OSTRAVA (Sputnik) — Russian ice hockey team Sunday won the next-to-last preliminary round's match at the World Championship against Slovakia in overtime 3-2 and guaranteed itself a playoff spot.
Sergei Mozyakin, Vladimir Tarasenko and Artemiy Panarin scored for Russia, while Tomas Kopecky and Marian Gaborik scored for Slovakia.
Russia, with 14 points, currently occupies the second place in the group B, falling one point behind the United States hockey team.
Both teams have guaranteed themselves places among the best four teams of the group and will advance to the quarterfinals.
Slovakia occupies the fifth place with 8 points.
The Russian team will play its last match of the preliminary round on May 12 against Finland.
The 2015 ice hockey World Championship is being held from May 1 to May 17, 2015 in the Czech Republic.
