Ice Hockey IIHF World Championships 2017

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Final Results

 

Group A in Cologne

Latvia - Slovakia  3-1 (1-0, 1-0, 1-1)

10:24 Janis SPRUKTS 1-0

27:26 Zemgus GIRGENSONS 2-0

49:09 Michel MIKLÍK 2-1

50:36 Andris DZERINS 3-1

 

Group B in Paris

Norway - Switzerland  0-3 (0-0, 0-2, 0-1)

32:04 Reto SCHAPPI 0-1

34:00 Cody ALMOND 0-2

49:37 Pius SUTER 0-3

[hckošice 16,641]

another step to the relegation done awful play, without any creativity, any skills, really this team doesn´t belong to be here. As I said any other win from this team will be just a miracle.

 

In other hand Latvia played great match. Brave performance and absolutely deserved win today.

 

and disastrous refereeing tonight

[hckošice 16,641]

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2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Latvia 3 - 1 Slovakia
Period-by-Period: 1-0, 1-0, 1-1
May 7th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Group A Provisional Standing After Day 3

 

Nation	P	W(OTW)	L(OTL)	GF	GA	+/-	Pt.
Latvia	2	2(0)	0(0)	6	1	+5	6
Russia	2	2(1)	0(0)	12	2	+10	5
Sweden	2	1(0)	1(1)	8	4	+4	4
United States	2	1(0)	1(0)	8	4	+4	3
Germany	2	1(0)	1(0)	4	8	-4	3
Slovakia	2	1(1)	1(0)	4	5	-1	2
Italy	2	0(0)	2(1)	3	13	-10	1
Denmark	2	0(0)	2(0)	2	10	-8	0

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Latvia 3 - 1 Slovakia
Period-by-Period: 1-0, 1-0, 1-1
May 7th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

Latvia powers past Slovakia

3-1 win another important step forward

 

For the first time since being in the top division of the World Championships, Latvia has won its first two games.

 

Three power play goals lead Latvia to a 3-1 win over Slovakia. Latvia used its power play to stake out a 2-0 lead after two periods that would hold. Elvis Merzlikins was once again strong in goal making 25 saves.

 

Using the same formula that was successful last game, Latvia played tight defence and received capable goaltending to ride the wave to victory.

 

Since joining the top group in World Championship play in 1997 Latvia has never won its first two games in a tournament until now.

 

"It's good that we didn't have to start out against Russia or Sweden, it gives us a chance to get a bit of confidence in our game before playing the stronger teams." Janis Sprukts said after the game.

 

Latvia and Slovakia have met twice at the World Championships. Latvia defeated them both times in 1997 and 2013. 

 

The Latvians came out the gate with some early pressure in the Slovakia zone but were unable to get many shots on goal. Still, it was clear that they were playing with some confidence. Latvia was also supported by a strong and vocal fan base at LANXESS Arena.

 

Slovak forward Tomas Matousek was called for a five minute major penalty and game misconduct for boarding at 6:04 of the first period. Then at 7:53 Juraj Mikus was whistled off for high sticking to give Latvia a two man advantage for 1:10.

 

Initially, their power play featured very few shots on goal and those were mostly from the perimeter. But at 9:36 Janis Sprukts appeared to score with :41 remaining in the Matousek penalty. Sprukts stick was partially obstructed as he was in stride to take a shot, but he got just enough that the puck fluttered in the air over goaltender Jan Laco and into the net. 

 

The play was reviewed to check for a high stick but there was none and Sprukts goal stood. 

 

Slovakia created some chances, including a two-on-one with Jakub Suja passing to David Skokan for a shot that was saved. Then as a penalty against Guntis Galvins had expired, Andrej Kudrna took a shot that was saved by Merzlikins but loose. Kudrna poked at the puck sending it into the net. However, the referee waived it off ruling that the whistle had blown. 

 

In the second period Libor Hudacek was called for slashing Oskars Cibulskis to give Latvia its second power play of the game.

 

Latvia made them pay with another power play goal. Rihards Bukarts sent a pinpoint pass to Zemgus Girgensons in the slot for a shot. For Bukarts it was his second assist of the game and Girgensons first goal of the tournament.

 

In the third, Kudrna took control of the puck when a Latvian defenseman could not quite get ahold of it. Kudrna started a possible two-on-one and opted to take a shot that hit the crossbar.

 

Slovakia finally broke through at 9:09 when Michel Miklik scored to cut the lead to 2-1. The goal ended Merzlikin’s shutout streak at 119:09. Miklik’s goal came in the waning seconds of a power play.

 

It was a good game for us, but even so we still need to be smarter on defence. Merrzlikins said. "You can see how the small details can cost us a goal and we have to learn from that."

 

At 9:54 Slovak captain Vladimir Dravecky took an ill-advised offensive zone penalty for interfering with Sprukts. This gave Latvia a chance to restore the two goal lead, which they did.

 

Cibulskis slapshot was saved by Laco but Andris Dzerins was on the doorstep to collect the rebound and score. Kaspars Daugavins also picked up an assist.

