The Americans gave the defending champions their toughest test yet at this year’s tournament, leading 3-2 after two goals from captain Paul Stastny and a slapshot from the blue line by Matt Hunwick.

Russian defenseman Yevgeni Medvedev took a loose puck from in front of a crowded goal to put Russia ahead for good with 6:25 left, and Kirill Petrov then combined with Ilya Kovalchuk to set up Alexander Radulov for another score two minutes later.

Kovalchuk put in Russia’s second goal — his fifth of the tournament — and Anton Belov and Alexej Tereshenko also scored.

Ben Bishop finished with 25 saves for the U.S., while Ilya Bryzgalov had 19 for Russia.

“It was a good game,” Stastny said. “A good learning experience, a measure for us to see where we are. We have played better and better. This was one of the top teams in the tournament, and we played well against them. We were in it for 55 minutes, but when you play a team like that you have to be ready every shift. When you turn it over they’re so skilled that they can put the puck away.”

The U.S. (2-1) plays co-host Finland (3-0) on Wednesday.

“Finland is always good and plays with grit,” Stastny said. “They have the whole crowd in front of them, which makes it fun for us. It’s always fun to play for a big crowd. Like as the Russians were here today in a sold-out arena. We know how it’s going to be, but even harder.”

Steven Stamkos had a goal and three assists, and Taylor Hall scored twice for Canada. Matt Duchene and Claude Giroux each had one goal and one assist, while Andrew Ladd and Jeff Skinner also scored.

In other games Tuesday, Morten Green scored in overtime to give Denmark a 3-2 win over Slovenia and newcomer Austria beat Latvia 6-3. Denmark and Austria earned their first victories, while Slovenia and Latvia fell to 0-3.

Russia leads the Helsinki “H” group with nine points from three games. Finland has eight, and the U.S. and Slovakia six.

Switzerland surprisingly leads the Stockholm “S” group with eight points, with Canada (7) second. Sweden and Norway each have six, the Czech Republic and Belarus three, Denmark two and Slovenia one.

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After all, the NHL leaders started the lockout-shortened season with points in their first 24 games — a league record.

But the Blackhawks made a strong statement Sunday in becoming the first team this season to clinch postseason berth, as they used a third-period rally to beat the Nashville Predators 5-3.

Rookie Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews scored 55 seconds apart midway through the third. Chicago (29-5-4) had fallen behind 3-2 early in the period on a goal by Nashville’s David Legwand, but Saad and Toews connected against Pekka Rinne to put the Blackhawks back ahead.

The Blackhawks defeated the Predators for the second time in two days and improved to 13-0-1 against Central Division teams.

“We obviously wanted to stay in the spot we’re in in the standings,” Toews said, “but first and foremost, our No. 1 goal coming in every season is we want to make the playoffs.

“To beat a team like Nashville twice in a row, first on the road and then at home, is a great thing. We did a lot of good things in that game, but most of all, we didn’t stop working. We found a way to win in the third.”

Patrick Kane, who set up Toews’ eventual game-winner, added an empty-net goal with 32 seconds left to complete the scoring. Andrew Shaw and Bryan Bickell also scored for Chicago.

Kane’s hustling assist on Toews goal at 10:32 of the third might have been the pivotal mark on the score sheet.

Kane outraced two Predators to a loose puck on the back boards, then centered to Toews, who connected on a low shot from the right circle.

“That should be the headline, because you don’t see that too often. I’m just kidding,” Toews said. “It was a great play by him.

“I came flying off the bench and he saw me in the slot. My first thought was to try and find Saad backdoor because I could see him kind of going to the net there, but I went against that instinct and shot the puck.”

Shea Weber and Nick Spaling each had a goal and an assist for the Predators (15-17-8), who are 13th in the Western Conference with 38 points, five behind eighth-place Detroit at the postseason cutoff.

“It was competitive,” Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. “(The Predators) played both these games as they had to win. Yesterday we were maybe a little bit more efficient than we were today, but we were sticking with it.”

Nashville played with desperation after a sluggish first period, but the Predators were done in by mistakes — and a talented Chicago team.

“We got beat to the puck on the one (Toews) goal,” Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. “It was just individual stuff.

“That’s on our D. Our D has got to have that puck.”

Chicago’s Ray Emery stopped 19 shots, following a 20-save, 1-0 win at Nashville on Saturday. The Blackhawks improved to 4-0 against the Predators this season.

Rinne, who leads the NHL in games and minutes played, made 35 saves as he appeared in his 29th straight contest.

The Predators have made the playoffs the past three seasons and in seven of eight, but that run is in jeopardy

“We’ve just got to play hard and see what happens,” Trotz said. “The chances are remote, but you’ve got to play hard. You’re not going to do anybody any favors if you don’t.”

