IIHF - World Championships 2018

Preview
The 2018 Worlds will be held in Denmark from the 4th to the 20th of May, and there will be KHL players representing Russia, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Belarus, Latvia, Slovakia, and the host nation, Denmark. The rosters, as always, are subject to last-minute changes, and the biggest KHL delegation will be Team Russia, naturally, with 20 of the League's players in the roster. In the group stage, Russia will face the Swedes, Czechs, Swiss, Belarusians, Slovaks, French and Austrians. The other group will be contested by Canada, the USA, Finland, Germany, Norway, Latvia, Denmark and South Korea.
Russia

The reigning Olympic champion, under the guidance of new boss Ilya Vorobyov, will have Metallurg's Vasily Koshechkin as number one goalie, backed up by Ilya Sorokin (CSKA) and Igor Shestyorkin (SKA).
In defense, the new boss has chosen a pairing which shone at last year's World Championships, Bogdan Kiselevich (CSKA) and Vladislav Gavrikov (SKA), and it will also be interesting to see the progress of Avtomobilist's young star, Nikita Tryamkin. Eyebrows were raised at the absence of Stanislav Galiyev and Vladimir Tkachyov, but the new coach merely decided that all the Ak Bars guys had a long and tough season and should rest their weary limbs. Centering the first offensive line will be Pavel Datsyuk (SKA), who, in all likelihood, will still be partnered by Nikita Gusev (SKA) and Kirill Kaprizov (CSKA). given the success of that fearsome threesome at the Olympics. There will be some new faces – for example, Alexei Byvaltsev, who only this week moved from Amur to SKA, and Ilya Mikheyev of Avangard.

Sweden

The Swedes' have a troika of high-profile KHL men – one goalie: Magnus Hellberg (Kunlun Red Star), and two forwards: Dennis Everberg (Neftekhimik) and John Norman (Jokerit) – and all will be eager to play a part in helping the Three Crowns defend their World Champions' crown.
Norman has proved a highly accomplished attacker, whether battling out by the boards, piling the pressure on defensemen or beating his opponent with guile, while Everberg was in superb form at the recent Eurotour and shows no sign of easing up after a punishing season in the KHL.
However, Hellberg is probably the most impressive of the three. The Kunlun goalie is big, but mobile, with sharp reflexes and a cool temperament. Who could ask for anything more? He may well be the main goalie for the Swedes in this tournament, and indeed, he should be if his excellent displays at the Eurotour are taken into account.
Finland
There are half-a-dozen hockey players from the KHL representing Finland at the World Championships, plus a couple of surprising absentees from the goaltending department - neither Mikko Koskinen, so solid for SKA, nor Juha Metsola, whose frequently spectacular form was behind this week's move from Amur to Salavat Yulaev, made the cut.
In defense, we will doubtless see quite a lot of Tommi Kivisto (Jokerit). He scored a goal during the recent Eurotour games and overall looked very reliable and consistent. He is one of five players from the Helsinki team to merit selection. The others, all forwards, are Olli Palola, Pekka Jormakka, Mika Niemi and Marko Anttila.
However, the stand-out name in the offense among Finland's KHL legion at the Eurotour was a Ugra man, Veli-Matti Savinainen, who was providing assist after assist as well as scoring crucial shootout goals. If he repeats his Eurotour form in Denmark, he may well be the Finns' main danger man.

Czech Republic

Pavel Francouz (Traktor) will probably be the number one goalie for the Czech Republic at these World Championships. and whether or not that turns out to be the case, the Chelyabinsk man has certainly won many admirers over the last twelve months. He was impressive in the regular season, phenomenal in the playoffs, and he was also in fine form at the Olympics.
Others from the KHL (six in all) include defenseman Adam Polasek, who this week departed HC Sochi for Neftekhimik, and fellow defenseman Michal Jordan of Amur, who could add a bit of solidity to the Czechs' rearguard.
At the sharp end, Andrej Nestrasil and Robin Hanzl (both – Neftekhimik) will be a threat to defenses if they can repeat their impressive performances in the recent Eurotour stage.
Latvia
Bob Hartley's roster boasts 13 players from the KHL, and as you might expect, the lion's share are drawn from the Dinamo Riga ranks. The star name in the Latvia line-up is undoubtedly forward Miks Indrasis and he should shine at these World Championships, particularly when partnered by Mikelis Redlihs, as the pair are often in the same line, and to good effect, at Dinamo Riga.
Injury has sadly ruled out Torpedo forward Kaspars Daugavins, which is a big loss for Hartley, but he can console himself with the improving form and rapid maturity of young defensive pair Uvis Janis Balinskis and Kristaps Zīle (both – Dinamo Riga), who might surprise a few opponents.


