Russia Skates Pass Norway to Avoid Elimination

SOCHI, Russia (AP) — Alexander Radulov scored two goals and Russia survived its first elimination game at its home Olympics with a 4-0 victory Tuesday over Norway in the qualification round.

Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves in the second straight shutout victory for the fifth-seeded Russians, who earned a meeting with Finland in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexey Tereshenko also scored, but the Russians had to survive another difficult game in Sochi. They failed to earn a bye to the quarterfinals after being forced into two shootouts in the preliminary round, losing to T.J. Oshie and the U.S.

The powerful Russian lineup struggled early against winless Norway, but Radulov's soft backhand finally beat Lars Haugen early in the second period, ending Russia's scoreless streak of more than 101 minutes.