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Results after 2nd Period Quarterfinal 1B-4A in Cologne Canada - Germany 2-0 (1-0, 1-0,-) 17:11 Mark SCHEIFELE 1-0 38:08 Jeff SKINNER 2-0 Quarterfinal 2B-3A in Paris Switzerland - Sweden 1-2 (1-1, 0-1,-) 04:15 Nicklas BACKSTROM 0-1 12:53 Gaetan HAAS 1-1 33:15 William NYLANDER 1-2

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Results after 1st Period Quarterfinal 1B-4A in Cologne Canada - Germany 1-0 (1-0,-,-) 17:11 Mark SCHEIFELE 1-0 Quarterfinal 2B-3A in Paris Switzerland - Sweden 1-1 (1-1,-,-) 04:15 Nicklas BACKSTROM 0-1 12:53 Gaetan HAAS 1-1

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knockout Round Quarterfinals Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Russia 3 - 0 Czech Republic Period-by-Period: 2-0, 0-0, 1-0 May 18th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Russia rolls over Czechs Vasilevski's shutout sends Russians to SF Goalie Andrei Vasilevski earned his third shutout of the tournament as Russia downed the Czechs 3-0 to win the early quarter-final in Paris on Thursday. Thanks to this stifling effort, the Russians will face the winner of Canada-Germany in the semi-finals in Cologne on Saturday. Nikita Kucherov stepped up with a goal and an assist, and Dmitri Orlov and Artemi Panarin also scored, while Yevgeni Kuznetsov had two helpers. The Russians clearly enjoyed their brief visit to the French capital. "We were ready for them," said Sergei Andronov. "They always go hard and they had a bit of an advantage because they played all tournament here. They know the ice, the boards. They outplayed us a bit in the first period, but by the second we were okay. We got used to the conditions and played well." Russia now has a shot at its first gold medal since Minsk 2014. It has medaled at the Worlds three years in a row, including 2015’s silver and 2016’s bronze. The Czech Republic's drought continues. They haven't won gold since 2010 in Cologne or a medal of any shade since 2012’s bronze in Helsinki. This was a disappointing and anticlimactic end to a tournament in which they went unbeaten in five straight games in between losses to Canada and Switzerland. Czech goalie Pavel Francouz did his best, but it wasn't enough. The 26-year-old Traktor Chelyabinsk netminder got the quarter-final start after posting better numbers than Petr Mrazek of the Detroit Red Wings in the group stage -- a 0.99 GAA and 92.6 save percentage versus a 2.47 GAA and 88.1 save percentage. Entering this game, coach Oleg Znarok’s team boasted the tournament’s top offence with 35 goals in seven games. Not always famed for their defensive play, the Russians shone in all three zones to help Vasilevski get his tournament-leading third shutout with 27 saves. The modern-era record for most shutouts at the Worlds is four, shared by Czechoslovakia's Jiri Kralik (1982) and Canada's Cam Talbot (2016). "The key was our penalty killers," said defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov after Russia killed off five minors. "They were excellent, and so was our goaltender. That was the difference." Vasilevski criticized his teammates after their 5-3 loss to the U.S. in the Group A closer, and the Russians had a rough start here. During an early Czech power play, Vladislav Namestnikov hobbled off after making an ill-advised shot block with his left foot. "Everybody worked together, as a team," said Andronov. "We blocked shots, played for each other." Sergei Plotnikov set up a pinching Dmitri Orlov for the 1-0 goal at 8:45. The Washington Capitals defenceman came blazing down the middle to zing a wrister past Francouz’s glove. The Russian wave kept coming. Valeri Nichushkin and Vladimir Tkachyov narrowly missed finishing off on a 2-on-1. Russia got its first power play after Czech blueliner Jakub Jerabek sent Kucherov tumbling head over heels on a low hit on the rush and was called for interference. Kucherov got his revenge with the 2-0 man-advantage goal at 13:36. Kuznetsov circled the Czech net and fed Kucherov in the right faceoff circle, and he went high to the short side before Francouz could react. Now the Russian fans erupted with chants of “Shaibu!” and “Rossiya!” Meanwhile, Czech frustration mounted. Captain Jakub Voracek rang one off the post during a late first-period power play. Russia’s checking tightened up in the second period. And when Ivan Provorov was penalized for tripping up Voracek mid-period, Vasilevski shut the door. Nichuskin and Tkachyov came awfully close again on a shorthanded break. Kucherov nearly scored on a partial breakaway to kick off the third. He was in the box for tripping when the Czechs finally got their first shot of the period near the mid-way mark. Panarin misfired on a breakaway and was clobbered by Czech blueliner Tomas Kundratek when he picked up the rebound behind the net. But with 6:05 remaining, he sealed the deal at 3-0, converting a 2-on-1 with Kucherov for his team-leading 14th point. "It was a tough game, and we can't take so many penalties and expect to win every time," said Gavrikov. This was the sixth all-time quarter-final meeting between Russia and the Czech Republic since the IIHF instituted the playoff system in 1992. Their records are now equal at three wins and three losses apiece. Looking back, the most memorable outcomes include Russia’s 3-1 win in 2002, which ended Czech hopes of capturing a fourth straight gold medal; the Czechs’ 4-3 overtime victory in 2006 on Zbynek Irgl’s clever close-range tally; and Russia’s 4-0 win in 2007, which marked the final time Russia would remain unbeaten on Moscow ice dating back to 1957. (Mikko Koivu’s 2-1 semi-final overtime winner for Finland ended the streak.) After this quarter-final, the three best Czech players of these Worlds were named: Pavel Francouz, Radko Gudas, and Jakub Voracek.