 

Slovakia pulls its goaltender with just over a minute in the game but the extra skater did not have its intended effect. 

 

It's a big win for Latvia as head coach Bob Hartley has been able to pull on the right people at the right time to get his team imn an enviable position: undefeated after two games of World Championship play.

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Norway 0 - 3 Switzerland
Period-by-Period: 0-0, 0-2, 0-1
May 7th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Group B Provisional Standing After Day 3

 

Nation	P	W(OTW)	L(OTL)	GF	GA	+/-	Pt.
Canada	2	2(0)	0(0)	11	3	+8	6
Switzerland	2	2(1)	0(0)	8	4	+4	5
France	2	1(0)	1(0)	7	4	+3	3
Czech Republic	2	1(0)	1(0)	7	5	+2	3
Norway	2	1(0)	1(0)	3	5	-2	3
Finland	2	1(0)	1(0)	4	7	-3	3
Slovenia	2	0(0)	2(1)	6	12	-6	1
Belarus	2	0(0)	2(0)	3	9	-6	0

 

 

 

 

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2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Norway 0 - 3 Switzerland
Period-by-Period: 0-0, 0-2, 0-1
May 7th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

Swiss do it better

Almond helps deliver solid 3-0 win over Norway

 

Scoring chances were few and far between, but the Swiss made the most of theirs and took a big step to qualifying for the quarter-finals in the process.

 

Cody Almond, a 27-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta, had a hand in every score, notching a goal and adding two assists.

 

Almond made his international debut in 2015, playing eight games for the Swiss at the Worlds that year, but he didn't record a goal.

 

"It’s a great feeling," Almond enthused after. "I flew my dad over from Canada, so he got to witness my first goal. I know my mom and brother are tuning in back in Canada too. For sure, it’s a special feeling."

 

Leonardo Genoni stopped all 35 Norwegian shots to record his second career World Championship shutout.

 

The win leapfrogs Switzerland over Norway and into second place in the Group B/Paris standings. The top four in each group advance to the quarter-finals while the team with the poorest record will be demoted for 2018. 

 

"We wanted to play a solid game, solid defence," said Reto Schappi. "We started off very well and got two goals in the second. A lot of good stuff happened for us: good defence, very good goaltending."

 

"They won more battles than us," conceded Andreas Martinsen. "I think they looked like they wanted to win more than we did. They were just competing harder all over. They were first on every puck, and we couldn’t score on our power play. We didn’t deserve to win."

 

It looked for the longest time like one goal would win this game. For more than half of it teams struggled handling the puck or making successive passes, let alone creating good chances around the goal.

 

Denis Malgin burst up the middle in the first for a break, but Henrik Haukeland made a nice pad save. 

 

Early in the second, Simon Bodenmann had a fine chance, and soon after Norway's captain Jonas Holos snuck off the point on a power play, took a back-door pass, and drilled a shot on goal that was nicely stopped by Leonardo Genoni.

 

Romain Loeffel hit the crossbar with another shot, and a few minutes later he set up--finally!--the game's first goal.

 

He whipped a pass from the boards to the front, but Mattias Norstebo inadvertently tipped the puck right onto the stick of Schappi. Schappi snapped it in the back side at 12:04 of the second.

 

On the line's next shift, they made it 2-0. This time it was along outlet pass up to Thomas Rufenacht moving into the Norway end. He made a nice pass to Almond cutting to the goal, and Almond redirected it off Haukeland's shoulder and in. 

 

"It was a great pass from Rufie," Almond said. "He came over the blue line, cut in, and put it right on my tape. I just shot it and was happy to see it go in."

 

Pius Suter made it 3-0 midway through the third on a power play. Almond made a sensational, no-look back pass from the side of the goal right onto Suter's stick, and he made no mistake from close range.

 

The Norwegians had their best chance to score soon after when a Ken Andre Olimb shot was redirected by Patrick Thoresen, but the puck smacked the post dead on and stayed out.

 

A little later, Olimb hit the post himself, but again the puck stayed out.

 

Switzerland now has the day off before playing hosts France on Tuesday. The Norwegians play Slovenia earlier that day.

 

"We saw their game today," Schappi said of France's stunning 5-1 win over Finland this afternoon. "They played very well. We played against them in the preparation already. We know they have some nasty [skilled] players. They play pretty aggressive and have some good goaltending. We’ve got to be ready for that."

 

 

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2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Italy 1 - 10 Russia
Period-by-Period: 0-2, 1-3, 0-5
May 7th 2016, h. 12:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

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2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Slovenia 2 - 7 Canada
Period-by-Period: 0-3, 1-3, 1-1
May 7th 2016, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

HIGHLIGHTS

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group A
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

United States 7 - 2 Denmark
Period-by-Period: 3-1, 3-1, 1-0
May 7th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

 

HIGHLIGHTS

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MEN'S

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

 

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Preliminary Round

DAY 3

 

Group B
Central European Summer Time (GMT +2)

Finland 1 - 5 France
Period-by-Period: 0-1, 1-2, 0-2
May 7th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

 

HIGHLIGHTS