He shoots, he scores! Putin takes to the ice rink to show off his hockey skills (but it doesn't look like there was much opposition) 
 
 Russian president took to the ice at All-Russia Festival of Night Hockey League in Sochi wearing number 11 shirt 
 
 
 
 He missed several goals - and sporting celebrities nudged in the puck for him instead - until he finally scored 
 
 Putin often does macho publicity stunts and has shot a whale, hugged a polar bear and ridden a horse topless 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 He's the president who has ridden a horse topless, hugged a polar bear and 'found' (fake) Greek vases while scuba-diving. 
 
 Now Vladimir Putin is at it again - playing ice hockey with sporting legends in front of thousands of apparently adoring fans. 
 
 But the Russian premier, 61, was not without a little help - he missed several goals by a whisker, leaving his celebrity teammates to give the puck a gentle nudge in the right direction, before finally hitting home on his own. 
 
 Scroll down for video 
 
 
 
 Sports star: Vladimir Putin triumphed in a game of ice hockey in Sochi 
 
 First attempt: The Russian president takes a shot at the goal (left) – but it bounces away. A team-mate to the left of the net (right), catches the rebounding puck and taps it into the goal. Putin is said to have scored five assists 
 
 
 
 Bold attempt: On his next attack (left), Putin flicks the puck towards the net… but he puck clatters against the crossbar of the goal (right) without going in 
 
 
 
 Deadly approach: Putin flies down the middle of the rink (left), and takes another shot at goal - and scores when the puck smashes into the back of the net (right) 
 
 
 
 Sporting the number 11 jersey, Putin returned to the Winter Olympics host city of Sochi today for the All-Russia Festival of Night Hockey League. 
 
 Joining the 'NHL Stars' team, the premier took a break from crisis talks with the West about his annexing of Crimea to play alongside retired former Soviet hockey legends, including Vyacheslav Fetisov and Pavel Bure. 
 
 At least two of his team-mates were Olympic medal winners, including Aleksey Kasatonov, who won two golds for the Soviet Union in 1984 and 1988, and Valery Kamensky, who also took gold in 1988. 
 
 His opponents, meanwhile, were reportedly amateurs. 
 
 
 
 Even so, the 62-year-old premier's teammates were apparently eager to help him. In at least two attempts, Putin just missed the goal, but the puck went in after a gentle tap from another player. 
 
 And in one sequence, shown on the state-linked English-language channel RT, the premier eventually scored, to the delight of the crowd. 
 
 
 
 Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and the head of Tatarstan Republic, Rustam Minnikhanov, were both at the festival for the league, which was created in December 2011. 
 
 
 
 It began as a casual event for over-40s but has grown and this year was attended by 108 teams including from 11 other countries. 
 
 
 
 Putin took part in a gala match between amateur hockey players in a successful games for the Russians - who topped the table ahead of Norway, Canada and the USA with 33 medals. 
 
 Sadly for Putin, however, his side was knocked out by Finland at the quarter-final stage. 
 
 But the upbeat president reportedly told the crowd: 'There are no winners or losers here. This is a friendly game. 
 
 'It’s a show and everyone enjoyed it. All this [the Night Hockey League] was invented to give an additional boost to the development of sports and physical culture.' 
 
 Victorious: A proud-looking Putin bumps fists with his amateur rivals 
 
 Adoration: He was also seen shaking hands with ecstatic members of the crowd 
 
 According to state broadcaster The Voice of Russia, the President 'netted six goals and five assists'. 
 
 The bold claims are, as yet, not fully confirmed. 
 
 It is the latest in a long line of macho publicity stunts by the Russian president, who last took to the ice in January, shortly before the Winter Olympics in Sochi. 
 
 On a horse: The Russian president was pictured in this macho pose while travelling the Siberian mountains in 2007 
 
 Stunts: Putin has also been seen plucking (fake) ancient vases from the deeps (left in 2011) and presiding over a tranquilised polar bear (right in 2010) 
 
 
 
 He has previously cuddled a tame snow leopard and a tranquilised polar bear, and shot harmless crossbow darts at a whale as part of scientific research. 
 
