Showing Some International Love: 2015 IIHF World Championship Review - Division I Group B

It was a nail-biting final day, as South Korea and Great Britain were in a battle for first. South Korea played first and won their game. Great Britain only needed a point against Lithuania to advance, and were oh-so-close to earning it. The win by Lithuania not only helped South Korea finish first and kept Great Britain in second, it also propelled themselves to the bronze position. Croatia, a favourite coming into the tournament, would flatter and end up outside the podium. Estonia and the Netherlands had a final day battle of their own, as it determined who would be relegated. Estonia would end up victorious, keeping themselves up while sending the host Netherlands down to Division II.

Note: Most information from the (fancy) IIHF website.

Standings

Team	Wins	OTW/SOW	OTL/SOL	Losses	Points	Goal Diff.
South Korea	4	0	0	1	12	+19
Great Britain	3	1	0	1	11	+3
Lithuania	3	0	0	2	9	-1
Croatia	2	0	1	2	7	-3
Estonia	1	0	0	4	3	-11
Netherlands	1	0	0	4	3	-7

Results

April 13
Great Britain 3 - Croatia 2 (OT)
Estonia 3 - South Korea 7
Netherlands 0 - Lithuania 1

April 14
Estonia 1 - Great Britain 2
Croatia 4 - Lithuania 1
South Korea 7 - Netherlands 1

April 16
Lithuania 6 - Estonia 1
South Korea 2 - Great Britain 3
Croatia 2 - Netherlands 5

April 18
Lithuania 0 - South Korea 5
Croatia 5 - Estonia 2
Great Britain 3 - Netherlands 2

April 19
South Korea 9 - Croatia 4
Lithuania 3 - Great Britain 2
Netherlands 1 - Estonia 3

Team Recap

South Korea: The promotion-favoured Koreans faced the relegation-favoured Estonians in their first game. It didn't take long for South Korea to strike, as Sangwook Kim shot found its way through a screen past the Estonian keeper. Michael Owen Swift scored later in the period to extend the lead before Estonia got on the board. South Korea scored early in the second, but once again Estonia was able to respond to pull within 1. The Koreans would be dealt a blow later in the period, as Jui Hui Ahn was checked into the boards and needed to be stretchered off the ice (he would miss 1 game). South Korean could not capitalize on the ensuing powerplay, but did manage to score twice before the period ended. South Korea gave up a powerplay goal early in the third, but that was the last one that would get by them. Michaels Swift and Testwuide both scored their second of the game, as South Korea won their first game 7-3. South Korea's streak of 7 goals  per game continued against the Netherlands. Testwuide went from goalscorer to set-up man, as he was primary assister in both of Korea's first period goals. A powerplay goal early in the second extended South Korea's lead to 3. Swift added a pair later in the period before the Netherlands would respond with a goal of their own. A pair of goals midway through the third was the end of South Korea's scoring, as they took the game by a score of 7-1. The Koreans would face a challenge in Great Britain. It took until the last minute of the first for South Korea to open the scoring. Both teams would score within the first minute of the second. Penalty trouble later in the period hurt Korea, as they would let up the tying goal while down 2 men. South Korea would give up a penalty shot (and subsequent goal) early in the third. While they had multiple powerplay chances in the third, the Koreans could not capitalize on them. They would suffer their first loss of the tournament by a score of 3-2. South Korea would rebound against Lithuania. It took until midway in the second for South Korea to get on the board, but once they did the goals started coming. South Korea added 2 more in the second and scored a pair in the third. Sungje Park had little trouble making 15 saves, as South Korea shut out Lithuania 5-0. Needing a result against Croatia to move into first place, it looked like South Korea would have a battle on their hands. It was a low shooting affair in the first, as both teams combined for 12 shots, each finding the back of the net once. Fortunes would change in the second, as Heyok Kim collided with the Croatian keeper. Croatia would score following a change in goal, but their lead was short-lived. South Korea would go off, scoring 4 unanswered in a 4 minute span to take the lead. Both teams swapped goals in the later half of the period. Both South Korea and Croatia would score powerplay goals midway through the third, but it was Korea who capped off the scoring with 2 more goals. The 9-4 win propelled South Korea into first place, which they maintained after Great Britain failed to gain a point in their game. South Korea ended up at the top of the table, and will play in Group A next year.

