With only two days worth of games before the first day off of the tournament, things were starting to heat up quite a bit. The importance of each game was suddenly more apparent and many had seen some surprise games already.
Courtesy of Vancouver2010.com
One word should be used to define the badassery that existed in this match up: Overtime! Now I can go on and on about how the teams were impossibly close in this game, matched evenly and playing with everything they had. I could tell you that when Julien Sprunger (HC Fribourg-Gotteron) scored for the Swiss, Tore Vikingstad (Hanover Scorpions) tied it back up.
Or when the Norse went ahead with a goal by Mads Hansen (Brynas IF) not only did Switzerland respond to tie it on a Roman Wick (Kloten Flyers) tally, but they then scored again to regain the lead on shot from Raffaele Sannitz (HC Lugano).
I could probably mention that Tore Vikingstad stepped in and tied it back up for Team Norge, before Severin Blindenbacher (ZSC Lions) scored what he thought was a devastating go ahead. Again the Norwegians surged to tie the back on a stellar play by the one, the only Tore Vikingstad AGAIN! The man ties the game three times, grabbing himself a hat trick, and still the game isn’t over. You could tell that both teams wanted this one.
Unfortunately for Norway, keeper Pal Grotnes (Stjernen) couldn’t keep them in the game any longer and Romano Lemm (HC Lugano), on an amazing backwards feed through the crease by Sandy Jeannin (HC Fribourg-Gotteron), managed to tip the game winner. It was a quick defensive misplay but that was all it took for the Swiss to steal themselves a win.
Courtesy of Vancouver 2010.com
While Latvia tried hard and even peppered Slovakian goaltender Jaroslav Halak (Montreal Canadiens) with 21 shots, they just couldn’t get anything going against Slovakia. Slovakia had been making themselves heard during the tournament already, beating Russia in the biggest upset of the games at that point. They are hot right now and sadly, Latvia had to take the brunt of that heat.
Edgars Masalskis (Dinamo Riga) didn’t have the best day, allowing 6 goals in all from Lubomir Visnovsky (Edmonton Oilers) just 2 and a half minutes in, Richard Zednik (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl), Jozef Stumpel (Barys Astana), Marian Hossa (Chicago Blackhawks), Michael Handzus (L.A. Kings), and Ivan Baranka (Spartak Moscow).
Slovakia was beating Latvia 5-0 by the 3 minute mark of the second period. 3 goals allowed in the first period and two allowed in the first 2 and a half minutes of the second. Somehow they managed to fend off Slovakia until late in the third, but at what point to you wonder when Masalskis needs to be yanked?
I would have had him showered and back at the hotel by the start of the second period but there must be no depth at the goalie position for Latvia.
Courtesy of Vancouver2010.com
The fortunes seemed to have changed here a bit for one team. Belarus managed to nab their first W of the tournament, forcing Germany to be one of two teams (Latvia) to enter the final stages with absolutely no points. German netminder Thomas Greiss (Worcester Sharks) only faced 17 shots in the game and he let 5 of those in. Not his finest showing. But how could he compare to the outrageous Vitali Koval (Dinamo Minsk) who stood on his head while stopping 37 of 40 overall shots.
Apparently it came down to shot quality on this one and the Belarusans had it sway their way with goals coming from Aleksei Ugarov (HC MVD), Aleksei Kalyuzhny (2) (Dynamo Moscow), and Ruslan “Rusty” Salei (Colorado Avalanche).
Dennis Seidenberg (Florida Panthers), John Tripp (Hamburg Freezers), and Marcel Goc (Nashville Predators) all tallied for the Germans.
More Olympic coverage: (Day 1) (Day 2) (Day 3)(Day 4).
View our roster coverage here: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4).
Get the Olympic Men’s Hockey Schedule.
How about Ruslan Salei netting a point as Captain of Team Belarus?
Related posts:
- Olympic Recap – Qualifiers
- Olympic Recap – Day 3
- Olympic Recap – Day 2
- Olympic Rosters – Part 1 *Updated*
- Olympic Recap – Day 4
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