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Team GB reinforced their promotion credentials with a 7-0 win over Romania on the penultimate day of action at the 2023 IIHF Division 1 Group A World Championship.
The win sees Pete Russell’s squad move two points clear at the top of the table, meaning they now only need to avoid a regulation time loss against Italy in their final game to guarantee promotion to the top division of the IIHF World Championship.
With that, let’s take a closer look at how goals from Brett Perlini, Liam Kirk, Jonathan Phillips, Johnny Curran, Sam Ruopp, Evan Mosey, and Josh Waller made the difference for Team GB versus Romania.
Team GB offer poor first period effort versus Romania
The first period was a tale of missed opportunities and sluggish play from Team GB.
Kirk came close to breaking the deadlock with a powerful shot that inched through Zoltan Toke, but Romania’s defence cleared the puck off the line, denying the former Arizona Coyotes draft selection the opening goal.
Russell’s squad amassed six minutes of powerplay time (compared to two for Romania), but played slowly and failed to convert their chances, with the away side taking away the middle of the ice by sitting in a passive defensive box.
Team GB enjoyed the upper hand throughout the period, but were evidently pacing themselves and lacked punch as a result. Nathanael Halbert was a standout performer on the powerplay, demonstrating his willingness to attack down low and distribute the puck quickly, and made his influence known in frames two and three.
Team GB burst into life in period two against Romania
Team GB came to life in the second period, showing more urgency and determination than in the opener.
Perlini broke the deadlock, capitalising on a defensive lapse from Romania to score on the rebound from the top of the crease. Kirk doubled down only a few minutes later, scoring on the powerplay to increase his points tally to eight – assisted on the powerplay by Halbert.
Phillips also chipped in offensively, redirecting a point shot from defenceman Josh Tetlow beyond the reach of Toke to increase Team GB’s advantage to three.
The Brits were more engaged in the second period and made the most of the international ice pad, moving the puck quickly to force Romania’s blueliners out of their narrow defensive crouch.
Ben Lake provided the low-light of the middle frame, taking a needless interference penalty behind the play in the offensive zone in the final minutes of the period.
Team GB dominate third period versus Romania
The third period saw Team GB continue their dominance, with Johnny Curran converting after a spell of offensive zone time.
Sam Ruopp and Evan Mosey each scored their first goals of the tournament on the powerplay, showcasing the potency of Russell’s special teams.
There was also time for Sam Waller to score at the back door, assisted by a cross-seam pass from Ruopp.
However, the standout performer in the third period was goaltender Ben Bowns.
Despite only facing 12 shots on goal, the Cardiff Devils stalwart was sharp and made several key saves when called upon, most notably on a deflected attempt with five minutes left to play.
Bowns’ performance earned him his third shutout in four games, a testament to his calmness between the pipes.
Looking Ahead for Team GB at the 2023 IIHF Division 1 Group A World Championship
Team GB head into the final day of the World Championship with their destiny in their hands.
They put on a solid performance against Romania, dominating all three periods despite playing without their usual sense of urgency.
Will they need to step up their game against Italy? Absolutely.
But is there any reason to think they won’t deliver? Probably not – they found their footing after a lacklustre first period, suggesting they can do the same against Italy.
While promotion isn’t a done deal, Team GB are in a strong position and confident they can finish the job.
