BEJING, Feb 11 The Russian men's ice hockey team secures first place in Group B and direct access to the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament in Beijing. The winner in the match between the Czech Republic and Switzerland (2:1) did not have time to decide in regular time. The former failed to score the maximum number of points per game and catch up with the Russians in the table. The rest of the teams lost the opportunity to do so earlier. The Russians won two games: with Switzerland (1:0) and Denmark (2:0). In the Group B standings, the team is in first place with six points. Denmark is in second place with three points. The Czechs (2) are third, the Swiss (1) are fourth. The match between Russia and the Czech Republic will take place on February 12, starting at 16:10 (Moscow time). In a parallel game, Switzerland and Denmark will meet. The winners of the groups, as well as the best team from the runners-up, go directly to the quarterfinals. All other teams will play play-offs to advance to this stage. Russia is currently ranked eighth in the team medal standings at the Olympics with two golds, four silvers and six bronzes. Leading the list are Norway, Germany and Sweden.