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knockout Round Quarterfinals Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Russia 3 - 0 Czech Republic Period-by-Period: 2-0, 0-0, 1-0 May 18th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knockout Round Quarterfinals Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) United States 0 - 2 Finland Period-by-Period: 0-0, 0-1, 0-1 May 18th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne 2-0 win takes Suomi to semis Finland moves on in tournament Finland defeated the United States 2-0 to advance to the semi-finals of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Cologne, Germany. Strong defence and timely scoring by Mikko Rintanen and Joonas Kemppainen gave the Finns all they would need to keep their medal prospects alive in this tournament. Making his fourth start, Harri Sateri earned his first shutout. Finland was making its first appearance at LANXESS arena in this tournament. Finland defeated Team USA 3-2 last year when they made an unbeaten tournament run that took them to the finals in Moscow. Eventually, Finland lost 2-0 to Canada in the gold medal game. On the other hand, the USA was seeking to secure a place in the semi-finals for the third consecutive World Championship. From the start, both teams circled around the other waiting for mistakes to take advantage of and establish an early lead. Finland’s two best chances came as Jani Lajunen tipped a Juuso Hietanen shot that hit the post. Later in the period, an errant pass in the offensive zone by Anders Lee was intercepted by Juhamatti Aaltonen who skated in on a breakaway. As he did against Russia on Tuesday, Jimmy Howard held his ground, blocking a forehand shot with his left pad. Team USA didn’t look as sharp at the start. Certainly, not as sharp as they’ve been in games in the Preliminary Round. Finland also closed off lanes and the American’s ability to establish a presence around Sateri’s net. Nick Schmaltz was called for the lone penalty over the first twenty minutes. Finland showed some solid puck movements but generated few real or dangerous chances. When Anders Lee was called for tripping at 26 seconds into the second period, Finland went on their second power play of the game. This time, they used the opportunity to take a 1-0 lead. Moments after Jesse Puljujarvi sent a shot on goal that was gobbled up by Howard, Mikko Rantanen scored at 1:01. After receiving a pass from Sebastian Aho, Veli-Martti Savinainen’s shot was saved but Rantanen, who was alone in front, took the rebound and scored. The United States took small steps to try and get back into the game. Brock Nelson had a shot that went off the shoulder of Sateri and out of play. When Antti Pihlstrom was sent off for tripping at 17:55 of the second, Team USA would have its first power play of the game. With seven power play goals, this should have been the United States best chance to bring the game even but it was Finland that almost scored. Aho took Valtteri Filppula with him for a two-on-one. Aho sent a pass to Filppula for a wrist shot that Howard made a big stop on Filppula. By the third and the urgency to score more apparent, Team USA had some sustained possession time in the Finnish zone. But as they were moving the puck around the perimeter, they were unable to penetrate inside, near the crease to test Sateri. USA's best players Kevin Hayes and Johnny Gaudreau were unable to recreate the magic they've enjoyed over their previous few games. When defenceman Brady Skjei fell at the blueline, Finland has another two-on-one with only Charlie McAvoy back. Juhamatti Aaltonen forwarded a pass to Kemppainen who scored to make it 2-0. The tournament comes to an abrupt end for Team USA who won six of their seven games in the Preliminary Round, including a group deciding encounter against Russia. Finland, who was just able to make it into the quarter-finals now moves on in the tournament.

