Russia, who will be competing under the OAR banner at Pyeongchang 2018, beat Spartak Moscow 2-1 in an Olympic warm-up match ©FHR

Russia's ice hockey team received a heroes send-off as they beat Spartak Moscow 2-1 in their final warm-up match before leaving for the Winter Olympic Games here.

The team will have to compete as part of the Olympic Athletes from Russia squad but are considered among the favourites for the gold medal at Pyeongchang 2018 in the absence of National Hockey League (NHL) players representing Canada and the United States.

They played in Russia's national team colours for this match - something they will not be able to do at Pyeongchang 2018. 

The Russian national squad scored the winning goal in overtime at the VTB Ice Palace and they were made to work harder than when they beat Belarus 3-0 in another warm-up last Tuesday (January 30).

"The match with Spartak was a good training for us," Pavel Datsyuk, who formerly played for the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL and who will captain the Russians at Pyeongchang 2018, said. 

"We spent a lot of effort, the opponent was very good at catching us on counterattacks, their players ran well."

The team are due to leave for South Korea tomorrow evening to prepare for their opening match in Group B against Slovakia on February 14 at the Gangneung Hockey Centre.

They are then due to play Slovenia on February 16 before what is set to be a highly-charged match against the United States the following day.

Russia's ice hockey team received a big send-off on the eve of their departure for Pyeongchang 2018 when they played a warm-up match against Spartak Moscow ©FHR
Russia's ice hockey team received a big send-off on the eve of their departure for Pyeongchang 2018 when they played a warm-up match against Spartak Moscow ©FHR

Vladislav Tretiak, President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, reminded the players of what was expected of them before they depart.

Russia has not won an Olympic gold medal since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Their best performances were a silver medal at Nagano 1998 and bronze at Salt Lake City 2002.

"There have always been difficult times, and there have never been easy matches - neither comrades, nor at the World championships, nor at the Olympics," Tretiak, winner of three Olympic gold medals representing the Soviet Union, told them.

"It's great that although today the match did not solve anything, but the whole stadium came in. 

"Everyone thank you very much, and now it's up to the hockey players who are preparing for big and difficult battles, let them all wish them luck and hope and believe in them.

"They understand that behind them is the whole country called Russia."