Belarus Dinamo Minsk forms the nucleus of the Belarus national team, supplying no fewer than eight of the names on head coach Dave Lewis's roster. Many expect great things from forward Yegor Sharangovich, who does not even reach his 20th birthday until Sunday, but who earned valuable experience and sincere plaudits during the season and this is sure to help him at the World Championships.
Another player worth watching is Pavel Vorobei (Kunlun Red Star). The defenseman was one of the plus points in a disappointing season for the Chinese club, who failed to push for a playoff place. Pavel is a useful man in the power play unit and possesses a mighty shot.
The roster also includes Gagarin Cup finalist Geoff Platt (CSKA), who has maintained a healthy scoring record for almost all his long career, and his presence is bound to be talismanic for Team Belarus.



Denmark
There are only a handful of KHL players in the hosts' roster, but they are nonetheless worth watching. Peter Regin, Oliver Lauridsen, Jesper Jensen and Niklas Jensen were all part of Jokerit's impressive season, and we can expect Regin to shine for his country at the World Championships as he does for his club.
Finally, the Slovakia roster includes Avtomobilist defenseman Michal Cajkovsky.








Game 1 - May 4
Russia 7 France 0 (3-0, 1-0, 3-0) - Kaprizov stars in Russian romp Two goals and an assist from CSKA’s Kirill Kaprizov led the way as Russia got off to a flying start at the 2018 World Championship in Copenhagen. But the man of the moment was not eager to celebrate despite marking his debut in this competition with a big win.
“It was an OK game, we made some mistakes as well,” he said. “We’ll need to keep improving from game to game. We allowed a few turnovers, the coaches are telling us all about it. Even so, it’s good to start with a big win.”
An early triple salvo set Russia on the road in Copenhagen. Evgeny Dadonov and Kaprizov quickly found French cuisine to their liking, feasting on the opportunities afforded by the Gallic defense as this year’s IIHF jamboree got underway in Denmark.
Dadonov was the first to show, enjoying the freedom of French zone to circle around a static back line and feed a dish to Kaprizov in front of Florian Hardy’s net in the eighth minute. 1-0, and the Red Machine was still warming up. It didn’t take long for Russia to add a second. This time, the holes in the French defense were partly explained by a penalty on Damien Raux, but Pavel Buchnevich still had an astonishing amount of time and space on the doorstep to put away the rebound from Mikhail Grigorenko’s slap shot. And two minutes later, Kaprizov returned the favor for Dadonov to smack home a third. Game over, and barely 10 minutes on the clock.
Vasily Koshechkin was a virtual spectator in the Russian net until a French power play late in the opening frame – former CSKA forward Stephane Da Costa hooked back by Pavel Datsyuk to earn his team the advantage. The PP was not hugely dangerous, but Koshechkin did well to hang on as Sacha Treille looked to get on the end of an Anthony Rech slap shot. The second period brought a noticeable drop in the intensity of the game: it’s a long tournament, and with game one under control the key thing for Russia was keeping the door closed on any French revival, rather than busting a gut to pile up the scoring. A fourth goal did arrive late in the frame when Datsyuk’s defense-splitting pass found Kaprizov and he shot through Hardy’s five-hole.
Hardy did not return for the final stanza, with Ronan Quemener taking over between the piping. He was soon beaten by Alexander Barabanov on a play that combined the sublime and the ridiculous. The SKA forward’s stick-handling to get around Nicolas Ritz was superb; the outrageous deflection off Florian Chakiachvili’s backside was faintly comic. Maxim Shalunov’s laser of a wrister to the top corner a couple of minutes later, converting a Datsyuk feed, was a more satisfying spectacle all round. Artyom Anisimov wrapped up the scoring with the seventh goal late in the game, leaving French head coach Dave Henderson admitting that his team had been mauled by a better side.
“Russia was too strong,” he said. “We seemed a little timid out there in the first period and we were down 3-0. We left guys open in the slot for two goals then another on the power play. We didn’t have the leg that we need to play a good game against that team today. We have to regroup and come back tomorrow.
“We have to learn from it. We made some mistakes and we have to look at the tape and talk to the players about where we made the mistakes and rectify them. We can’t sit on that, we have to take a couple of hours to settle down, look at the game critically and see where we went wrong.”
Russia’s preparations for the tournament have been hampered by an injury to SKA’s Nikita Gusev, one of the key men in February’s Olympic triumph. Captain Pavel Datsyuk said: “Gusev is a skilled player, it was obvious that we missed him. We’ll wait for him [to recover] and then see where we are.”
Russia’s next game is on Sunday against newly-promoted Austria.