 One more bizarre report last year suggested he was inviting the boy band Boyz II Men to a Moscow gig - to boost the country's birth rate. 
 
 
 
 And in 2011, a spokesman was forced to admit that a scuba-diving exhibition in which he 'found' the remarkably intact remains of two 1,500-year-old Greek vases was staged. ||||| USA forward T.J. Oshie (74) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring the winning goal in an overtime shootout. (Photo: Scott Rovak, USA TODAY Sports) Story Highlights T.J. Oshie, chosen partly before his shootout prowess, went 4-for-6 for a victory 
 
 Oshie is 7-for-10 in shootout attempts, with two game-deciding goals 
 
 Americans catch a break when Russian go-ahead goal is disallowed 
 
 SOCHI, Russia – T.J. Oshie's magic in shootouts was a frequent topic of conversation when general manager David Poile and his selection committee chose the U.S. Olympic team roster. 
 
 "You know at some point we are going to end up in a shootout, and we are going to want T.J. Oshie," Poile said more than once. 
 
 Coaches had the same mindset about Oshie's specialty. The Americans appreciated what he brought to the team in general, but they loved his shootout prowess. He was like the team's ace in the hole, a guy who habitually hits it out of the park when it was needed most. 
 
 The "some point" that Poile talked about came Saturday when Oshie converted four of six shootout chances against Russian goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Americans a wildly entertaining 3-2 shootout win against the Russians. 
 
 MEET T.J. OSHIE: Everyone's new favorite hockey player 
 
 DISALLOWED GOAL: Aids USA's victory 
 
 "I've never seen anything quite like that," said U.S. defenseman Ryan McDonagh. "I never knew he had that in his repertoire, all of those moves." 
 
 Oshie scored right after U.S. goalie Jonathan Quick stood his ground to force Ilya Kovalchuk to miss for the second time in four chances. 
 
 "I think I aged two years in that shootout," U.S. coach Dan Bylsma said. 
 
 In the NHL this season, Oshie is 7-for-10 in shootout attempts, with two game-deciding goals. U.S. captain Zach Parise said he felt nervous for Oshie. 
 
 Unlike in the NHL where a player shoots only once, international rules allow for using the same player over and over once three different players have been used. 
 
 SELECTION PROCESS: See how Team USA was picked 
 
 HISTORY: Slovenia wins first-ever Olympic game 
 
 At one point, Pavel Datsyuk scored to give Russia a 2-1 lead in the shootout. Oshie had to score on his next shot, or Russia would have won. He did. 
 
 "It was somewhat of a chess match – he kept him guessing," said U.S. center Joe Pavelski, who missed his shootout attempt. 
 
 Oshie doesn't recall ever facing Bobrovsky in a shootout. 
 
 "I was just trying to think of something to do," Oshie said. 
 
 U.S. goalie Jonathan Quick wasn't surprised by Oshie's performance. "I've faced him a few times in the shootout and I didn't do well against him," he said. 
 
 Backes said he has seen that move 1,000 times in St. Louis Blues practices. 
 
 "It kind of makes me chuckle when I see it," Backes said, adding, "His hockey sense is off the charts and he makes plays. Today, he got to do it in front of a lot of spectators here and back home." 
 
 A crowd of 11,678, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, was on the edge of their seats for the entire game that was intense and hard fought from the opening faceoff. 
 
 PHOTOS: USA VS. RUSSIA HIGHLIGHTS 
 
 Russia's hockey players probably have more pressure on them than any other athletes in the Games because they are expected to win the gold medal. It's been said the Russian people won't view the Olympic Games as a success unless the hockey team wins a gold medal. 
 
 "Everything is OK, nothing terrible has happened," said Russian wing Ilya Kovalchuk. "We played good and showed our character by equalizing the game at the end." 
 
 Since this was only a preliminary round game, Russia still has a chance of winning the gold medal. But the win helps the Americans because it puts them in an excellent position to earn a bye into the quarterfinals. 
 