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knockout Round Quarterfinals Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) United States 0 - 2 Finland Period-by-Period: 0-0, 0-1, 0-1 May 18th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne

Final Results Quarterfinal 1A-4B in Cologne United States - Finland 0-2 (0-0, 0-1, 0-1) 21:01 Mikko RANTANEN 0-1 46:49 Joonas KEMPPAINEN 0-2 Quarterfinal 2A-3B in Paris Russia - Czech Republic 3-0 (2-0, 0-0, 1-0) 08:45 Dimitri ORLOV 1-0 13:36 Nikita KUCHEROV 2-0 53:55 Artemi PANARIN 3-0

Results after 2nd Period Quarterfinal 1A-4B in Cologne United States - Finland 0-1 (0-0, 0-1,-) 21:01 Mikko RANTANEN 0-1 Quarterfinal 2A-3B in Paris Russia - Czech Republic 2-0 (2-0, 0-0,-) 08:45 Dimitri ORLOV 1-0 13:36 Nikita KUCHEROV 2-0

Results after 1st Period Quarterfinal 1A-4B in Cologne United States - Finland 0-0 (0-0,-,-) Quarterfinal 2A-3B in Paris Russia - Czech Republic 2-0 (2-0,-,-) 08:45 Dimitri ORLOV 1-0 13:36 Nikita KUCHEROV 2-0

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knockout Round Quarterfinals Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) United States vs Finland Period-by-Period: May 18th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne I Switzerland vs Sweden Period-by-Period: May 18th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris I I Canada vs Germany Period-by-Period: May 18th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne I Russia vs Czech Republic Period-by-Period: May 18th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris *Playing Format - In the Quarterfinals the overtime format will change (in preliminary round it was a 5 minutes "sudden death" overtime played with 3 skaters in both sides), now In case of a tie after 60 minutes Regulation Time it´s a 10 minutes "sudden death" Overtime will be played with 4 skaters in both sides.

Yes a total mess, and it´s rising every day more and more...a real war I say you.. Gonna be a interesting summer cleaning in our hockey and apparently our government and parliament are starting to enter to this "war"...really it´s going to be a hot summer.. Thanks, well, it was the highest time to start work and cleaning, because we can not be satisfied and happy to finish 14th and play like dumbasses without any hockey culture..btw today I heard also some news that even in our team in Cologne were many huge problems, heard rumors that some players sabotaged the games on purpose, also I heard about some troubles with alcohol and total lassitude from some players ofc don´t know if it´s true or just another rumors in this all war well, you know hockey is our national sport number 1. Ice Hockey is the most popular phenomenon in SVK, so it´s normal that our newspapers are writing (mainly) about hockey. we are usually one of the few countries which send to the world championships more journalists than to the olympics I see, well, Football is Italian national sport so Its not surprising, but really practically not a single word about hockey is very sad. this can not help this sport in Italy, without publicity there no room for bigger development and propagation

CHAMPIONS HOCKEY LEAGUE 2017/18 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2017/18 Preliminary Round Group Draw During the off day at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, the groups for the Champions Hockey League have been drawn in Cologne. For the upcoming season the CHL has been reduced to 32 teams and the clubs have been selected only by sports criteria, meaning by their performance in their domestic league. “Fans and media will definitely be excited about the new format and be proud about the performance shown on the ice. There are some very interesting groups. There are some regional rivalries but also interesting travel like to Nottingham, which I remember for a great atmosphere,” said Martin Baumann, the CEO who drew the pucks with the various club logos from the first of four pots. Two internationally renowned coaches currently behind the bench of two participating clubs – Sean Simpson at Adler Mannheim and Kari Jalonen at SC Bern – took care of the other pots and were joined by CHL Chairman Anders Ternbom. “In our fourth season we want to improve the markets and bring it to more countries. We also have a standing invitation to the KHL and hope that they will in the future accept it so we can see how good they are,” Ternbom said. “It will be tougher and more exciting with fewer teams.” The 32 teams were seeded into four different pots according to the CHL ranking for the draw to determine the eight groups consisting of four teams each. The Champions Hockey League with the new format will kick off on 24 August with six group-stage games for each team until 11 October. The best to teams of each group of four will advance to the playoffs starting with the 1/8-finals on 31 October and finishing with the final on 6 February 2018. Frolunda Gothenburg from Sweden has won the last two editions of the Champions Hockey League. Here are the groups for the 2017/2018 season. For more information visit www.championshockeyleague.net. Group A: Tappara Tampere EC Red Bull Salzburg Grizzlys Wolfsburg HC '05 Banská Bystrica Group B: Kometa Brno KalPa Kupio Malmö Redhawks Stavanger Oilers Group C: Vienna Capitals EV Zug JYP Jyväskylä Neman Grodno Group D: HV 71 Jönköping Adler Mannheim Oceláři Třinec Esbjerg Energy Group E: Växjö Lakers Bílí Tygři Liberec HC Davos Cardiff Devils Group F: SC Bern TPS Turku HC Mountfield Hradec Králové Nottingham Panthers Group G: EHC Red Bull Munich Brynäs IF IFK Helsinki Comarch Cracovia Krakow Group H: Frölunda Indians Zürich SC Lions EC KAC Klagenfurt Les Rapaces de Gap

