Ilya Samsonov, the first goaltender chosen in the 2015 NHL Draft, made 26 saves to help Russia defeat the United States 2-1 on Monday in the semifinal round of the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland.
The win marked the third straight year the United States has had its gold-medal hopes shattered by Russia. Russia defeated the United States in the quarterfinal round of the WJC the previous two years, 5-3 in 2014 and 3-2 in 2015.
The WJC gold-medal game on Tuesday at Hartwall Arena will feature Finland against Russia (1 p.