Round Up - May 5

Gusev flies in No game for Russia today, and the hot topic at the lunchtime practice – apart from the unusually cold practice rink – was the fate of Nikita Gusev. The SKA forward, expected to lead Russia’s offense here, could not come to Denmark with the rest of the squad on Wednesday due to injury but flew into Copenhagen yesterday and joined the team in the hotel. In town, but not in training. Gusev wasn’t present in Saturday’s session. Alexei Zhamnov, one of Ilya Vorobyov’s assistant coaches, told reporters that the player’s fitness was being closely monitored in the hopes that he could be added to the roster in the coming days. Russia’s next game is against Austria early on Sunday.
Belarus in peril
A 0-5 loss to defending champion Sweden was rough, but perhaps not critical to Belarusian prospects in this year’s tournament. However, today’s 2-6 reverse against France is a different story. From hoping for a quarter-final spot, Belarus is now anxiously looking at a relegation battle. It’s survival chances were hardly helped by newly-promoted Austria picking up an unexpected point from its opening game against Switzerland, while Dave Lewis’ team looks desperately short of a cutting edge at one end and a solid goalie at the other.
For France, former CSKA man Stephane Da Costa led the way with a goal and two assists as his team bounced back from its 0-7 loss against Russia yesterday. He was understandably happy to put the record straight, but the Belarusian team was clearly worried about its start here.
“The game against France was really important for us but look at the scoreline,” said Vladimir Denisov. The vastly experienced Dynamo Minsk man continued: “I guess a few players didn’t really get how significant this game was, it’s embarrassing. We needed to do more to help our young goalies.
“In this championship we should be beating our immediate rivals and putting up a real fight against the favorites.”
Winning starts for Latvia and Finland
Belarus hit trouble but there was better news for Latvia as it began its campaign with an overtime victory over Norway. Bob Hartley’s men trailed 0-2 in the first period but recovered to tie it up thanks to goals from Rudolfs Bacers and Rodrigo Abols before Bacers got his second of the game early in overtime to win it for the Latvians.

Game 2 - May 6 - Russia v Austria 7-0
Another romp for Russia For the second game running, Russia powered to a 7-0 victory. This time, Austria was the victim, battered by two goals from Mikhail Grigorenko, tormented by a moment of magic from Pavel Datsyuk and hit by first-ever World Championship markers for Avangard’s Ilya Mikheyev and ex-CSKA man Maxim Mamin. As well as the Russian attack snarling with menace, the defense also looks solid. In two games, Ilya Vorobyov’s team has allowed just 21 shots. Igor Shestyorkin, taking his World Championship bow when he replaced Vasily Koshechkin in the third period, faced just four as he made a flawless start to life at this level. But there’s a note of caution attached to these wins. Impressive as Russia has been, neither France nor Austria are expected to do much more than scrap against relegation here. In both cases, the opposition acknowledged that, under normal circumstances, it could expect little from a game against Russia. Austria’s Brian Lebler summed it up: “It’s exciting for us to play against guys of that caliber and see what it takes to be the best in the world. Obviously, we’d like to keep it a little bit closer but it was fun out there and I think we learned a little bit too.”
For the Russians, the message is clear – nobody can afford to get carried away. “I hope we won’t ease off after games like these, and that it will be good for the team,” said Evgeny Dadonov. “We’ll keep trying to get better, we need to tighten up some of our systems.”
“It felt like playing Austria was harder than the game against the French, but any team here can cause problems,” added the former SKA forward.

Savinainen impresses for Finland

Veli-Matti Savinainen was on form for Finland as the Leijonat made it two wins from two. Kunlun Red Star’s new signing had a goal and an assist in the first period to put his country in control against Latvia in Group B. He got another goal in the second as Finland eased to a 8-1 victory. Sebastian Aho led the scoring with 2+4 while Dinamo Riga’s Roberts Bukarts got the consolation goal for the Latvians. Like Russia, Finland has recorded back-to-back victories by the same seven-goal margin.
Earlier in the day, Norway edged Germany 5-4 in a shoot-out. The Germans have now suffered back-to-back losses in their first tournament since that Olympic sensation in Korea.



