The Russian “Red Machine” beat Italy 10-0 on Wednesday in the group stages of the the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship.
The 10-goal margin was the best-ever result for the Russian team since independence.
"Of course, a win like this lifts our confidence," Russian star Alexander Ovechkin was cited as saying after the game.
"But mostly I felt a bit sorry for the Italians tonight. They battled hard, they are good guys, but the different skill levels were immediately apparent.”
The victory was Russia's fourth in a row in the group stage of the tournament hosted by Slovakia between May 10 and May 26, after wins over the Czech Republic, Norway and Austria.
