Men's Ice Hockey Tournament at the Winter Olympic Games 2018

[hckošice 14,821]

Nazarov will be furious now

[hckošice 14,821]

Kazakhstan was leading 3-1 against Norway 59 seconds before the end of the match, but suddenly they find the way how to throw away the lead by the most stupidest way I´ve ever seen in my life so it´s 3-3 and we are going to the extra time.

 

both today matches in Oslo ended in over time

[hckošice 14,821]

and Kazakhstan won in extra time what a crazy match and what a big troubles for Norway now

[Gianlu33 4,546]

Kazakhstan won  I think that we'll see a great battle for the quota in Oslo between  and  

[hckošice 14,821]

FINAL QUALIFICATION ROUND

Tournament 3

Oslo (NOR) - 01.09.2016 - 04.09.2016

 

 

Day 1 Results

 

Round-Robin

4 Nations, Round-Robin Tournament, 1st Nation will Qualify to the Men´s Ice Hockey Tournament at the Winter Olympic Games 2018

 

France  (OT)2 - 1  Italy

(Score by Period: 0-0, 1-1, 0-0, OT: 1-0)

1st September 2016, h. 16:00 (GMT +2), Jordal Amfi, Oslo

 

Kazakhstan  (OT)4 - 3  Norway      

(Score by Period: 0-0, 3-1, 0-2, OT: 1-0)

1st September 2016, h. 20:00 (GMT +2), Jordal Amfi, Oslo

 

Round-Robin Standing After Day 1

RANK	NATION	GAME	WINS	W(OT)	L(OT)	LOSE	SCORE	POINTS
1	Kazakhstan	1	0	1	0	0	4:3	2
2	France	1	0	1	0	0	2:1	2
3	Norway	1	0	0	1	0	3:4	1
4	Italy	1	0	0	1	0	1:2	1

 

[hckošice 14,821]

Slovenia overpowers Poland

Kopitar's return lifts Slovenia to easy win

Slovenia's Ziga Jeglic #8 and Rok Ticar # 24 celebrate after scoring against Poland during Men's Final Olympic Qualification, Group D played in Minsk

 

 

A hat-trick by Anze Kopitar sets Slovenia on course to an emphatic opening day win at the Final Olympic Qualification, Group D.

 

A goal in each period by the NHL star saw Poland emphatically toppled 6-1. Another of Slovenia's big hitters, Jan Mursak contributed with 1+1 while Blaz Gregorc and Ken Ograjensek both recorded two helpers.

 

Poland who last featured at the Olympic Winter games in Alberville 1992 can look back at an afternoon they soon want to forget with Krystian Dziubinski scoring Poland's sole marker with 2:48 left of the game.

 

Slovenia, who made their first appearance at an Olympic ice hockey tournament in Sochi two years ago, top Group D for a place in PyeongChang 2018 after their bright opening day performance.

 

"Our goal was to win the game, but it is only one win and tomorrow is a new game," said Slovenia's head coach Nik Zupancic trying to keep lid on expectations for what is to come.

 

Poland who entered the Group D as the lowest ranked teams in Minsk, had their game plan clearly set out ahead of their game.

 

"We tried to play as hard as we could with the key for us not to give up any goals, and surprise with one or two ourselves," said Poland's defenceman Adam Borzecki.

 

"But we were perhaps a bit too open against a really strong team and we made a couple of mistakes and it cost us goals as they capitalised on their chances."

 

Poland's game plan held out until 4:10 left of the first frame. During their third consecutive minor penalty, Kopitar stepped up to convert a rebound to open the scoring. Before the period was over Roc Ticar combined with Ziga Jeglic, with the latter doubling Slovenia's lead at 17:38.

 

In the previous meeting between the two teams, played at the end of April at the 2016 World Championship Division IA, Poland prevailed thanks to a strong second period showing as they rallied back to 4-1 win.

 

This time around, Slovenia proved to be a different propositon. Mursak, one of Slovenia's returning stars, picked up the puck from his own defensive zone and surged ahead to beat Przemyslaw Odrobny in Poland's net with a backhand for Slovenia's third. At 24:46 Kopitar added Slovenia's unanswered fourth and before the middle frame was over a top drawer finished by Ales Kranjc had made it 5-0.

