Ice Hockey IIHF World Championships 2017

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Results after 2nd Period

 

Group A in Cologne

Germany - Sweden  2-4 (1-1,1-3,-)

06:56 Oliver EKMAN-LARSON 0-1

16:14 Patrick HAGER 1-1

20:23 Victor RASK 1-2

25:26 Philip GOGULLA 2-2

35:14 Linus OMARK 2-3

39:57 Jonas BRODIN 2-4

 

Group B in Paris

Norway - France  2-1 (0-0, 2-1,-)

25:03 Ken-Andre OLIMB 1-0

29:41 Patrick THORESEN 2-0

38:14 Stephane DA COSTA 2-1

 

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DAY

2

 

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TEAMS PREVIEW

 

Norway

 

 

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JERSEY

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Away

 

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Norway looks for boost

Olympics settled, but Paris important

 

 

Norway will be going to PyeongChang, but will it do so on a high or low? Paris will provide the answers.

 

The Norwegians have yet to replicate their fabulous 2011 World Championship when they finished sixth (their best result since 1962), but they have maintained status in the top pool, which is also critical to the nation’s program. This year, playing in Paris alongside Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Switzerland, France, Belarus, and Slovenia, qualifying for the quarter-finals is a long shot, but avoiding relegation will be the team’s greater goal as it prepares for the 2018 Olympics.

 

Goal

 

Norway’s three goalies represent youth, middle age, and veteran quite nicely. At 30, Lars Haugen is the senior of the three starting his seventh World Championship. Indeed, he was stellar in 2011 during the team’s best run in half a century, and he’ll be the one who gets first chance to be the go-to goalie. Steffen Soberg, 23, has been part of the national team at the junior and then senior level since 2011, but has only five games of WM experience to his credit. Henrik Haukeland is the baby of the bunch. The 22-year-old played at the 2014 U20 for Norway, his only international experience.

 

Defence

 

Jonas Holos has one of the longest consecutive World Championship streaks of the modern era. This will be his 12^th tournament in a row, as well as the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, so his experience will be invaluable to the defence. The other veteran is Alexander Bonsaksen, who has played every event since 2009 except last year. Beyond that, the blueliners are mostly young and hoping to learn from their mentors. Johannes Johannesen and Dennis Sveum were promising newcomers last year and hope to build on a decent start to their senior careers, and Erlund Lesund is making his senior team debut. Their task will be primarily to support Haugen et al. inside their own blue line.

 

Forward

 

Goalscoring has long been a nemesis for the Norwegians. In the last four Worlds, some 28 games, the team has managed only 53 goals, less than two a game. This puts monumental pressure on the goalies, and no team can sustain needed wins with such small output. Some of the names needed to put the puck in the net are familiar: Anders Bastiansen, Martin Roymark, Kristian Forsberg, and the Olimb brothers, Mathis and Ken Andre. Patrick Thoresen, a former NHLer who played this past year in Switzerland, will need to score, but so will some of the younger players such as Jorgen Karterud and Thomas Valkvae-Olsen, both 23, who are making their senior debuts.

 

Coaching

 

Petter Thoresen has a long history in Norway as a player and coach (and father of Steffen and Patrick, two fine players in their own right). Thoresen will need to draw on all his strengths because he’s taking over for Roy Johansen, who retired after last year’s World after a marvelous 15-year career as national team coach. Thoresen will bring a new voice and approach, but he’ll have most of the same parts to work with.

 

Projected Results

 

Realistically, the Canadians, Czechs, and Finns have a lock on three quarter-finals spots, and the chances of Norway squeaking into the fourth spot is tenuous. Norway will likely have to win a couple of key games against France (May 6) and Slovenia (May 9) to avoid relegation. A finish in the 9-12 quad would be respectable.

 

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Previous Previews

France

Latvia

Slovenia

Canada

Denmark

Italy

Belarus

United States

Russia

Finland

Sweden

Germany

Czech Republic

Switzerland

Slovakia

 

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Nylander is such a briliant talent, this is insane what a player this guy already is

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Final Results

 

Group A in Cologne

Germany - Sweden  2-7 (1-1,1-3, 0-3)

06:56 Oliver EKMAN-LARSON 0-1

16:14 Patrick HAGER 1-1

20:23 Victor RASK 1-2

25:26 Philip GOGULLA 2-2

35:14 Linus OMARK 2-3

39:57 Jonas BRODIN 2-4

49:42 Gabriel LANDESKOG 2-5

50:40 William NYLANDER 2-6

51:59 William NYLANDER 2-7

 

Group B in Paris

Norway - France  3-2 (0-0, 2-1, 1-1)

