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Posted: Sun February 15, 1998 at 3:04 a.m EST Russia 4, Finland 3 -------------------Alexei Morozov, a rookie in the National Hockey League, scored with 3:17 remaining as Russia remained unbeaten by rallying for a 4-3 victory over winless Finland. Morozov brought the puck into the Finnish zone and his fake caused defensemen Janne Laukkanen and Kimmo Timonen to bump into each other. Morozov fired a shot wide of the net and the puck caromed to the right goalpost, where Valeri Zelepukin slid a backhander through the crease. But Morozov, who has just eight goals in 54 games for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, got to the rebound and scored from below the left faceoff circle before goaltender Jarmo Myllys could scramble back. Morozov's goal put Russia (2-0) ahead for the first time. Finland pulled Myllys for an extra attacker with just over a minute remaining but never seriously threatened for the tying goal. Jere Lehtinen had two goals and an assist and Teemu Selanne, who leads the NHL in scoring, set up all three goals for Finland (0-2). Blanked by Dominik Hasek and the Czech Republic in their opening game, the Finns stormed to a 2-0 lead as Saku Koivu and Lehtinen scored power-play goals in a 53-second span of the first period. With Russia's German Titov in the penalty box for cross-checking, Koivu swatted a rebound out of mid-air for Finland's first goal of the tournament at 6:11. Russian defenseman Igor Kravchuk went off for boarding at 6:54 and Lehtinen cashed in on the power play just 10 seconds later. Russia's Pavel Bure scored his third goal of the tournament, a power-play tally with 6:24 to go in the period, cutting the margin in half. Referee Bill McCreary handed out 32 minutes in penalties in the first period, including 10-minute misconducts to Andrei Kovalenko of Russia and Jyrki Lumme of Finland. Lehtinen's second of the game, 8:24 into the second period, restored Finland's two-goal lead. Selanne stripped the puck from defenseman Alexei Zhitnik behind the net and centered for Lehtinen, who pushed the puck past goaltender Andrei Trefilov from the edge of the left circle. Sergei Nemchinov answered for Russia just 67 seconds later, scoring on a breakaway after Myllys stopped Alexei Yashin's penalty shot late in the first period and denied Bure on a shorthanded break early in the second. Russia tied it during a two-man advantage with 4:57 to go in the period. Yashin, denied on his penalty shot by Myllys' left pad save in the first period, swatted the puck past Myllys after Sergei Fedorov fanned on a rebound attempt. Trefilov made 30 saves for Russia, which can clinch the top seed in Group D with a victory over the Czechs on Monday. Finland needs a win over Kazakhstan on Monday to avoid the Group D cellar.
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