 To win their group, the Americans only need a win against Slovenia on Sunday. On Saturday, Slovenia upset Slovakia. Slovenia lost 5-2 Russia in its first game. 
 
 The Russians thought they had produced the game winner on a shot by Fedor Tyutin with 4:40 remaining in the game, but the goal was disallowed because the net was slightly dislodged. 
 
 Even the Americans admitted that was a big break. 
 
 "I saw it was off, but I didn't know if it was before or after the puck went in," Quick said. 
 
 ZETTERBERG: Injury raises team vs. country debate 
 
 NHL RUN OVER: Is Sochi last Olympics for NHL players? 
 
 With Dustin Brown in the penalty box, Datsyuk tied the score with a power play goal with 7:16 remaining in the third period. It was his second goal of the game. 
 
 Midway through the third period, Joe Pavelski scored a power play goal to give USA a 2-1 lead. Patrick Kane set up the goal by threading a perfect pass through bodies in the slot. 
 
 The game was as tight and hotly contested as it was expected to be. 
 
 The symbol of intensity came early in the game when USA's Ryan Callahan and Russia's Evgeny Medvedev stood nose-to-nose jawing each other after a whistle. 
 
 There might not have been a more heated exchange between a Russian and American since President Kennedy exchanged words with Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile crisis. 
 
 That level of intensity continued throughout the game. Backes was a beast for the Americans, using his big body to be a physical defensive force. 
 
 At one point, he threw heavy body checks against both Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin on the same shift 
 
 He also mixed it up with Tyutin. The Russians aren't known for their physical play, but these Russians resembled the hard-to-play-against Blues more than the Big Red Machine of CCCP era. 
 
 In the past, the Russians could be spooked by physical play. Not this era of Russians. They mixed it up push for shove against an American team that was built with the idea that they needed an edge to their game to succeed. 
 
 These two gritty teams could end up facing each other again in the medal round. 
 
 Follow Kevin Allen on Twitter @ByKevinAllen 
 
 Sara Shookman breaks down all of Saturday's action in Sochi, including the U.S. men's hockey team's huge win over Russia in a thrilling finish. 
 
 VIDEO: Daily Olympics wrap-up ||||| Russia defenseman Andrei Markov, left, and forward Pavel Datsyuk react after Russia lost 3-1 to Finland in a men's quarterfinal ice hockey game at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014, in... (Associated Press) 
 
 SOCHI, Russia (AP) — The Russians dutifully shook the Finns' hands and then skated to the center of a rink built to showcase their return to Olympic hockey dominance. When they raised their sticks in a mournful salute, they got more whistles than cheers from their devastated fans. 
 
 Alex Ovechkin, captain Pavel Datsyuk and their teammates had nursed dreams about this week for several years — all their lives, really. 
 
 They were all dashed in 60 frustrating minutes against Finland. 
 
 Russia crashed out of the Olympics in the quarterfinals Wednesday with a 3-1 loss, extending a historic hockey nation's gold-medal drought past 22 years and putting an enormous damper on the final days of the Sochi Games. 
 
 "Inside, I'm absolutely empty," Datsyuk said through a translator. 
 
 Teemu Selanne scored an early goal and Tuukka Rask made 37 saves as Finland crushed the Russians' plans to win hockey gold in front of their own fans for the first time. Russian and Soviet teams have won eight gold medals in hockey, but none since the Unified Team's victory in 1992. 
 
 Ovechkin, Datsyuk and Evgeni Malkin all hailed Russia's home Olympics as the most important tournament of their careers, and President Vladimir Putin led the chorus of Russians hoping for another golden moment in Sochi. They'll likely have only bitter memories after losses to the United States and Finland, which left Russia out of the medals entirely for the third straight games. 
 
 "I can only apologize to the fans for the results," Russia coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov said. "It was unfortunate for us. Expectations were quite different. I can only say words of apology." 
 
 Despite its roster of high-priced offensive stars, Russia couldn't score in the final 52 minutes after Ilya Kovalchuk's early power-play goal. Russia pressed relentlessly and fruitlessly in the third period, but Rask stopped each of their 15 shots. 
 
