GANGNEUNG, South Korea _ The Olympic Athletes of Russia, considered the favorite to win gold before the men's Olympic hockey tournament began, advanced to the semifinals with a 6-1 rout of Norway on Wednesday at Gangneung Hockey Centre. Eleven players had at least one point, including many whose names are familiar to fans of NHL teams.
Former Kings defenseman Slava Voynov, who was permitted to play here despite serving nearly two months in jail following his no-contest plea to a charge of corporal abuse of a spouse, had a goal and an assist. He declined to talk after the game other than to say hello, and that he feels good. Former Detroit Red Wings standout Pavel Datsyuk had two assists, former Tampa Bay draft pick Nikita Gusev had a goal and two assists, and Mikhail Grigorenko, who played junior hockey in Quebec and later played for the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche, contributed a goal and an assist.
The Olympic Athletes of Russia will face the Czech Republic in the semifinals on Friday. The Czechs moved with a quarterfinal shootout victory over the U.S. on Wednesday.
"They're a really good team, good defensively and they have a good goalie," Grigorenko said of Czech goalie Pavel Francouz. "A lot of their players play in the KHL so we know them."
Datsyuk said the Russian team "can play better," and will have to do so against the Czechs, who are unbeaten in four games. "They have a good team. They prove that already," he said. "Will be a good game."