Game 3 - May 7 - Russia v Belarus 6-0

Datsyuk double paces Russia to victory
Russia’s perfect start to the 2018 World Championship continued with a comfortable 6-0 victory over Belarus. After three games in Copenhagen, Ilya Vorobyov’s team has scored 20 and conceded zero. Sure, the opposition may not be the most intimidating, but teams can only beat the opponent in front of them and Russia has been convincing in its first games here.
Monday’s match-up with Belarus was as one-sided as the games that preceded it. At times it felt like something of a practice session as Russia was able to move the puck around almost at will. Pavel Datsyuk led the scoring with two goals and an assist and warned of stiffer tasks ahead.
“Our biggest tests are still to come,” he said. “I'm sure the game against the Czechs will be a better indication of where we are. From game to game we've been trying to cut out the silly mistakes and we need to keep on with that. I thought we had fewer errors today but the main thing was getting the result.
“Right now our line is coming together nicely but it will be interesting to see how we can play against stronger opposition.”
Datsyuk’s line also combined for Russia’s sixth goal, scored by Kirill Kaprizov. After the game he joked that the team still needed to add something after failing to match the 7-0 margins of the first two games. In a more serious vein, the CSKA youngster added: “That first period was probably the toughest we’ve had in this tournament. Belarus played well, pressed hard and even hit the post. The good thing is that we had another shut-out and we kept scoring our goals, but we all know our biggest games are still to come.” Maxim Shalunov, Maxim Mamin and Ilya Kablukov were also on the scoresheet for Russia while Igor Shestyorkin marked his first World Championship start with a shut out. For Belarus, goalie Vitaly Trus – subject to inevitable headlines punning on the popular Soviet hockey song ‘Trus ne igraet v khokkei’ (Cowards don’t play hockey) – blamed defensive lapses for his team’s loss. “In the first period we did well but in the second we twice left their players all alone on the slot. It was like something from kindergarten,” he said.

Ilya Vorobyov and his team now have two free days before returning to the ice on Thursday against the Czechs. Belarus, rooted to the foot of Group A after three heavy losses, has one day to regroup before facing Switzerland on Wednesday.
Update - May 8
Russia has filled three more slots on its roster – and won’t be inviting any more players from the NHL to this year’s tournament. SKA forward Nikita Gusev proved his fitness in today’s practice and joins Ilya Vorobyov’s team, while CSKA goalie Ilya Sorokin and Nikita Soshnikov (St. Louis) also take their place on the team. Meanwhile, Wednesday’s evening results mean that Russia and Sweden are the only teams in the tournament to retain 100% records. The Swedes cruised to a 7-0 victory over Austria, with Rickard Rakell collecting 2+1, while Denmark produced the shock of the tournament so far when it downed Finland 3-2 in Herning.




Game 4 - May 11 - Russia v Czech Republic 3-4 OT - Pastrnak, Krejci sink Russia
After three convincing wins against tournament outsiders, Russia got a rude awakening when it went up against a Czech team reinforced with David Krejci and David Pastrnak. Despite flying into Denmark early the morning, the Boston Bruins pair combined for seven points as the Czechs snatched a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory. Pastrnak wrapped it up with the game-winner, collecting his own rebound behind the net and shooting off the legs of Yegor Yakovlev to end a pulsating game.
Captain Pavel Datsyuk paid tribute to the impact the two new Czechs made on the team, but downplayed the disappointment of dropping points after three shut-out victories had made Russia the most talked-about team in Copenhagen.
“The guys from Boston really lifted the Czechs' game,” he said. “It was clear that they were excited about coming to Denmark.
“We had a really good game. Of course, there were lots of mistakes on both sides. But today wasn't a game that we had to win at all costs. The coaches tried to make a few changes in our lines. Now we'll look at that and see what works and what doesn't.”