 

The teams had barely got out of the ice for the final frame when Slovenia wasted little time to add a sixth unanswered goal as Kopitar completed his hat-trick with an emphatic low strike.

 

With the game already well dead and buried, Kroselj's shutout big held out until 2:48 to go when a Pawel Dronia looping pass from defensive zone, saw Dziubinski race clear to hit home high past Slovenia's netminder.

 

As Poland look to lick their wounds and aim for an improved performance against hosts Belarus tomorrow evening, Denmark awaits for Slovenia. For Zupancic, it is Denmark who will enter tomorrow's battle feeling the height of expectations.

 

"Denmark are a really creative team who play with a lot of passion and a lot of skill. In my opinion the favourite of this tournament," he said.

 

[hckošice 14,821]

German goal fest

Japan no problem in opening game

                                    German forward Marcus Kink with a scoring chance in front of the Japanese net.

 

 

Germany had a good start into the Final Olympic Qualification by opening Group E in Riga with a 5-0 blanking of Japan

 

The Japanese are not the favourite here but didn’t come to Riga to be a pushover. In the first game against Germany that was easier said than done though in a clash between two countries that are separated by 11 places in the World Ranking. Having seven NHL players on the German roster didn’t make it easier for the Asians either.

 

“They have a lot of skill, it was very hard,” said Yuki Miura, “but we didn’t give up.”

 

The Germans needed less than four minutes to open the scoring. Brooks Macek capitalized in front of the net after a diagonal pass to the crease from Leon Draisaitl at 3:26.

 

With 2:38 left in the period and Takeshi Saito in the penalty box, Patrick Hager sent a shot from the face-off circle after a drop pass from Tobias Rieder. Florian Schutz screened Japanese goalie Yutaka Fukufuji and deflected the puck but didn’t interfere the goalie in the crease as the video review showed. It was one of two goals for him.

 

“It’s never easy to win a game despite them probably not playing at the same level like us in European leagues. But they can play too and made it difficult at the beginning. After the first goals it became easier for us,” Schutz said.

 

Germany scored three of the five goals on power plays and outshot Japan 51-13. Early in the middle frame Tobias Rieder added another marker after a horizontal pass from Leon Draisaitl to make it 3-0 for the black-and-yellow team. With the next power play Tom Kuhnhackl increased it to a four-goal lead. Schutz followed suit on a rebound during the next man advantage for the Germans forcing Japan head coach Greg Thomson to use his time-out. For the last period he replaced Fukufuji with Takuto Onoda in the net.

 

For the Germans the high-score game was a good opportunity to gel together with the new players on the team.

 

“Most of the NHL players were already with us at the World Championship except for two who are new but we know each other and it’s great for German hockey they can play here with us,” Schutz said. “It’s noticeable that they’re playing at the highest level.”

 

The Germans will continue tomorrow against Austria and on Sunday against host Latvia. Last time in the Olympic Qualification Austria succeeded against Germany to qualify for Sochi 2014.

 

“The score [against Japan] has no meaning for the next games. Austria is at par with us, we didn’t succeed against them last time. It will be the two most important games of the year for us. We feel great and have self-confidence,” said Schutz.

 

 

[hckošice 14,821]

France squeaks by Italy

Da Costa wins game for Les Bleus in OT

 

France dominated the game but couldn't find a way to get around the Italian defense. Stephane da Costa fired the game-winner in OT.

 

France outshot Italy 31-24 in the game and dominated the play for long periods at a time but could only beat Italy’s goaltender Andreas Bernard once in regulation time. Stephane da Costa won the game for France with his shot just 26 seconds into the overtime.

 

Veteran goaltender Cristobal Huet made 23 saves for France.

 

“I just thought, ‘finally’, when I saw the shot go in,” said France’s Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who picked up an assist to the goal.

 

“We had several chances but couldn’t capitalize on them but we found a way to win the game. In the Worlds, we’re the underdog but now we had to carry the game and we got a little tired in the second period,” he added.