[hide] Knockout Round May 18th - May 21st, 2017 8 Nations, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Bronze Medal Match, Gold Medal Match Quarterfinals Central European Time (GMT +2) Date and Venue Team 1 T1 T2 Team 2 May 18th 2017, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Russia 2 Czech Republic May 18th 2017, h. 16:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne United States 2 Finland May 18th 2017, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Switzerland 1 Sweden May 18th 2017, h. 20:15, Lanxess Arena, Cologne Canada 3 Germany [/hide]

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DAY 12 The BEST OF Top 3 Goals of the Day 12 Top 3 Saves of the Day 12

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POWER RANKING As of May 16th, 2017 The U.S. beat rival Russia 5-3 to enter the quarter-finals atop our sixth Power Rankings. Canada’s second, and the Swiss are third after downing the Czechs. 1. United States: Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world 2. Canada: Mr. Parayko? You’re hurting the net! 3. Switzerland: Ha ha! We used our secret goalie. Ha ha! 4. Sweden: Do Men Over 35 Stop Pucks Better? 5. Russia: That classified information was so bogus 6. Czech Republic: Now we’ve got Mother Russia issues 7. Finland: As long as we’re not playing Sweden in Helsinki, we’re good 8. Germany: Yay, we get to hear that "Playground" song some more! 9. Latvia: Wes deserveds as betters fates 10. France: Merci Cristo et Meun’s! 11. Norway: Obviously, we didn’t eat enough pickled herring 12. Denmark: That goal was The Ugly Duckling – but we’ll take it 13. Belarus: Like, dudes, the Soviet Union was totally better! 14. Slovakia: Being 14 means bad fashion choices and crying on your bed 15. Slovenia: As a hockey nation, we’re good at ski-jumping 16. Italy: Fellini’s lens caresses the tragedy as the puck slides in Previous Editions May 5th May 7th May 10th May 12th May 14th *The Power Rankings are for the enjoyment of IIHF.com readers, and reflect the progress of teams during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. They are distinct from the official standings and IIHF World Ranking.