Team Russia's fans

Russia got off to a perfect start when Nikita Nesterov opened the scoring in the second minute. David Rittich made the stop from Alexander Barabanov but the rebound broke for Nesterov to wind up a slap shot that gave the Czech goalie no chance. And Rittich was beaten once again minutes later, only to be saved by the piping as Nikita Tryamkin launched a shot at goal. But the Czechs rallied, ending Russia’s long run without allowing a goal in this tournament and finishing the first period in front. Krejci and Pastrnak were involved in both goals. Krejci scored the first, firing home from the slot after some patient build-up play. After 194:41, Russia finally conceded its first goal in this tournament. Later, Krejci and Pastrnak turned provider to set up Dmitrij Jaskin to make it 2-1. Russia replied early in the second, when good work from Pavel Buchnevich behind the net set up Mikhail Grigorenko for the tying goal. Krejci and Pastrnak combined again to restore the Czech lead but Russia tied it up 90 seconds later when Nikita Zaitsev deceived the defense and presented Barabanov with an empty net. Dinar Khafizullin almost put the Russians ahead when his point shot rattled off both posts and somehow bounced to safety.
Czech head coach Josef Jandac admitted that he didn’t know until the last minute that he would be able to use the new arrivals.
“We had to wait for them,” he said. “We had to wait and see if they felt they could play when they got off the plane.
“They got a couple of hours sleep then came to practice. We knew that they could play like that. Krejci and Pastrnak are the best players in the Czech Republic. The only question for us was who should play on their line, and Dima Yaskin did a good job with that.”
Russia is now second in Group A with 10 points from four games. Leaders Sweden remains perfect with 12 from four.

Nikita Gusev is set to take his bow in this year’s World Championship when Russia plays Switzerland in Copenhagen on Saturday evening.
The SKA forward completed a full training session with the team on Friday and could be used in his Olympic line with Kirill Kaprizov and Pavel Datsyuk. Russia also filled the final slot on its roster, with defenseman Alexei Bereglazov getting the nod ahead of forward Alexei Byvaltsev. Dinar Khafizullin is struggling with a minor knock, prompting the team to look for cover on defense rather than up front. Eeli Tolvanen, whose season has already included World Juniors, Olympics, KHL playoffs and three games in the NHL, is set to finish up at the Worlds with team Finland. The 19-year-old is expected to be available for Saturday’s game.

Game 5 - May 12 - Russia v Switzerland 4-3
Russia edges past Switzerland It wasn’t a vintage Russia performance, but it was good enough for a 4-3 victory over a stubborn Swiss team. Better still, Nikita Gusev’s return after illness was a success: two assists, and a new spark to the team as his line with Pavel Datsyuk and Kirill Kaprizov recalled those Olympic glory days.
“Basically I thought it went OK after such a long break,” Gusev said. “The first two periods were good but in the third it was hard. Overall it was good. Our line started creating chances immediately and if we'd taken them from the start the game would have been much easier.”
Russia was denied by the post twice in the early minutes, but could not break through until the second period. Then Gusev’s pass set up Datsyuk and his miscued shot was put away by Kaprizov. The Swiss responded with a power play goal, but almost immediately Evgeny Dadonov restored Russia’s lead after a breakdown in the opposition’s zone. Then, two seconds before the intermission, Gusev crafted another goal. His feed for Nikita Nesterov sat perfectly for the CSKA D-man, and the shot gave Reto Berra no chance in the Swiss net.
Mikhail Grigorenko led the appreciation: “Gus is one of our best players. It’s always nice to get your leaders back. He’s got a lot of skill, and he showed it today. He had two beautiful assists, and he helps us on the power play a lot.”


Grigorenko would score Russia’s fourth, but Switzerland battled hard in the third period. Goals from Sven Andrighetto and Gaetan Haas ensured an anxious finish but Russia held on to move a single point behind Sweden in the Group A table.

The shambolic Belarusian performance in Copenhagen reached a new and decisive low as Austria romped to a 4-0 victory. The defeat condemns Belarus to Division IA for next season and means Austria is the first newly-promoted nation to survive in the top tier since France in 2008. The stats make grim reading for Belarus. Six losses in a row, just four goals scored all tournament and no goals in the back-to-back games against the Czechs and the Austrians. Ditching head coach Dave Lewis during the tournament did nothing to lift the team or its results.
In Group B, Finland produced the performance of the day with a strong power play thumping Canada 5-1. Eeli Tolvanen, fresh off the plane from Nashville, contributed a goal and an assist as the Finns underlined their gold medal credentials.
Update


