Ice Hockey IIHF World Championships 2017

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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

United States 1 - 2 Germany
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 0-0, 1-1
May 5th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Group A Provisional Standing After Day 1

 

Nation	P	W(OTW)	L(OTL)	GF	GA	+/-	Pt.
Germany	1	1(0)	0(0)	2	1	+1	3
Russia	1	1(1)	0(0)	2	1	+1	2
Sweden	1	0(0)	1(1)	1	2	-1	1
Denmark	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Italy	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Latvia	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Slovakia	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
United States	1	0(0)	1(0)	1	2	-1	0

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

United States 1 - 2 Germany
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 0-0, 1-1
May 5th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Made in Cologne

Home-town heroes snatch German win

 

Philip Gogulla and Patrick Hager, two players from Cologne's DEL team, thrilled the home crowd with the game-winning play as Germany downed the USA 2-1.

 

Few things wake up a tournament like a strong start for the host nation, and Germany delivered exactly that in Cologne. Marco Sturm’s roster has genuine hopes of progressing to the knock-out phase here and it burnished those credentials with an opening-day victory over the USA.

 

To make things even better for a sell-out 18,600 crowd in Cologne, the winning goal was made right here on the banks of the Rhine. On a power play Kolner Haie's Philip Gogulla played the puck out to the point, Yannic Seidenberg fired in a shot and Patrick Hager - another Kolner Haie man - got the vital downward deflection to deceive Jimmy Howard and reinstate Germany's lead with six minutes to play.

 

It would be hard not to feel some sympathy for the USA, though. After falling behind early in the game, Jeff Blaishill's team dominated proceedings to the extent that Hager's goal was only the fourth shot Germany mustered in the final stanza of a game which, at times, threatened to turn into a personal shoot-out between Johnny Gaudreau and home goaltender Thomas Greiss. Greiss finished with 42 saves to help his nation to victory.

 

The Americans enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, with Gaudreau going one-on-one in the third minute only to be thwarted by Greiss. But Germany came into the game and took the lead in the 11th minute through Tobias Rieder. The Arizona Coyotes man showed great composure in front of the net, collecting the rebound after his close-range effort was blocked, spotting a gap between Jimmy Howard’s pad and his far post, and holding the puck until the angle opened up for a backhand finish that went beyond the goalie’s reach.

 

Chants of ‘Deutschland, Deutschland!’ rolled around the capacity crowd in Cologne’s Lanxess Arena.

 

Gaudreau remained the stand-out player. After his early chance, the youngster produced a beautiful piece of skill to spin away from the sprawling Konrad Abeltshauser only to find Greiss slamming the door shut in his face once again. Gaudreau first came to prominence playing in the 2014 Worlds, and looks to be in the mood for another big showing on the international stage.

 

The middle stanza was dominated by the Americans, but the tying goal would not come. Gaudreau again went close, sparking a huge scramble on the German crease during the first USA power play of the tournament. Anders Lee couldn’t quite make contact with the loose puck as it slewed crazily across the paintwork and – eventually – Greiss got on top of the situation. Another big moment fell to Andrew Copp when he got a clear look at Greiss’s net late in the session. Invited inside by Justin Krueger, Copp’s shot clipped the outside of the post and went wide.

 

Not surprisingly the USA continued to press early in the third. Seven minutes into the final frame, Greiss had turned away a further 10 shots while Germany had managed just one attempt at the other end. The big chances came and went: Charlie McAvoy found Griess’s pads when well-placed, Clayton Keller went short-side and found the side netting, Christian Dvorak fanned on a shot with a clear look at goal.

 

Germany was reeling, willing the clock to tick down faster.

 

Instead, team captain Connor Murphy finally tied the game for the USA. His wrist shot from the top of the right-hand circle beat Greiss with nine minutes left to play, the goalie's view perhaps obscured by his own defence. Twenty seconds later, Lee was convinced he’d got the better of his New York Islanders team-mate and put the Americans in front but the effort was ruled out as the puck was hooked from the goal line by a German defenceman. It felt like a temporary reprieve, but the Cologne connection struck to kickstart a new carnival beside the Rhine.

