Republic. The former New York Islanders forward bagged his fifth goal of the tournament just 3:16 into extra time to help Sweden earn a semifinal matchup against Canada. Patric Hornqvist and Marcus Nilson scored for Sweden in regulation.