25:03 Ken-Andre OLIMB 1-0

29:41 Patrick THORESEN 2-0

38:14 Stephane DA COSTA 2-1

49:54 Patrick THORESEN 3-1

49:59 Stephane DA COSTA 3-2

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Germany 2 - 7 Sweden
Period-by-Period: 1-1, 1-3, 0-3
May 6th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Group A Provisional Standing After Day 2

 

Nation	P	W(OTW)	L(OTL)	GF	GA	+/-	Pt.
Sweden	2	1(0)	1(1)	8	4	+4	4
Latvia	1	1(0)	0(0)	3	0	+3	3
Germany	2	1(0)	1(0)	4	8	-4	3
Slovakia	1	1(1)	0(0)	3	2	+1	2
Russia	1	1(1)	0(0)	2	1	+1	2
Italy	1	0(0)	1(1)	2	3	-1	1
United States	1	0(0)	1(0)	1	2	-1	0
Denmark	1	0(0)	1(0)	0	3	-3	0

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Germany 2 - 7 Sweden
Period-by-Period: 1-1, 1-3, 0-3
May 6th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Sweden back in business

7-2 win gives Tre Kronor first win

 

After holding even at 2-2, Sweden scored five uncontested goals that turned a close game into a rout.

 

Sweden rebounded from their opening night loss with a commanding 7-2 win over Germany. Second period goals by Linus Omark and Jonas Brodin helped Sweden to a two goal lead that they would not relinquish. William Nylander has two goals and three points in the game. Captain Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and two assists. 

 

"I think everybody could see how good they were at the end." German forward Brooks Macek said. "We played a pretty good game in the first two periods. We had a good goalie and we just battled, so we held them at 2-2 but then they just showed how good they really are."

 

Despite the final score, this was not an easy game. Playing with early confidence, Germany matched their rivals to hold the game to a 2-2 tie before the game was put out of reach. Their confidence  undoutedly came as a result of last night’s win over the United States.

 

Greiss was spectacular over the first half of the game, keeping his team in it despite a flurry of activity by the Swedes in the first period. The majority of the offensive action occurred in Germany’s end of the ice. Moreover, for the first seven and a half minutes, Germany did not hit a shot on goal.

 

"We made mistakes in our own zone and you can't give them so much time." Macek said. "They are all pretty good players so if they get a little bit of room they will take it and score."

 

Sweden opened scoring when defenceman Oliver Ekman Larsson’s shot found the back of the net at 6:56. Ekman Larsson’s wrist shot appeared to be redirected by one of two German defenders in front. 

 

Germany rallied and finally generated some offense of their own, pulling even when Patrick Hager scored while using John Klingberg as a screen. Hager’s goal beat Viktor Fasth stick side at 16:14 of the first period. Dennis Seidenberg and Yasin Ehliz picked up assists.   

 

Sweden outshot Germany 22-5 in the period. It’s safe to say that had Greiss not been in net, Sweden would have done a lot more damage early on. Jonas Brodin and William Karlsson each led with four shots. 

 

In the second period, both teams traded power play goals. Victor Rask found the net with Moritz Muller in the penalty box. The goal came :23 into the period with the defensive pairing of Anton Stralman and Victor Hedman earning assists.

 

During this sequence when Sweden scored Elias Lindholm was injured and had to be helped off the ice. He would not return.

 

Five minutes later, Philip Gogulla answered back with a power play goal. Felix Schutz sent a shot on goal that was saved by Fasth but a big rebound found its way over to Gogulla who was alone and uncontested. He wasted no time in converting.  

 

The Swedes regained the lead when Marcus Kruger took possession of the puck and skated behind the Germany net. Kruger made a move to the slot where he got off a shot that was saved. While down on his knees, Kruger grabbed the rebound and sent the puck to the slot where Linus Omark jammed it home. 

 

With 2.5 seconds left in the second period, Sweden added another goal for good measure. Jonas Brodin scored off a pass from William Nylander to make it 4-2. 

 

"It was a tight game up until then." Nylander said. "They were battling back every time so those were important goals for sure."

 

In the third Sweden kept surging, adding three goals that drove Greiss to the bench and replaced by Danny Aus den Birken. Two of those goals were scored by Nylander, which brought a smile to the face of his NHL coach, Mike Babcock, who was in attendance. 

 

"I just got a chance and tried to get it on the net and it went in, then the other was a great pass from Gabriel and I was able to get a shot off."

 

Despite the loss, Germany remained upbeat after the game and were given an ovation by their fgams in attendance. Sweden also had significant representation in the stands as well. 

 

LANXESS Arena boasted another sold out crowd of 18,673.