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group B Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Canada 5 - 2 Finland Period-by-Period: 3-1, 1-1, 1-0 May 16th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group A Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Germany GWS4 - 3 Latvia Period-by-Period: 0-0, 2-1, 1-2, OT: 0-0, GWS: 1-0 May 16th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group B Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Czech Republic 1 - 3 Switzerland Period-by-Period: 0-1, 1-1, 0-1 May 16th 2016, h. 16:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group A Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Russia 3 - 5 United States Period-by-Period: 1-0, 2-3, 0-2 May 16th 2016, h. 16:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group B Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Belarus 4 - 3 Norway Period-by-Period: 0-0, 2-1, 2-2 May 16th 2016, h. 12:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group A Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Sweden 4 - 2 Slovakia Period-by-Period: 2-0, 1-1, 1-1 May 16th 2016, h. 12:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group B Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Canada 5 - 2 Finland Period-by-Period: 3-1, 1-1, 1-0 May 16th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Canada takes first Finns outhustled all night, lose 5-2 Canada finishes in first, Finland fourth. Canada will play Germany, the Finns will play the U.S. in the quarter-finals. Mitch Marner, a natural passer of great skill but often reluctant shooter, scored two goals in the first period and assisted on another to lead Canada to an impressive win over Finland in the final round-robin game in Paris. The win gives Canada six wins an an overtime loss to conclude the round robin while the loss leaves the Finns with a 2-2-1-2 record. "I hope we’re peaking at the right time," said Canada's Matt Duchene. "This is the time to peak right now. We have three games left in our season and we want to make them count. We go 3-0 and we’ve got a three-peat here. It’d be huge." "Our last two games were good," said defenceman Colton Parayko, who scored another goal on a rocket shot form the point tonight. "I thought we basically played two 60-minute games. This was a good test for us, a good way to go into the quarter-finals. We know it’s going to be a tough challenge no matter who we play. These are games that can go either way with one bounce, so we want to be on top of our game. We’re all clicking well, and I think we’ve done a good job." "I think they’re really fast," Finn Valtteri Filppula said of the United States. "They play that North American style, and you can’t turn the puck over. They’re going to turn the puck quick and go the other way. It’s going to be tough to chase. We’ve got to play really close defensively, play well, and hopefully turn those things into offence. We'll make sure we get the pucks in deep every time and hopefully spend some time in their zone." Teams combined for three goals in an 80-second span early in the first, after which Canada settled down and controlled play the rest of the night. The Canadians played with an intensity the Finns couldn’t match, chasing down loose pucks, cycling, effectively, and fighting off checks to make plays. In short, the winners looked more intent on winning. Marner opened the scoring at 2:46 on a beautiful play. Coming down on the right wing on a two-on-one, he waited for a Finnish defence man to slide, toe-dragged the puck to an open area, and beat goalie Harri Sateri to the near side. Just 22 seconds later, though, Suomi tied the score when Cal Pickard couldn’t handle a shot and the puck dropped in the crease for Jani Lajunen to whip home. The quick burst concluded with Marner making a nice drop pass to Colton Parayko, and he wired a wicked shot unobstructed past Sateri at 4:06 to give Canada a 2-1 lead. Marner got his second goal and third point of the period at 13:45 off a beautiful spinning back pass by Mark Scheifele behind the goal line. The move surprised the Finnish defence, and Marner was wide open, sliding a shot between Sateri’s pads. Canada kept up the intensity and puck pressure and made it 4-1 off a lucky play midway through the second period. Mike Matheson broke his stick after taking a shot from the point, but the puck bounced off the end glass and back into the crease. Brayden Point knocked it in before Sateri could figure out where the puck had gone. Ate Ohtamaa gave the Finns some hope when he wired a shot over Pickard’s glove at 16:51. Any hopes of that goal spurring a third-period comeback were thwarted 34 seconds into the final period when Matt Duchene went the length of the ice and beat Sateri with a nice deke to make it 5-2.

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group B Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Canada 5 - 2 Finland Period-by-Period: 3-1, 1-1, 1-0 May 16th 2016, h. 20:15, AccorHotels Arena, Paris Group B Final Standing Nation P W(OTW) L(OTL) GF GA +/- Pt. Canada 7 6(0) 1(1) 32 10 +22 19 Switzerland 7 5(2) 2(2) 22 14 +8 15 Czech Republic 7 5(2) 2(0) 23 14 +9 13 Finland 7 4(2) 3(1) 20 22 -2 11 France 7 4(2) 3(0) 23 19 +4 10 Norway 7 2(0) 5(2) 13 19 -6 8 Belarus 7 2(0) 5(1) 15 27 -12 7 Slovenia 7 0(0) 7(1) 13 36 -23 1

MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preliminary Round DAY 12 Group A Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) Germany GWS4 - 3 Latvia Period-by-Period: 0-0, 2-1, 1-2, OT: 0-0, GWS: 1-0 May 16th 2016, h. 20:15, LANXESS Arena, Cologne Tiffels - Germany's hero! Shoot-out win takes host to QF clash After a pulsating showdown saw Germany and Latvia battle it out for the last QF spot, the host got the verdict in a nerve-jangling shoot-out in Cologne. The last ticket to the quarter-finals was booked in the most dramatic fashion, with Germany getting the edge in a shoot-out thanks to Frederik Tiffels. After five failed attempts, Tiffels found the way through Elvis Merzlinkins' five-hole to snap a 3-3 tie and give Germany the victory it needed to secure a quarter-final match-up here in Cologne against defending champion Canada. Tiffels, who celebrates his 22nd birthday on Saturday, is a Cologne native who is back in his home town for the championship after three years playing for West Michigan University. Team-mate Moritz Muller described the youngster's impact on the national team. "When Frederik went out in the shootout I was thinking this could be a special night for him if he scores," Muller said. "This young player had a breakout at this World Championship and I thought it could be a special moment in German sports. I am happy for him and he did it for us; after that was celebration time." Even before the drama of a shoot-out, another capacity crowd in Cologne was treated to a breathless finale to a pulsating 60 minutes of hockey. After Latvia tied the game at 2-2 midway through the third period, Andris Dzerins looked to have snatched victory for his team with four minutes left, only for Germany to salvage a last-gasp leveller with 32 seconds remaining on the clock. Felix Schutz got the goal, forcing the puck home from close range after a mighty scramble around Merzlinkins’ net. Germany, desperately seeking to preserve its championship hopes, was playing six-on-four hockey, ramping up the power play by benching goalie Philipp Grubauer in a final death-or-glory surge. Latvia’s players, despairing, lay slumped in the goal crease as the home team and its fans celebrated an eleventh-hour reprieve. German captain Christian Ehrhoff said: "In those last moments we were just focusing on trying to everything to tie the game. There was a belief in the group, there wasn't really any doubt, we felt it was all in our hands." His opposite number, Latvia's Kaspars Daugavins, tried to articulate a mixture of disappointment and pride. "We didn’t get where we want," he said. "Our mindset had us going to Paris tomorrow and it hurts that we're not. But since I've been with the team, I don't remember a group like this. These are good guys and we believe we can play with anyone. I hope we can keep this going for a long time. We have to thank Bob Hartley for bringing this new culture to Latvian hockey." The stakes could not have been higher going into the game: the teams in fourth and fifth place were level on points; the knock-out phase started early as Tuesday night’s winner would advance while the loser would go home. And both teams were evenly matched, despite following different paths to collect nine points from their first six games. Latvia had reliably defeated the three weaker teams without troubling Group A’s big hitters; Germany shocked eventual group winner Team USA in the opening game, but stuttered in its games against Slovakia and Denmark. Latvia recalled three key players – Dzerins, Janis Sprukts and goalie Merzlikins – after resting them for yesterday’s 0-5 loss against Russia. And Hartley’s decision to rotate his squad paid off handsomely with all three men making a big contribution. Dzerins and Sprukts both scored, while Merzlinkins produced another fine goaltending display, especially in a first period that Germany dominated without scoring. He made 19 saves in that session, with the highlight coming in the final seconds of the session after Draisaitl went round the back to feed Yasin Ehliz only for a reaction stop to deny Germany the opening goal. But as the game passed its midway point, two goals in 27 seconds put Germany in control and a sell-out crowd into raptures. On the power play, Ehrhoff saw his effort from the blue line saved, but David Wolf collected the rebound and beat Merzlikins on the backhand for his first goal of the tournament. Replays suggested that the puck crossed the blue line before Ehrhoff’s shot, but no offside call came and the goal stood. The crowd was still celebrating when Marcus Kink burst into the Latvian zone and took a shot. Merzlikins got good distance on his block but directed the puck straight to Dennis Seidenberg, who had no hesitation in firing it into the net. At last, Latvia began to generate some offence and before long Philipp Grubauer pulled off the best save of the night. A power play for the Baltic team saw a chance for Daugavins right in front of the net. A goal seemed certain, but Grubauer flung out his stick and clawed the puck out of the top corner. Moments later Maris Bicevskis hit the post, and there was a growing sense that this might be Germany’s night. That confidence was checked late in the second period, though, when Gunars Skvorcovs got a goal back for Latvia. Kristaps Sotnieks released him for a rush into the German zone and, with traffic ahead of Grubauer’s net, the Latvian was able to pick out a spot inside the far post and rip a wrister that the goalie got nowhere near, making it a one-goal game going into the final session. Then Latvia tied it up in the 49th minute when Sprukts squeezed a shot through Grubauer’s pads after a no-look feed from Miks Indrasis beside the net. Germany’s lead was gone, and it was all to play for in the final 10. Latvia thought it had won it in regulation when Dzerins got the tip on a slapshot from Uvis Balinskis as Latvia pressed on a power play, giving his team a 3-2 lead on 56:08 before Schutz delivered his late leveler. "It was a terrible feeling when they scored," said Ehliz. "We were leading 2-0 then it was 3-2. The good thing is that it gave us a push and we won the game. In the end it was a great game, and winning in the shoot-out was huge for us."