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QUEBEC - Vitali Koval is an unknown no more at the IIHF World Hockey Championship.

The Canadian Press Photo

SLAMMA JAMMA: Team Russia defenceman Dimitry Vorobyev drives Team Belarus forward Dmitry Meleshko hard to the ice in front of his goalkeeper Mikhail Biryukov during action at the IIHF world hockey championship Friday in Quebec City. Russia needed a shootout to post a 4-3 victory.

The Belarusian netminder shed the "little-known" tag with a 52-save performance in which he nearly carried his upstart Belarus team to victory over a heavily favoured Russian squad before narrowly losing 4-3 in a shootout on Friday. In another game, it was Finland edging Latvia 2-1 at the Metro Centre in Halifax.

Koval, a 28-year-old who plays in Belarus and is at his first international tournament against this calibre of opponent, says perhaps he has something more up his sleeve.

"Maybe you'll see something even better than that," Koval said following the hard-fought contest. "I'll try my best."

With Belarus needing to win its next two games in the qualifying round, Koval's performance has given a boost to his teammates.

"I haven't seen him play before this tournament and I'm very pleased with his game," said Belarus team captain Ruslan Salei. "He gives us a chance in every game and that's what you want from your goalie."

Alexei Morozov beat Koval with a backhander for the shootout winner.

Fans at Le Pepsi Colisee took notice of the Belarusian goaltender's superb performance and chanted his name when he was passed up for player of the game.

"It's not the best game of my life," Koval said through a translator."We lost the game and that's why this isn't the best game of my life."

Andrei Mikhalev, Dimitry Dudik and Alexei Ugarov scored for Belarus in regulation. Ugarov had a chance to keep the shootout going in the third round but didn't score.

Maxim Afinogenov of the Buffalo Sabres scored two goals and Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin added another for Russia, which remain undefeated at the tournament.

Belarus held the lead until 7:21 of the third period when Ovechkin finally tied the game at 2-2 with a snapshot against Koval, who'd frustrated Ovechkin on a handful of occasions in the second period.

Afinogenov gave the Russians a brief lead at 13:51 of the third period but Ugarov tied the game 3-3 on a beautiful feed from Montreal Canadiens centre Mikhail Grabovski at 16:12.

Despite a number of chances, neither team was able to score in a wide-open overtime that included a Russian power play.

Koval says he has been gaining confidence after letting in five goals against Sweden in the tournament opener. "Confidence comes with time," Koval said. "I lack the experience of participating in such top events and playing against such opponents on that level of game." Belarus managed just five shots on goal in the first period but made them count, scoring at 7:27 of the first when Mikhalev converted a pass from Grabovski past goaltender Mikhail Biryukov.