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Kirill Kapustin, who is eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft, scored a hat trick, giving Russia a 6-3 win over Canada at the Arena 2000 in Yaroslavl. The Canada-Russia Challenge Series is tied at one game apiece.
Russia got two goals from Maxim Shalunov (Chicago Blackhawks' fourth round pick in 2011) while Anton Zlobin (Val-d'Or Foreurs, Pittsburgh Penguins' sixth round pick in 2012) netted the other goal and Andrei Makorov (Draft Eligible in 2013) recorded 33 saves for the win in his first game of the series.
Canada got goals from Ty Rattie (Portland Winter Hawks, St. Louis Blues' second round pick in 2011), Morgan Reilly (Moose Jaw Warriors, selected fifth overall by Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012 Draft) and Ryan Strome (Niagara Ice Dogs, fifth overall pick by New York Islanders in 2011). Maxime Lagace of the PEI Rocket, who recently signed a free agent contract with the NHL's Dallas Stars, stopped 20 shots in the loss.
A total of fifteen penalties were called in the first 40 minutes, but Canada got the only penalty on a slashing call in the third period. The most notable penalty in the game came from Mark Scheifele (Barrie Colts) at 14:10 of the first period as he was called for kneeing Kapustin. The penalty resulted in a game misconduct.
After a scoreless first period, Russia got two power play goals from Zlobin and Kapustin 3:38 into the second, but Canada scored a power play goal of their own when Rattie got a pass from Sean Monahan (Ottawa 67's, Draft Eligible in 2013) that beat Makarov on the stick side. A turnover by Ryan Murphy (Kitchener Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes' first pick, 11th overall in 2011) in his own zone led to Anton Slepyshev coughing up the puck, who then fed it to Kapustin, who netted his second of the game short-handed to make it 3-1.
Reilly made it 3-2 early in the third period as he got a feed from Lukas Sutter (Saskatoon Blades, 2012 second round pick of Winnipeg Jets), but Shalunov's shot from the slot minutes later gave Russia another two-goal lead. Kapustin scored his third of the game on his second power play goal of the game at 15:02, but Strome scored 52 seconds later on a pass from Rattie. Shalunov scored on an empty net for his second of the game with 2:04 left in the game, sealing the win for Russia.
The remaining two games of the Canada-Russia Challenge Series will be held at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Game Three will be this Monday evening.
OHL News: The Kingston Frontenacs traded 1993-born forward Jack Nevins to the London Knights for a ninth-round pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection. Nevins scored one goal and added five assists in 23 games for the Frontenacs in 2011-12.
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