Both teams skated without key forwards.

Nashville left wing Gabriel Bourque, who is tied with Legwand for the team lead with 11 goals, missed his fourth game because of an upper body injury. Mike Fisher, third on the Predators with 19 points, sat out after aggravating a hand injury that caused him to miss three games last week.

Patrick Sharp, who led the Blackhawks with 33 goals last season, missed his 14th game with a shoulder injury. Dave Bolland sat out his second because of a lower body injury, believed to have been caused when a shot by Weber struck him last Monday.

The Blackhawks killed the only penalty against them on Sunday and have snuffed 17 straight chances. Chicago hasn’t allowed a power-play goal in 10 games, dating to March 18.

The Blackhawks entered the game as the third-least penalized team in the NHL, training the New York Islanders and Rangers.

Shaw opened the scoring 6:34 in on a tip-in.

Michael Frolik jumped on a rebound that Rinne had deflected to the left boards, then turned and fired on goal in one motion. Shaw deflected the puck over Rinne’s shoulder.

The Blackhawks dominated the first period, outshooting the Predators 17-7. But a turnover by defenseman Johnny Oduya in the slot set off a scramble that led to Spaling’s goal that made it 1-1 with 2:44 left.

Sergei Kostitsyn grabbed the loose puck and shot from a sharp angle to the right of the net. Emery stopped that attempt, but Spaling fired in the rebound before Emery could recover.

Bickell, who scored Chicago’s only goal on Saturday, put the Blackhawks back in front 2-1 at 2:09 of the second.

Weber tied it at 2 just over three minutes later, when he fired from the top of the right circle directly from a faceoff win by Spaling.

Legwand scored on a rebound to put Nashville ahead 3-2 at 6:54 of the third to cap a scrum around the Chicago net.

Saad tied it at 3 at 9:37 from 10 feet. After fanning on a first shot attempt, defenseman Duncan Keith swept in and fired a shot that Rinne blocked. Saad converted the rebound.

Toews put Chicago ahead 4-3 at 10:32. Kane’s goal with 32 seconds left completed the scoring.

Game notes

Before the game, Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said that Sharp could return this week. When asked about Bolland’s condition, he said, “We don’t think it’s serious.” … Nashville C Paul Gaustad missed a second game with an upper body injury. … Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, who played for the Blackhawks and worked in their front office, attended the game.

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“I thought he felt much better today,” Quenneville said. “He said he felt good after practice as well. We’ll see how he is [Friday] and with a chance of playing [Friday] night.”

Hansen’s forearm connected with the back of Hossa’s head while the two players were advancing for a loose puck in the air with 18:55 remaining in the third period of Tuesday’s game. Hossa lay face-first on the ice for a few minutes while being attended to by the Blackhawks medical staff. He eventually left the ice under his own power.

“Obviously he surprised with a hit from behind,” Hossa said Thursday. “He hit me pretty hard in the back of the head. Right after, I was shaky. That’s basically why I didn’t return, because I was shaky. We had the day off, and it kind of slowed down. This morning I woke up and felt much better.”

Hossa said he doesn’t believe he suffered a concussion on the hit.

“No, I don’t believe [I had a concussion] because more than anything he surprised me with a punch from behind,” Hossa said. “I was shaky for a few minutes right after that, which is why I didn’t return to the game.”

Hansen met with the NHL on Wednesday and was given a one-game suspension for the hit.

“It’s up to the league,” Hossa said of the suspension. “They’re making the decisions. But I’m glad at least one game.

Hopefully, more guys learn from it. He said he was reaching for the puck. I didn’t buy it, because when you’re reaching for the puck you don’t hit somebody that hard to the head.”

The Blackhawks did not practice Wednesday, but Hossa was evaluated by the team.

“It was a very encouraging that he felt good [Wednesday], and he responded feeling good during practice and afterwards, which is a big test for us and him,” Quenneville said. “That’s definitely very good news.”

Hossa suffered a head injury last season when Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres launched himself into Hossa during Game 3 of a first-round playoff series. Hossa had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher. He missed the Blackhawks’ final three games of the season and was cleared to play again in early December.

“We were all concerned,” Quenneville said of Hossa’s latest collision. “We all saw the situation in the playoffs and you see it again. These things do have a history, so it was definitely a concern.”

Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford and defenseman Brent Seabrook returned to practice Thursday, but goaltender Ray Emery did not participate because of a family commitment. Seabrook will play Friday, and Emery will make his fourth straight start in place of Crawford.

Crawford has missed the Blackhawks’ past three games with an upper-body injury. He is 7-0-3 with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage this season.

Seabrook missed Tuesday’s game against the Canucks because of a lower-body injury. He briefly left Sunday’s game with the Los Angeles Kings after being hit in the groin area by a slap shot.

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