 

On the back of the French team practice jerseys it says, “tous ensemble pour 2017”, a call for action for the 2017 World Championship that will be held in Paris and Cologne. Paris will be hosting the tournament for the first time since 1951, and qualifying for the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang in South Korea would certainly help keep the game in the spotlight. 

 

But for that, they need to win their qualification group in Oslo.

 

“Four years ago, we only had a couple of days to prepare and found ourselves down by two goals after the first five minutes in our first game. It all comes down to details,” Team France coach Dave Henderson told IIHF.com after the team’s morning skate.

 

In their first game in Oslo, they looked nervous during the first five minutes but Italy couldn’t score early on and the longer the period went, the more France took over the game. They started to find the opening in Italy’s defense in the neutral zone and could send long passes through it, creating several good chances. However, Andreas Bernard in Italy’s goal was excellent.

 

Early in the second period, Jordan Perrett received a major penalty for checking from behind when he pushed an Italian defenseman into the glass behind Italy’s net. Halfway through the powerplay, the Kostner brothers found an opening. Simon Kostner passed the puck from the corner to Diego, who took a few strides towards the French net and shot the puck in through Cristobal Huet’s five-hole to give Italy the lead in the game 3.20 into the period.

 

France could tie the game just 2.20 later when Kevin Hecquefeuille found Florian Chakiachvili open in the slot. Chakiachvili turned and fired the puck past Bernard with a hard wrist shot.

 

Italy defended with a lot of heart and managed to keep France on the outside, making it easier for Bernard to turn away the shots that came all the way to his net.

"It went according to our plan. They had some great chances in the second period, but we defended really well," said Italy's goaltender Bernard. 

 

France never got the big push it would have needed and the game ended in a 1-1 tie in regulation time. The 3-on-3 overtime was just 27 seconds old when da Costa fired his shot topshelf, ending the game

 

“It’s the win that counts, I don’t think this [lost point] will matter, especially if we keep our focus in the next game,” said Bellemare.

 

[hckošice 14,821]

Outskated, outshot, outscored

Host Latvia lands perfect start against Austria

                          The Latvian players listen to the anthem after the 8-1 win against Austria.

 

Latvia took first place in the standing on the opening day at the Final Olympic Qualification Group E on home ice in Riga after demolishing Austria, 8-1.

 

It was an unusually high score considering that Latvia needed overtime to beat Latvia at their last World Championship game against Austria in 2015 and even lost 6-3 in 2013.

Seven different scorers netted the puck for Latvia led by Kaspars Daugavins with two goals and an assist.

 

It was not like the Austrians were without chances in Riga. The hosts allowed them to come into the game in the beginning and were hospitable enough to play Austrian folk music during one or the other game stoppage. A strong Kristers Gudlevskis with 22 saves in the net prevented the Austrians from taking the lead while the Latvians widened the gap with six unanswered goals in the second and third period.

 

It was a game the Austrians could have needed their best goalie Bernhard Starkbaum, who didn’t travel to Riga due to injury. The Austrians started into the game wanting more. They had more puck possession in the beginning of the game but it was the hosts who opened the scoring on a Daugavins shot at 5:41.

 

In the following minutes the Austrians had two power plays and some scoring chances but no luck in front of Gudlevskis’ net. They didn’t score and even conceded a shorthanded goal. Lauris Darzins left for a breakaway. He lost the puck against a defender in the offensive zone but Andris Dzerins got it and beat Austrian goalie David Kickert top-shelf.

 

With 3:21 left Thomas Hundertpfund brought Austria onto the scoreboard and new hope, which was destroyed in the second period.

 

After a face-off won by Zemgus Girgensons, Roberts Bukarts sent off a shot top-right to restore the two-goal lead. Captain Daugavins even made it 4-1 after accepting a horizontal pass in the middle of the offensive zone to beat Kickert just two-and-a-half minutes after the last marker.

 

With 2:22 left Kristaps Sotnieks missed on a breakaway when coming out from the penalty box but one minute later Ronalds Kenins concluded a 2-on-1 with the 5-1 goal before the second intermission.