After a draining battle with Switzerland on Saturday night, Russia’s Sunday skate was optional. Most players chose to rest up and recuperate ahead of the upcoming game against Slovakia, leaving coach Alexei Zhamnov to do most of the talking. He was full of praise for Nikita Gusev after the SKA forward’s two assist in that win against the Swiss. “Gusev is a real master,” he said. “He’s one of our most talented players and he gives us a real boost on offense.”
He also played down concerns that this Russian team has looked less impressive in its last two games, dismissing suggestions that Oleg Znarok’s Olympic Athletes were a stronger team the Vorobyov’s World Championship roster.
“Since the Olympics we’ve brought in several new players,” Zhamnov added. “We’ve got guys playing in their first World Championship, it’s a different team. And, of course, at the Worlds we are seeing players arriving from the NHL. The skill level is probably higher than at the Olympics. But don’t forget that the tension and passion of the Olympics makes that a tough tournament as well.”
Russia plays Slovakia on Monday evening. Victory would set up a showdown with group leader Sweden to claim first place and a quarter-final against the weakest qualifier from Group B. Defeat would put Russia in danger of finishing third or fourth in the group and having to make a three-hour rail journey to Herning for its first game of the knock-out rounds.

In Herning there was another shock result as Germany defeated the Finns in overtime. The Finns had been drawn into a war of words after beating Canada 5-1 and being accused of cheating for their pains, but seemed to be on course for a routine success when Eeli Tolvanen opened the scoring in the first period. The Germans hit back with two second-period strikes but Sebastian Aho tied the scores late on. In overtime, Markus Eisenschmid got the winner for the Olympic silver medallist, but the result means it’s unlikely that Germany will progress beyond the group stage here.

Game 6 - May 14 - Norway v Slovakia 4-0 - Russia heads for Swedish showdown
Russia cruised to a 4-0 victory over Slovakia, confirming a top-two finish in Group A and ensuring that the team will not face a trip to Herning for its quarter-final. Victory over Sweden tomorrow would secure top spot in the group and a tie against the weakest of the teams qualifying from Group B – potentially Denmark or Latvia. Against Slovakia, Russia eased into a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Maxim Mamin and Nikita Gusev, with the SKA forward getting his first goal of the tournament to add to his pair of assists against Switzerland. The scoreboard did not tell the full story of Russia’s dominance, with Slovakia limited to just two shots at Igor Shestyorkin in the Russian net.
“In the first period it was hard because there were no shots on me,” the SKA goalie said. “In the second period I was involved in the game more, I had more to do. The guys did well, blocking a load of shots and helping us to get the win.”
The middle frame was played at a slower pace, with Slovakia spending more time on the attack but struggling to create dangerous chances. However, Nikita Zaitsev dismissed suggestions that Russia began playing more defensively as the game went on.
“We played well, it felt like we were in control of the game,” said the former Sibir and CSKA defenseman. “I don’t think we got defensive, we tried to play the same way throughout the game and we should have scored more goals.”
Those goals came late on, with Slovakia hit by two empty-net tallies. Maxim Shalunov and Ilya Mikheyev put some gloss on the scoreline.
Captain Pavel Datsyuk was keen to see his team maintain its early intensity in future games. “Our first period was good,” he said. “In the second and third we already started seeing little mistakes creep into our game. We started to allow them some counter attacks and the pattern of the game was different.”
While Russia moves calmly into the knock-out phase, Slovakia must hope that France can get a win over Switzerland in Tuesday’s first game. If the Swiss slip up, the Slovaks can claim fourth place with a win against Belarus. In Group A’s other game, the Czech Republic sealed third place with a 4-3 victory over Austria. Two goals in the first three minutes put the Czechs in control, but a late double from Austria’s Michael Raffl made for a tense finish. Tomas Hyka led the Czech scoring with two goals and an assist, Dominik Kubalik had 1+2.
Latvia came close to causing a sensation as it battled Canada all the way in Herning. In a gritty defensive display reminiscent of the teams’ meeting at the Sochi Olympics, goalie Kristers Gudlevcis made 31 saves to keep the Canadians at bay and force a 1-1 tie. It was a measure of Latvia’s struggle that it managed just two shots in the third period: fortunately, Kristians Rubins put one of them in Darcy Kuemper’s net to force the action into overtime.
There was no fairytale ending – Connor McDavid snatched the winner within seconds of the restart – but Latvia’s bonus point for an overtime loss means that any kind of win against Denmark tomorrow will put the team into the quarter-finals at the host’s expense.
“If there is anything we can take from today’s game it is our defence,” said Latvian forward Rodrigo Abols. “We kept them to the outside. It might have looked like they had a lot of puck possession, but it was all on the walls. We were trying to protect the middle because that is what they are looking for.”
Korea’s first ever World Championship campaign came to an unhappy end with a 0-3 loss against Norway. The Koreans finished with defeats in all seven games and lopsided goal differential of -44. Tobias Lindstrom, Thomas Olsen and Jonas Holos got the Norwegian goals as the Scandinavians made absolutely sure of their top-flight status.