 "To be honest, I'm a little bit sad, also, for them," said Selanne, a six-time Olympian. "Obviously, they had a big dream to win the gold medal here, and then it doesn't work, so it's kind of disappointing in many ways, because that would be a great story. But again, it's proving to the hockey world that you never know." 
 
 Ovechkin, the reigning NHL MVP and one of the Sochi Games' most public faces, failed to score another goal for Russia after scoring on his first shot just 1:17 into Russia's opener against Slovenia. Malkin, who dropped to one knee after the final horn, also didn't score a goal after the first 3:54 of the opener. 
 
 "We had a good start, score (on the) power play, feel pretty good," Ovechkin said. "Few mistakes cost us the game. We tried to score another one, but we didn't score. ... No emotion right now." 
 
 Selanne and Mikael Granlund each had a goal and an assist for the steady Finns, who overcame an early deficit and silenced the Bolshoy Ice Dome with two goals in the first period. Finland will face top-seeded Sweden in the semifinals on Friday. 
 
 Russia didn't play horribly in Sochi, winning three of its five games, but lost a painful eight-round shootout to the U.S. team before falling behind early and failing to catch up against steady Finland. The game was Russia's fourth in five days, thanks to a qualification-round game Tuesday, while Finland had the last two days off. 
 
 Semyon Varlamov allowed all three goals on 15 shots against the Finns before getting pulled for Sergei Bobrovsky during the second period. 
 
 "It's not necessary to say that the goalkeeper played bad," Russia defenseman Anton Belov said. "It was mistakes by the defense and team." 
 
 This Russian loss was the furthest thing from a Miracle on Ice. Juhamatti Aaltonen scored the first goal for Finland, the most consistent Olympic team in the last two decades with medals in four of the past five games. 
 
 Russian fans realized the importance and peril of this game, filling the Olympic Park early in the afternoon with cheers, chants and Russian flags. The Bolshoy crowd began chanting "Ro-ssi-ya!" even before pregame warm-ups, waving hundreds of flags and banners emblazoned with hometowns and slogans. 
 
 The tone was uncommonly intense from the opening faceoff. After Granlund took an early holding penalty, Datsyuk fed Kovalchuk for a hard shot over Rask's shoulder. Kovalchuk popped the water bottle off the top of Finland's net and celebrated with a two-footed leap into the air amid ecstatic cheers. 
 
 But moments later, Aaltonen made a beautiful move along the goal line, putting a shot under Varlamov's glove arm for the KHL forward's first goal in Sochi. 
 
 Bolshoy got quiet, and it became positively funeral-like late in the period when Granlund outskated Slava Voynov up the boards, broke past two defensemen and fed Selanne for the Finland captain's Olympic-record 22nd goal. 
 
 Finland scored again on the power play early in the second, with Granlund collecting Selanne's rebound and sliding in a backhand from a sharp angle for the final goal. 
 
 Dozens of fans lingered in their seats long after their team left, disconsolately folding their flags and staring at the ice. A few Finnish fans near center ice even went up to a group of Russian fans for a hug. 
 
 "It's a catastrophe," said Sergey Kazakov, a 58-year-old businessman from Moscow. "We've been preparing for the home games for seven years, and what? Just a group of stars, but no team and no result."
– What's a newly divorced Russian strongman to do when most of the world wants to throttle him and he's getting no respect from his own supporters? Play a little hockey, that's what. And pretty badly, reports the Week in a look at Vladimir Putin's foray onto the ice yesterday at something called the "All-Russia Festival of Amateur Teams of the Night Hockey League" in Sochi. Even with a less-than-motivated opposition goalie and near-assists from NHL players, Putin choked several times. Yet somehow, reports the Daily Mail via the Voice of Russia, Putin managed to score six times and had five assists. Despite his, er, heroics, Putin's team eventually lost, but no hard feelings, says the president: "There are no winners or losers here. This is a friendly game." Click for the Week's GIF of Putin attempting to put his helmet on—backward.