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Norway 3 - 2 France
Period-by-Period: 0-0, 2-1, 1-1
May 6th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Group B Provisional Standing After Day 2

 

Nation	P	W(OTW)	L(OTL)	GF	GA	+/-	Pt.
Canada	1	1(0)	0(0)	4	1	+3	3
Czech Republic	2	1(0)	1(0)	7	5	+2	3
Finland	1	1(0)	0(0)	3	2	+1	3
Norway	1	1(0)	0(0)	3	2	+1	3
Switzerland	1	1(1)	0(0)	5	4	+1	2
Slovenia	1	0(0)	1(1)	4	5	-1	1
France	1	0(0)	1(0)	2	3	-1	0
Belarus	2	0(0)	2(0)	3	9	-6	0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Norway 3 - 2 France
Period-by-Period: 0-0, 2-1, 1-1
May 6th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Norway spoils French party

Thoresen's prowess dooms host team in opener

 

Playing at home means pressure. Host France is already feeling the heat after falling 3-2 to Norway in its first game in Paris on Saturday.

 

In this competitive affair, Norway's Patrick Thoresen led the way with two goals and an assist, while Ken Andre Olimb added a single and an assist, and his brother Mathis Olimb had two helpers.

Stephane da Costa shone with both goals for France.

 

The French, who came 14th last year, are striving for their first quarter-final berth since 2014's eighth-place finish. Norway hopes to improve for the third consecutive year after coming 12th in 2014, 11th in 2015, and 10th in 2016. Unlike France, the Norwegians have also qualified for the 2018 Olympics.

 

Norwegian starter Lars Haugen won his goaltending duel with 41-year-old French legend Cristobal Huet. Shots on goal were even at 24 apiece.

 

This game climaxed years of preparation since the tournament was awarded to Germany and France at the IIHF Congress in Stockholm on 17 May, 2013. The last time the IIHF World Championship took place in Paris, it was 1951, the hottest new French film was Robert Bresson’s Diary of a Country Priest, and Vincent Auriol was the President of France.

 

For hardcore French hockey fans, the wait was well worth it. Unfortunately, their team couldn’t deliver three points.

 

From the opening faceoff, chants of “Allez Les Bleus!” cascaded from the rafters. The French looked determined to put on a good show at the AccorHotels Arena, skating hard and grinding it out along the boards. However, coach Dave Henderson’s squad struggled to get its offence in gear, mustering nothing when Norway’s Mattias Norstebo took the game’s first penalty for holding.

 

The Norwegians opened the scoring on a tricky play at 5:03 of the second period. Off a faceoff in France's zone, Mathis Olimb skated behind the net and pivoted, passing the puck back to his brother Ken Andre in the left faceoff circle. With a quick release, Ken Andre fooled Huet on the short side. The brothers currently play together with Linkoping in Sweden, and their longtime chemistry is unmistakable.

 

Norway then had a golden opportunity to extend its lead with a two-man advantage for 1:27. Just as it reverted to a 5-on-4, Mathis Olimb skimmed a diagonal pass from the right faceoff circle to Thoresen at the crease, and he converted at 9:40.

 

Antoine Roussel was sent off for an undisciplined cross-checking penalty with 7:35, and Mathis Olimb nearly set up top Norwegian defenceman Jonas Holos for another Norwegian tally. When the French were dinged again for too many men on the ice, it showed their focus wasn’t 100 percent. Even experienced captain Laurent Meunier got into the act, taking a boarding minor for hitting Alexander Bonsaken from behind.

 

With 1:46 left in the second period, Stephane da Costa finally gave the Paris faithful something to cheer about when he made it 2-1. He stickhandled out from behind the net and slid the puck past Haugen’s left skate, with Holos and Damien Fleury jostling for position in the crease.

 

More scuffles broke out around the net as France pressed for the equalizer just before the second buzzer. Would Les Bleus find a way to rally in the third?

At the three-minute mark, Huet dived left to make a gorgeous save on an unguarded Thoresen to keep it close. But he couldn't foil Thoresen when the assistant Norwegian captain came off the right side boards and used Antonin Manavian as a screen to score the 3-1 goal at 9:49.

The French struck right back. Just 10 seconds later, Stephane Da Costa cut the deficit to 3-2, catching defenceman Henrik Odegaard flat-footed as he powered to the net and drove a backhander past Haugen's blocker.

Pulling Huet for the extra attacker, France mounted one last push in the final minute. But it was to no avail, as the Norwegians kept the puck tied up.

Next up on Sunday, France faces a big challenge in Finland, while Norway takes on Switzerland.

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Latvia 3 - 0 Denmark
Period-by-Period: 0-0, 1-0, 2-0
May 6th 2016, h. 12:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 2

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Switzerland GWS5 - 4 Slovenia
Period-by-Period: 4-0, 0-1, 0-3, OT: 0-0, GWS: 1-0
May 6th 2016, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

HIGHLIGHTS