Anton Belov had two goals and two assists to lead Russia to an important 6-4 win over a persistent Kazakhstan team. The teams combined for six power-play goals, IIHF reports.
The Russian blueliner saved his best for last, scoring once and assisting on another in the third period to break a 4-4 tie.
Shots favoured Russia, 49-19, but the game was uncomfortably close for the hosts much of the time. Kazakhstan was persistent and competitive for most of the game.
"Giving up four goals is a lot, and it’s impossible to be happy with my game after giving up so many," said Russian netminder Sergei Bobrovski. "But the most important thing is that we won, and we can move on to the next game."
