GB Suffers Heartbreaker Against Latvia
Great Britain’s hope of avoiding relegation took a huge on Sunday after giving up a late lead to lose 4-3.
GB will now need to beat Austria on Monday in regulation to avoid getting relegated after spending the past three tournaments in the top level.
With eight points, Latvia is still mathematically eligible to make the playoff round but needs some help along the way.
With a 3-1 lead at the halfway point, Great Britain was playing as well as they’ve played all tournament long. First period goals for Brett Perlini and Cade Neilson — one on the power play and one with the extra attacker — the Brits were taking advantage of the situation. Oskars Batna scored at 24:17 to make it close for Latvia, but a Lewis Hook goal at 26:26 appeared to be enough.
Or so they thought. A Janis Jaks goal at 34:34 made it a one-goal game again, with Latvia — the stronger team — going on the attack for the third. Rihards Bukarts scored at 51:49 to tie it up for Latvia, and Andris Dzerins scored two minutes later after a controversial clipping penalty for Great Britain, giving Latvia its first lead of the game — and, more importantly, until the final buzzer.
Germany Tops Kazakhstan After Close Game
In a game full of twists and turns, Germany managed to beat Kazakhstan 5-4 on Sunday.
Kazakhstan will now need to beat Italy on Monday to avoid relegation, with Italy holding a one-point advantage.
The first period was wild, with the team trading leads in a five-goal first period. Roman Starchenko scored first at 2:57, but Germany’s Jonas Muller answered back two minutes later to answer back.Â
The goaltending looked strong over the next 10 minutes until Yegor Petukhov beat Dustin Strahlmeier, giving Germany its second lead of the game.Â
From there, goals for Leonhard Pfoderl and Daniel Fischbuch made it 3-2 Germany after a busy end to the first period, with Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider helping to set up both goals. Germany then made it 4-2 with Lukas Reichel’s marker, but Pavel Akolzin’s last-minute goal cut the lead back to one and helping to set up a wild third period.
And that it was. Just 38 seconds into the period, a frantic attack saw Nikita Mikhailis tie it up again for Kazakhstan. But at 47:08, Kazakhstan suffered a backbreaker after Yasin Ehliz added one and regained Germany’s advantage, one they wouldn’t relinquish.
Switzerland a Perfect 6-0 With One Game to Go
France’s 2-0 lead after a period of play wouldn’t stick as Switzerland skated out to a 5-2 victory.Â
Switzerland is off to the team’s best run since going 9-1 at the 2013 World Championship, with the team’s only loss coming in the final game. Switzerland will play Germany for the top spot in Group A on Tuesday.Â
Alexandre Texier got the fun going at 4:58 and later set up Valentin Claireaux for the 2-0 goal at 13:25. But from there, Switzerland — who overcame some terrible penalty trouble in the first period — turned the tables.Â
Nico Hischier, Damien Riat and Andres Ambuhl scored to make it 3-2 in the second, while Dean Kukan’s goal at 51:17 put things out of reach. Hischier’s second of the night with 22 seconds sealed the deal.
Sweden Demolishes Norway 7-1Â
At one point, things were looking close. Jacob Peterson scored first at 11:48 for Sweden, but Jonas Arntzen otherwise appeared to be up for the task in the Norweigan net.
Sweden should have second place in Group B locked up if Czechia loses one of its two remaining games and Sweden doesn’t get a point in the round-robin finale. Norway already recorded enough points to avoid relegation, so the final game against USA on Tuesday will be about closing out on a high note.
But from there, things got ugly. William Nylander, Peterson, Rasmus Asplund and Lucas Wallmark went on a scoring rampage to make it 5-1 in a game that, on paper, had no chance of being close.Â
Tobias Fladeby scored Norway’s lone goal at 40:44, but Max Friberg and Rasmus Asplund scored one each in the third to finish off the beatdown.