Great Britain: The British kicked off the tournament facing Croatia. Penalties were prevalent in the first period. Despite Britain getting more powerplay time, they would find themselves down 1-0 thanks to a shorthanded goal by Croatia. It stayed that way until the third, when Croatia scored on the powerplay to put Great Britain down 2-0. Ben O'Connor responded with a powerplay goal of his own, pulling GB to within 1. With time running out, Great Britain would need a hero, and that hero would be Mark Richardson. Richardson would score with 5 seconds left in the third period to tie the game. His work wasn't done yet, as just 11 seconds into overtime he once again found the back of the net, lifting Great Britain to the 3-2 overtime win. Against Estonia, Great Britain would strike first with a goal late in the first. Their lead lasted until midway though the second, when Estonia found the equalizing goal. With just under 6 minutes left in the third, Robert Farmer would tip home a rebound put GB back in the lead. The Brits held on to take the game 2-1. Great Britain faced South Korea in their next game. Great Britain would give up the first goal of the game late in the first. They fell behind 2-0 before Farmer found the back of the net. O'Connor scored on a 2-man advantage to tie the game. O'Connor would dazzle in the third, scoring on an amazing penalty shot move. That ended up being the game winner, as Great Britain won the game 3-2. The Brits would once again find themselves conceding the first goal of the game, as the Netherlands scored just over 3 minutes into the first. GB struck back quick, as Paul Swindlehurst tied the game a minute later. Goals by Chris Blight and Craig Peacock midway through the period gave the Brits a 2-goal lead. Great Britain would remain in the lead the rest of the way, as they only gave up 1 more goal en route to another 3-2 win. Great Britain needed just 1 point against Lithuania to finish in first place. It looked good in the first, as the Brits outshot Lithuania 9-2 and were up 1-0 thanks to Mark Garside's goal. While they continued to dominate the shot count in the second, it was Lithuania who scored twice in the period. Russell Cowley scored early in the third to tie the game for the Brits. A delay of game penalty hurt GB, as Lithuania capitalized on the opportunity and went back in the lead. Great Britain kept pressuring, but in the end they ran out of time. The 3-2 regulation loss was the only thing Great Britain couldn't do, as they would stay in second place, capturing the silver medal and staying in Group B for another year.

Lithuania: Lithuania start off the tournament facing the Netherlands. It did not take long for Lithuania to take the lead, as Arnoldas Bosas scored 11 seconds into the game. Mantas Armalis would keep the door shut the rest of the way, stopping all 35 shots he faced, as Lithuania started their tournament with a 1-0 win. They looked to continue rolling against Croatia, as they ended the first period up 1-0. The game would slowly slip away from them though. Lithuania gave up the tying goal midway though the second, then gave up the go-ahead goal while down 2 men. They would surrender a pair of goals in the third as well, as Lithuania lost 4-1. Facing Estonia, Lithuania would get out to a good start, as Aivaras Bendzius scored 5 minutes into the game to give them the lead. A powerplay goal late in the period extend Lithuania's lead to 2. The Lithuanias slowed down in the second, and it cost them a bit, as Estonia cut their lead in half. Lithuania picked it back up in the third period though, and would score 4 unanswered. Lithunia beat Estonia 6-1. Lithuania did not have such a good time against South Korea. From the get-go they were outmatched. Mantas Armalis did his best to keep his team in the game, stopping 41 shots. It wasn't enough though, as Lithuania would get shut out 5-0 against a dominating South Korean squad. A lot was at stake in Lithuania's game against Great Britain. For Lithuania, a win gave them the bronze medal. For Great Britain, a win or OT/SO loss ensured them the gold medal. Lithuania had trouble early on, as they only registered 2 shots in the first period. They did enough though to keep Great Britain's offense in check, and finished the period only down by a goal. Lithuania managed to tie the game halfway through the second period. A 2-man advantage late in the period helped Lithuania take the lead, as Nerijus Alisauskas beat the British goalie. The lead did not last long, as Great Britain tied the game early in the third. Lithuania would escape a couple penalties unscathed, and then find themselves up a man a few times. The second time was when Lithuania capitalized, as Paulius Gintautas scored to put Lithuania back in the lead. Lithuania's chances of keeping the lead were in serious doubt moments later, as Donatas Kumeliauskas was give a 5 and a game for head-butting. The Lithuanians would hold the fort, keeping Great Britain's offense at bay and the puck out of their net. The 3-2 score line was the final, as Lithuania ended their tournament on a high note. Lithuania's win gave them a third place finish, leapfrogging Croatia and taking home the bronze medal.

