Ice Hockey World Championship
Defending champions and co-hosts Finland have made a real false start to the Ice Hockey World Championship. The reigning Olympic champion and renewed favorite for the title lost 4-1 against the USA at the World Cup opener in Tampere on Friday. In the evening, Sweden defeated Germany 1-0 and Canada defeated second hosts Latvia 6-0.
In front of almost 11,000 fans, only Teemu Hartikainen (18th) was successful for Finland. The US team with numerous talents showed a strong and above all tactically convincing game and turned the game into victory after falling behind. Boston College’s Cutter Gauthier (34), Pittsburgh Penguins’ Drew O’Connor (50) and Buffalo Sabers’ Alex Tuch (53/60) scored the US goals.
“We played tenaciously and gave it more from behind, played smart hockey and played fast and that’s how we win games,” said US goalie Casey DeSmith, who saved 23 of Finland’s 24 shots on goal. Austria, who enter the World Cup tournament on Saturday with the match against the French in Tampere (11.20 a.m., live on ORF1), will face the USA on May 17th, three days later there will be a duel with them Host.
In the second match of ÖEHV Group A, Sweden defeated Germany 1-0 after a power play goal by Oscar Lindberg (42nd). The DEB team meets Finland in the duel of the losers on Saturday.
At the start of Group B in Riga, the Czech Republic beat Slovakia 3-2. The match winner was Lukas Sedlak, who turned a 1:2 deficit in the first third in favor of the Czechs (14th, 19th).
Canada handles co-hosts Latvia
In the evening game, the spectators in Riga then saw a total of six goals. The Latvians conceded a 6-0 defeat against record world champions Canada in front of their home crowd. Man of the Match was the Calgary Flames’ Mackenzie Weegar, who scored once and provided two assists.