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Czech Republic 1 - 4 Canada
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 0-1, 1-2
May 5th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Group B Provisional Standing After Day 1

 

Nation	P	W(OTW)	L(OTL)	GF	GA	+/-	Pt.
Canada	1	1(0)	0(0)	4	1	+3	3
Finland	1	1(0)	0(0)	3	2	+1	3
France	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Norway	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Slovenia	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Switzerland	0	0(0)	0(0)	0	0	0	0
Belarus	1	0(0)	1(0)	2	3	-1	0
Czech Republic	1	0(0)	1(0)	1	4	-3	0

 

 

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Czech Republic 1 - 4 Canada
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 0-1, 1-2
May 5th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Canada wins wide-open game

Cal and the kids beat Czechs, 4-1

 

In many cities over many decades have Canada and the Czechs played hockey, but until tonight never Paris.

 

The massively pro-Czech crowd of 8,834 left disappointed, though, because their team was beaten by a superior, but sloppy, Canada, 4-1.

 

The Canadians got goals from four skaters and captain Claude Giroux added two assists. Lukas Radil had the lone goal for the Czechs.

 

Canada's goalie Cal Pickard, now 3-0 in his World Championship career, made many fine saves and looked to be in mid-tournament form.

 

In truth, the first-game sloppiness went both ways but made for many scoring chances and a thrilling game all the same.

 

But if Canada and the Czechs are going to be playing the kind of end-to-end hockey they demonstrated tonight, it’s going to be a fun fortnight in the City of Lights for Parisian fans of hockey sur glace.

 

Canada won the game, but it was a thrill a minute throughout as teams sped their way up and down the ice, creating scoring chances and, yes, making some giveaways they likely won’t make in a few days’ time. 

 

The Canadians opened the scoring at 6:09 on a typical Canadian play. Three times they beat their man to the puck, and three times they did something to help put the disc in the goal.

 

First, Tyson Barrie got to a loose puck in centre ice and got it deep into the Czech end. Then, Mark Schiefele outfoxed Jakub Krejcik behind the goal when the puck was up for grabs, sweeping a quick pas in front. And then Ryan O’Reilly outfought Jakub Jerabek to get a stick on the puck and pop it in.

 

Brayden Point had a breakaway a short time later but was stopped by Petr Mrazek, and then Mitch Marner, who took a puck to his left cheek a few minutes earlier, gave the puck up in front of his own goal. Michal Repik wheeled and fired but Pickard made the save.

 

The Czechs had a brief two-man advantage later, but the best chance came from Jan Rutta, who hit the post behind Pickard.

 

Canada started the second on a power play and wasted no time in upping the lead. This time a quick point shot from Mike Matheson hit teammate Brayden Schenn on the way to the goal, changing direction and fooling Mrazek just 55 seconds into the second.

 

The Czechs had plenty of chances to get close and showed little touch—or puck—around Pickard. Tomas Kundratek had a great chance moments after Schenn’s goal, but Pickard made a great glove grab. 

 

But the chanve of the period—it should have been a goal—came off the stick of Jan Kovar. Creating a nice give-and-go with captain Jakub Voracek, Kovar headed to the net for the return pass, but much to even his own disbelief he shot over the crossbar of the wide-open goal.

 

The Czechs were finally rewarded on the power play midway through the third. Pickard stoned Kovar on one chance, but the goalie was down and out when Radil swatted the rebound into the open side at 12:41 to make it a 2-1 game.

 

Travis Konecny made sure that was as far as the Czechs got. He barrelled down the right wing behind the Czech goal, fought off two defenders, and fired a great pass in front to Barrie. Barrie's low shot found the net to restore the two-goal lead just two minutes after Radil's goal.