Game 7 - May 16 - Russia v Sweden 1-3
Defending World Champion Sweden beat Russia’s Olympic gold medallists in a hugely entertaining game in Copenhagen. Despite an early Kirill Kaprizov goal giving Russia the lead, this was always a hard-fought battle. Swedish goalie Anders Nilsson, once of Ak Bars, made 30 saves to frustrate Ilya Vorobyov’s men and the Tre Kronor penalty kill did a fine job of neutralizing the threat Russia posed on several power play in the first half of the game. It all came unraveled for the Red Machine in the latter stages of the second period, though. Rickard Rakell tied the scores, then provided the screen in front of Vasily Koshechkin as Mika Zibanejad fired Sweden in front. A brave third-period rally was not enough to save Russia, and a late empty-net goal from Mattias Ekholm secured the win for Sweden.
CSKA forward Sergei Andronov was not too disheartened by Russia’s loss. “It was a high-quality game, like a real playoff game,” he said “Things went wrong for us at the end of the second period. Against a team like that you need to make the right decisions. They have so much skill, they will punish any lapse.
“There where times when we needed to simplify things, especially when we were getting tired. That’s something we need to take from the game, something we can learn from for the future.”
As for facing Canada, Andronov observed that any quarter-final opponent would be testing, while Evgeny Dadonov added that the only way to win medals was to beat the best. Nikita Gusev, who produced another sublime assist for Kaprizov’s goal, was frustrated by the chances Russia missed. “I had a couple of chances that I got wrong, and there were a couple of times when the puck bounced badly for me,” he said. “But, of course, those are the chances that we have to take. “At times the Swedes played recklessly so we got plenty of power plays. We just needed to take those chances. It’s hard to win with only one goal.”
Earlier in Group A, Switzerland ensured fourth place and a quarter-final match-up against Finland thanks to a 5-1 victory against France. But the big story for many was the end of Dave Henderson’s 14-year reign as head coach of Les Bleus. In that time he and assistant Pierre Pousse have established France in the Elite Pool.
Belarus saw its miserable campaign come to an end with a 4-7 loss to Slovakia. Sergei Pushkov’s team produced an improved performance and even looked capable of snatching a win after rallying from 0-2 to lead 4-3 in the third period. Sergei Drozd snapped his record-breaking non-scoring run with an assist as Alexander Kitarov got the team’s first goal of the game; there were also tallies for Charles Linglet, Evgeny Kovyrshin and Pavel Vorobei.

Finland tops Group B, Latvia vs Denmark

Latvia reached its first World Championship quarter-final since Oleg Znarok was head coach of the Baltic nation, and is set to play Sweden in Copenhagen. The Latvians advanced in a win-or-bust showdown against Denmark, breaking the host nation’s hearts with a 1-0 victory. Latvia took the lead in the 10^th minute through Andris Dzerins, assisted by Miks Indrasis but it was the team’s defensive performance that earned the vital victory. Elvis Merzlikins made 19 saves on the night, but it was the efforts of a blue line brigade that did a great job of restricting Denmark to half chances for much of the evening.
Earlier, Finland handed the USA a 6-2 defeat to secure top spot and a quarter-final clash with Switzerland. Sebastian Aho, the leading scorer in the World Championship, led the way with a hat-trick and there was a goal for Jokerit’s Markko Anttila. Kunlun Red Star newboy Veli-Matti Savinainen got two assists, while Eeli Tolvanen and Tommi Kivisto also had helpers.
Canada wrapped up its group phase schedule with a 3-0 victory over Germany. That was enough to secure third place for a Canadian roster that has alternated between impressive and average thus far. Germany was unable to get close to its Olympic form: PyeongChang’s silver medalists were down in sixth place in Group B.