Croatia: The Croatians played Great Britain in their first game. Croatia (and Britain to some extent) got into penalty trouble in the first. Despite this, Michael Glumac would open the scoring late in the period while Croatia was shorthanded. The game would remain 1-0 until the third, when Nathan Perkovich scored on the powerplay to extend Croatia's lead. Croatia surrendered a powerplay goal midway through the period. It looked like Croatia was on their way to winning the game, but then came the most disappointing 16 seconds they had all tournament. Great Britain would tie the game with 5 seconds left in regulation, then the winning goal 11 seconds into overtime. Croatia suffered a stunning 3-2 loss to start the tournament. Against Lithuania, Croatia would get off on the wrong foot, as they found themselves down 1-0 after the first. They would come back in the second, with Perkovich tying the game before Andy Sertich put them ahead on a 2-man advantage. The powerplay would strike once more in the third, and an empty net sealed the game, as Croatia rebounded to win the game 4-1. Croatia struck early against the Netherlands, as Perkovich opened the scoring 12 seconds into the game. It would stay that way until later in the period, as Croatia surrendered 2 goals in a 3 minute span. They did score one more before the period ended to tie the game 2-2. the score would stay that way until late in the second, when the Netherlands scored to break the deadlock. Croatia would not find an equalizer in the third, as 2 more goals by the Netherlands gave Croatia a 5-2 loss. Things got worst against Estonia before it go better for Croatia. They would fall behind 2-0 before Ryan Kinasewich score to put Croatia on the board. Perkovich scored early in the second period to tie the game. Matija Milicic's goal late in the second gave Croatia its first lead of the game. Croatia would hang on to the lead, and managed to add a couple of insurance goals, as they took the game 5-2. Looking to end the tournament with a medal, Croatia would have to face South Korea. Chances looked few-and-far between in the first, with both teams ending the period tied at 1-1. Croatia's chances of winning too a major hit in the second, as a collision forced Mark Dekanich out of net and put in Mate Tomljenovic for his first taste of action in this tournament. Croatia scored on the powerplay to take a 2-1 lead. That would not last long, as South Korea's offense exploded soon after, scoring 4 times. Ivan Brencun scored shorthanded midway through the second, but Korea would respond before the end of the period. Croatia would continued to be outplayed in the third. They managed to swap powerplay goals with the Koreans, but would give up a pair of goals later in the period. Croatia's 9-4 loss to South Korea combined with Lithuania's result bumped them off the podium. Croatia ended the tournament in fourth place.

Estonia: Estonia would start off against tough competition in South Korea. They would give up 2 goals before Andrei Makrov scored for Estonia. Estonia gave up an early goal in the second before Makrov scored his second of the game halfway though the period. Estonia's comeback bid may have been dashed thanks to Kevin Parras, who was assessed a 5 for charging and a game for checking a Korean player into the boards. Estonia didn't give up a goal while a man down, but did give up 2 goals later in the period. Estonia could only muster a powerplay goal in the third, as they would be scored on twice more en route to a 7-3 loss. Estonia had a better game against Great Britain. They would get a penalty shot in the first, but Robert Rooba could not convert. The Brits scored minutes later, as Estonia ended the period down 1-0. Rooba corrected his penalty shot attempt in the second, as he scored to tie the game. Estonia would fall behind in the third, and could not tie the game again. Estonia suffered another loss, this time by a score of 2-1. Estonia's woes would continue against Lithuania. They would get outshot 15-7 in the first, and ended the period down 2-0. Their play picked up in the second, and Aleksei Sibirtsev would score to pull Estonia to within 1. The third period was not kind to Estonia, as they gave up an early goal and could not come back. Estonia surrendered 3 more goals en route to losing the game 6-1. Estonia would look good against Croatia early on, as they scored the first 2 goals of the game. Croatia would respond shortly after, but Estonia ended the period up 2-1. It would slowly go downhill for Estonia, as they gave up the tying goal early in the second and the go ahead goal late in the period. Estonia could not find the tying goal, and would surrender 2 more in the third. Estonia's losing streak extended to 4 games thanks to the 5-2 loss. Estonia needed to win against the host Netherlands in order to stay up in Division I. It was nothing a couple of powerplays couldn't handle, as Makrov scored on both PP opportunities to give Estonia a 2-0 lead after the first. Estonia would surrender a goal midway in the second, as the Netherlands would pull to within a goal. Estonia stifled the Netherlands attack in the third though, as they only gave up 2 shots in the whole period. Makrov scored on an empty net to complete his hat trick, as Estonia won the game 3-1. The win gave Estonia a fifth place finish, which allows them to stay up in Division I for another year.

Netherlands: The host would face Lithuania in their first game. It did not start off well, as they let up a goal 11 seconds into the game. Try as they might, the Netherlands could not find an equalizer. They were shut out 1-0 in their opening game. It did not get better for the host, as South Korea would run rampant on them. The Netherlands would find themselves down 5-0 before breaking through with a powerplay goal late in the second. The Netherlands would give up 2 more goals in the third, as they suffered a 7-1 loss. The host would give the home crowd something to cheer about against Croatia. Despite giving up a goal just seconds into the game, the Netherlands would eventually take the lead later in the period. They would give up 1 more goal, ending the period tied 2-2. The host would turn it on in the second, and it paid off, as Ronald Wurm scored late in the period (and just seconds after stepping out of the penalty box). Their play slowed in the third, but the Netherlands would bookend the period with goals, en route to a 5-2 win, their first of the tournament. The host opened the scoring against Great Britain, as Steve Mason one-timed the puck into the net. Things went sour for the host soon after, as the Brits scored 3 unanswered. The Netherlands would be outplayed the rest of the way, but did managed to close the gap in the third thanks to a goal by Levi Houkes. That was as close as they go though, as the Netherlands suffered a close 3-2 loss. The Netherlands would close out the tournament against Estonia in what was the relegation game. It did not look good for the host in the first, as penalty trouble saw them fall behind 2-0. Erik Tummers scored 9 minutes into the second to cut Estonia's lead in half. The Netherlands could not get anything going in the third, and ended up surrendering an empty net goal. The host lost their final game 3-1. The Netherlands finished in sixth place, and is relegated to Division II.