 

Jeff Skinner added an empty netter with 42.1 seconds remaining.

 

The Czechs are right back at it tomorrow afternoon against Belarus (0-1) while Canada has a day off before playing Slovenia.

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Sweden 1 - 2GWS Russia
Period-by-Period: 1-0, 0-0, 0-1, OT: 0-0, GWS: 0-1
May 5th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Finland 3 - 2 Belarus
Period-by-Period: 2-0, 0-1, 1-1
May 5th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

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2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

United States 1 - 2 Germany
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 0-0, 1-1
May 5th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

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2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 1

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Czech Republic 1 - 4 Canada
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 0-1, 1-2
May 5th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Latvia vs Denmark
Period-by-Period:
May 6th 2016, h. 12:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Spoiler

 

Slovakia vs Italy
Period-by-Period:
May 6th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Spoiler

 

 

Germany vs Sweden
Period-by-Period:
May 6th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Switzerland vs Slovenia
Period-by-Period:
May 6th 2016, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Spoiler

 

Belarus vs Czech Republic
Period-by-Period:
May 6th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Spoiler

 

Norway vs France
Period-by-Period:
May 6th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Spoiler

 

 

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DAY

2

 

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TEAMS PREVIEW

 

Switzerland

 

 

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JERSEY

Home

Away

 

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Fischer needs results

Can Swiss create silver magic again?

 

It had been nearly two decades since a non-Canadian coached the Swiss team, so there was optimism last year when former player Patrick Fischer took over.

 

A disappointing 11th-place finish, though, has dampened the Swiss spirits and put extra importance on this year’s tournament.

 

Goal

 

At 35, Jonas Hiller is closer to the end of his career than beginning, but he had a good year with Biel in the Swiss league and will be playing his first World Championship since 2008. He played at the last two Olympics as well, and his experience will be an important factor for the team. Behind him will be Leonardo Genoni and 22-year-old Niklas Schlegel.

 

Defence

 

If the names on the blue line seem familiar in a distant sort of way, that’s because coach Fischer has recruited heavily from the team’s junior programs of the last several years. Raphael Diaz is the one rock who has been with the team at various levels for more than a decade, and Philippe Furrer isn’t far behind. But the common thread is youth with a bit of international experience. Ramon Untersander, Dave Sutter, Dominik Schlumpf, and Dean Kukan all fit into this category. Joel Genazzi is a real shot in the dark. The 29-year-old has been with Lausanne for several years but has never donned a Swiss sweater in IIHF competition. The “old rookie” will be eager to prove his worth.

 

Forward

 

The unstoppable Andres Ambuhl is playing his way into the IIHF record books. This will be his 14^th consecutive World Championship appearance going back to 2004, and at 33 he may have a few more left in him. Denis Hollenstein and Kevn Romy are the only other mainstays, but Fischer has revamped the forwards in the same manner as the blue line. Denis Malgin is making his senior debut after a lengthy career in U18 and U20. But the list of newcomers to the senior team is long—Chris Baltisberger, Fabrice Herzog, Vincent Praplan, Richard Tanner, and Pius Suter among them. It’s clear Fischer is considering the program ahead of any other criteria in the hopes that experience with the Swiss team at the junior level will carry up to greater results with the seniors. 

 

Coaching

 

Patrick Fischer has crafted a team with great thought and precision. He has enough experience on the roster so he youngsters won’t be overwhelmed by the occasion, but his goal is to give the whole national team a makeover. In the past, the World Championship roster was heavy with years and years of experience, but often short of results, so there’s no reason not to applaud Fischer’s audacity. 

 

Projected Results

 

With good goaltending and timely scoring the Swiss can qualify for the quarter-finals, after which anything is possible. Playing in Paris (bein sur!), they aren’t likely to push Canada, the Czechs, or Finland out of the way, but their other opponents—Belarus, Slovenia, Norway, and France—are all within striking distance. A solid 4^th-8^th finish could well be expected.

 

 

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