Quarter-final pairings:
Copenhagen – Russia vs Canada (4:15 local time), Sweden vs Latvia (8:15)
Herning – USA vs Czech Republic (4:15), Finland vs Switzerland (8:15)

Quarter Final - May 17 - Russia v Canada 4-5 OT

Russia’s dream of becoming only the second country to win Olympic and World Championship gold in the same year is over. A 5-4 overtime loss against Canada in Thursday’s quarter-final ended the Red Machine’s journey in Copenhagen. It’s the first time since 2013 that Russia has not brought home a medal from the Worlds.
The decisive blow was a power play goal from Canada’s Ryan O’Reilly, tapping home a delicious Connor McDavid assist while Kirill Kaprizov sat out a contentious slashing call. The young forward, Russia’s overtime hero in Korea, was left disconsolate here. Afterwards, he said: “My penalty decided everything. I broke the rules, I shouldn’t have got involved there. But I didn’t think the refs were going to call the penalty. It was their call.”
The last time these two rivals met on World Championship duty was in Koln last year. On that occasion, Russia stormed into a 2-0 lead, only for it all to fall away in the third period when Canada hit back with four goals to win it and reach a third successive final. This time, for a moment, it seemed that the reverse might happen. Russia, sluggish at the start, trailed 0-2 in the second period but hit back to tie the scores midway through the game with a quick-fire salvo from Ilya Mikheyev and Alexander Barabanov. The game was a barn-burner and the teams traded four more goals in a pulsating third period. Canada led twice more; Russia, like a horror-movie monster, refused to play dead. Sergei Andronov and Artyom Anisimov got the other Russian goals.

Despite the thrilling game – and the huge character Russia showed to rebound after a flat first period and turn this into yet another Titantic edition of international hockey’s biggest rivalry – Anisimov could not hide his disappointment in the end.

“Missing out on the medals for the first time since 2013 is a failure,” he said. “We could have achieved much more. We had a really good team, we could have won the tournament. We just came up short, we lost to Canada in overtime.”
And that slow start? “You could say we weren’t on our game in the first period but don’t forget this was a quarter-final against Canada,” he said. “We adapted, we started playing our hockey, moving the puck. Their goalie allowed a lot of rebounds, we just needed to get more shots away. When we started shooting, the goals started coming.”





mAndronov, who was in the box for the first two Canadian goals, was asked about the refereeing. “It’s not for me to judge,” he said, “but to get penalties like the ones we took …
“You can’t give penalties like that. I think there was nothing in about half of them. Especially in overtime. If we’d only taken half of those penalties, our job would have been much easier.”
Head coach Ilya Vorobyov admitted that it was the most painful loss of his career. “We could have beaten Canada,” he said. “We were so close. It shows the depth of the Canadian roster: last year O’Reilly was on the top line, this year he was on the second.”
As for the tournament as a whole, Vorobyov added that it was played at a very high level, unusually high for an Olympic season.
Canada now moves on to play Switzerland in the semi-finals. The Swiss got a shock win over Finland in Herning and goes to the final four for the first time since 2013 – coincidentally the last time Russia failed to reach the semi-finals.

Latvia runs Sweden so close

Latvia hadn’t been in a quarter-final since 2009, when an up-and-coming coach called Oleg Znarok was behind the bench. This season the team came closer than ever to reaching its first ever semi-final. On paper, it looked a mismatch: Sweden had been imperious in Group A, winning every game. Latvia, meanwhile, crept into the quarters at the last moment with a 1-0 win over Denmark. But the rugged Latvian defense had tested both Canada and the USA in the group phase, and it put pressure on Sweden here. A goalless, almost chanceless first period wasn’t what the Tre Kronor expected. A middle frame that opened up but finished at 1-1 with Latvia coming on strong as the intermission approached definitely wasn’t in the script. On the balance of play, it was entirely plausible that Bob Hartley might lead his team to a historic victory. Only in the third did Sweden gain a measure of control. Viktor Arvidsson scored early in the frame, Oliver Ekman-Larsson added a contentious third after a scrum on the Latvian crease. Rudolfs Balcers got one back but the Swedes held on.
Miks Indrasis, a regular for Latvia on the international stage admitted to mixed feelings after the game. “Sweden's a good team, of course, but we had our chances too,” he said. “That 5-on-3 late in the second could have changed the game if we'd managed to score.
“I could say I'm happy with the tournament, but I could also say that I'm not. We wanted to go further and we believed that we could.”
Saturday’s semi-finals will be played in Copenhagen. Sweden plays the afternoon game against the USA (16:15 local time) then Canada plays Switzerland at 20:15.