Russia doesn’t need all its stars to beat U.S.

With some NHL stars opting not to play, Team Russia was considered vulnerable in the World Cup of Hockey. The Russians sure didn’t play like it against one of their old rivals.

Alex Kovalev scored the go-ahead goal and minor-league goaltender Illya Bryzgalov held his own against the American stars, helping Russia beat the United States 3-1 Thursday night in St. Paul, Minn.

Bryzgalov, property of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, had 20 saves, and Dainius Zubrus and Viktor Kozlov also scored in the opener for Russia, which dealt Team USA its second consecutive loss.

Kovalev said his country’s old style of play isn’t lost on the current players whose uniforms are now red, white and blue.

“We want to play that old-style Russian hockey that we saw 10-15 years ago, which is high tempo, controlling the puck and making plays,” Kovalev said.

The Russians were successful without high-profile players such as Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Zhamnov and Valeri Bure.

Finland 3, Germany 0

In Colongne, Germany, Miikka Kiprusoff earned his second straight shutout as Finland blanked Germany, clinching home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals next week.

Kimmo Timonen of the Nashville Predators, Teemu Selanne of the Colorado Avalanche and Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars scored for Finland, which shut out the Czech Republic 4-0 Monday night in Helsinki.