MOSCOW - Russia claimed bronze at the ice hockey world championship with a rampant 7-2 win over the United States in Moscow on Sunday.
Russia's players celebrate a goal during the bronze medal game Russia vs USA at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Moscow on May 22, 2016
Reigning world champions Canada play Finland in the final later.
In a powerful and confident display Metallurg Magnitogorsk forward Sergei Mozyakin scored two goals and set up another, while Russian 'keeper Sergei Bobrovski made 28 saves.
"Of course we were upset after we failed to make it into the final," CSKA Moscow forward Roman Lyubimov said. "But we tried to make our supporters happy for a while with today's win.
"It was tougher to win that the scoreline indicates as the Americans are young and ambitious team but we were all set to win medals at the home ice. Luckily, everything went our way today."
Last year's runners-up Russia, spurred by the home crowd, put the Americans under pressure and SKA St Petersburg rear guard Vyacheslav Voinov opened the scores 6:23 into the match with a slap shot from the blue line.
Mozyakin added a powerplay goal at 13:41 to give Russia a comfortable 2-0 lead at the end of the first period.
CSKA Moscow center Ivan Telegin, SKA winger Yevgeni Dadonov and Chicago Blackhawks Artemi Panarin were all on target for Russia in the second while Boston Bruins player Frank Vatrano scored for last year's bronze medalists the USA.
In the third Russia eased off allowing the young American team to outshoot them 30-29 in the match and Vatrano netted his second of the match before Mozyakin also potted his second goal.
Vadim Shipachyov rounded off the scoring with seven seconds remaining to leave the Russians with an impressive scoreline.
Russia have won medals at eight of the last 10 world championships and current coach Oleg Znarok has led the team to medal wins at three successive world championships - gold in 2014, silver in 2015 and bronze this year.
"I thought today for us it was a good opportunity to be able to compete for a medal," US manager John Hynes said.
"Unfortunately for us, though the guys battled hard, a quick turnaround from the last-night's game and we didn't have enough to find the way to win the game."