Ice Hockey World Championship
The two top favorites for the Ice Hockey World Championships in Finland also won their third game on Monday. Hosts and Olympic champions Finland defeated the USA 4-1 in Tampere in a wild game full of indiscipline. Defending champions Canada beat Slovakia 5-1 in Helsinki. Latvia clinched their first win with a 3-2 win over Norway, while Germany beat France 3-2.
Mikael Granlund (18th) gave the Finns the lead to the delight of the 11,500 spectators in the Nokia Arena. Valtteri Filppula (25′) and Sakari Manninen (26′) increased the lead to 3-0 with power play goals within 54 seconds. Mikko Lehtonen (31′) made it 4-0, Alex Galchenyuk (59′) scored for the US team in the finish.
Latvia made the preliminary decision in the middle third. Thanks to goals from Nikolajs Jelisejevs in a double advantage (28th) and Roberts Bukarts (34th), they pulled away to 3:1. After Max Krogdahl’s goal in the 48th minute, the Norwegians pushed for an equaliser, but were unable to overcome goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins.
Dubois levels Canada with brace win
In Helsinki, Pierre-Luc Dubois was the match winner for Canada. The Winnipeg Jets striker paved the way for the record world champion’s next success with a brace (27’/PP, 38′) to take a 3-1 lead. Cole Sillinger (42nd) and Morgan Geekie (52nd) increased in the final third.
After the success once morest promoted France, Germany is still on course for the quarter-finals. Daniel Fischbuch (3rd), Alexander Ehl (18th) and Leo Pföderl (46th) secured the second victory for the Germans. NHL striker Alexandre Texier (15th) and Hugo Gallet (32nd) scored for France. The German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) team is worried regarding its star striker Tim Stützle. The Ottawa Senators attacker had to come off the ice injured in the first third following a check to his knee.