 

Austria changed goaltenders for the third period but to no avail as the scoring didn’t end there. At 3:57 Miks Indrasis shoveled the puck on the left side around David Madlener while falling to make it a five-goal gap. Martins Dzierkals added another marker with his shot from close to the net just two minutes later and in the dying minutes of the game Rodrigo Abols used his chance to land on the scoreboard too after a fast attack for the final score of 8-1.

 

[hckošice 14,821]

Kazakhstan shocks the hosts

Norway rallies back, loses in OT

 

Norway controlled the game, Kazakhstan scored the goals. Then Norway rallied back to tie the game in regulation, only to lose it in the first shift of OT 4-3.

 

It was supposed to be a big Norwegian party at the old Jordal Amfi but apaprently, nobody told told Kazakhstan that and they pushed the hosts to their heels. In the last 1.17 Norway rallied back from 3-1 to tie the game and take it to OT. 

 

In the first shift of the 3-on-3 overtime, though, Kazakhstan's Brandon Bochenski scored the game-winner. 

 

"It's in the details. They played a good game and capitalized on their chances," said Norway's captain Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. 

 

Norway outshot Kazakhstan 9-5 in the first period, out-chanced them 5-0 and dominated the game for long periods at a time but Kazakhstan - whose team consists of only Barys Astana’s players - played smart and kept Norway on the outside, blocking the shots from the point and let goaltender Vitali Kolesnik take care of the rest. 

 

Norway’s first line with Patrick Thoresen - son of head coach Petter Thoresen -, Anders Bastiansen, and Mats Zuccarello carried the play and created several chances but couldn’t beat Kolesnik. 

 

Whatever plans Norway had for the second, they surely didn’t include Kazakhstan scoring but that’s what happened. Just 1.23 into the period Yevgeny Rymarev went around Norway’s net, and passed it behind his back, fooling both the Norwegian defenseman in front of the net and goaltender Lars Haugen so that Roman Starchenko saw nothing but the net and could score easily. 

 

Norway paid it back, though, 2.25 later when Bastiansen sent a backhanded pass to Mats Zuccarello who ied the game with a wrist shot from a sharp angle. 

 

Norway outshot Kazakhstan 20-10 in the second period, and except for the early Kazakh powerplay, the puck stayed mostly in the Kazakhstan zone. However, at 11.27 into the period, Nikita Ivanov won a faceoff in Norway’s zone, sent the puck to Kevin Dallman at the point, and his shot floated in through a lot of traffic in front of Haugen. 

 

Three minutes later Starchenko scored his second of the night when he won a race to the puck and his wrister from a sharp angle found its way to the back of the net. Norway had their chance to get back into the game thanks to two Kazakhstan penalties at the end of the period, but they couldn’t beat Kolesnik. 

 

The hosts got another powerplay opportunity to start the third period, but Norway couldn’t figure out a way to get to the best scoring areas even when Kazakhstan had just four skaters on the ice. Norway was 0-for-4 on powerplay tonight. 

 

Six minutes into the period, Kolesnik hurt his leg making a save. He left the ice in obvious pain and Dmitri Malgin took his place between the pipes. 

 

Then Norway got into some penalty trouble, and Kazakhstan go to play a minute and 50 seconds with a two-man advantage but couldn’t extend their lead.

 

With 1.17 remaining, Jonas Holos made it a one-goal game with a slap shot from the point. Then, with 14 secinds remaining, Bastiansen re-directed Zuccarello's hard pass to the back of the net to tie the game. 

 

Then, just a few minutes later, Norway came crashing down from the highest of highs.

 

Jordal Amfi, the arena, was originally built for the 1952 Olympics, as an outdoor arena, and it’s served Norwegian hockey well and the idea was to have the arena do one last Olympic favor by sending this team to the 2018 Olympics before it’s demolished in 2017. 

 

The Norwegian Olympic dreams aren’t dead yet, but the wrecking ball is already waiting outside.

 

"We have a new game tomorrow, let's see what happens in the other games," Tollefsen said.