Note: most information from the fanciest of IIHF websites.
Group A
Team
|
Wins
|
OTW/SOW
|
OTL/SOL
|
Losses
|
Points
|
Goal Diff.
|
Sweden
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
+14
|
United States
|
0
|
1
|
+13
| |||
Canada
|
0
|
2
|
+1
| |||
1
|
0
|
-12
| ||||
Switzerland
|
0
|
0
|
-16
|
December 26
Switzerland 3 - Sweden 8
United States 4 - Canada 2
December 27
Denmark 2 - Switzerland 1
December 28
Sweden 1 - United States 0
Canada 6 - Denmark 1
December 29
Switzerland 2 - Canada 3 (SO)
December 30
Sweden 5 - Denmark 0
United States 10 - Switzerland 1
December 31
Denmark 1 - United States 4
Canada 2 - Sweden 5
Group B
Team
|
Wins
|
OTW/SOW
|
OTL/SOL
|
Losses
|
Points
|
Goal Diff.
|
Russia
|
0
|
0
|
11
|
+7
| ||
Finland
|
0
|
+10
| ||||
Czech Republic
|
1
|
+2
| ||||
Slovakia
|
0
|
-6
| ||||
Belarus
|
0
|
-13
|
December 26
Czech Republic 1 - Russia 2 (SO)
Finland 6 - Belarus 0
December 27
Belarus 2 - Slovakia 4
December 28
Slovakia 0 - Czech Republic 2
Russia 6 - Finland 4
December 29
Belarus 1 - Russia 4
December 30
Czech Republic 5 - Belarus 3
Slovakia 3 - Finland 8
December 31
Russia 2 - Slovakia 1
Finland 5 - Czech Republic 4
Relegation Round
Switzerland 5 - Belarus 1
Belarus 2 - Switzerland 6
Playoffs
Quarter Finals
Russia 4 - Denmark 3 (OT)
Sweden 6 - Slovakia 0
Finland 6 - Canada 5
USA 7 - Czech Republic 0
Semi-Finals
Sweden 1 - Finland 2
Russia 2 - USA 1
Bronze Medal Game
Sweden 3 - USA 8
Gold Medal Game
Russia 3 - Finland 4 (OT)
Team Recaps
Finland: There isn't much Finland could do to make this tournament better. They kicked things off against Belarus. They were slow going, as they didn't score until late in the second. The third period though was all Finland's, as they scored five times, en route to a dominate 6-0 win. Finland looked to continue their winning ways against Russia. It looked good early on, as Sebastian Aho scored to put the Finns up 1-0. That didn't last long, as a Finnish penalty resulted in a Russian goal to tie the game. Patrik Laine scored late in the period to put the Finns back in the lead. Aleksi Saarela scored a powerplay goal early in the second, as Finland built a two-goal lead. That lead would disappear as the period went on, as Russia's special teams worked take the lead for themselves. Finland conceded an even-strength goal late in the period to fall behind 5-3. Finland scored early in the third, but that was as close as they got. Russia added one more, as Finland went on to lose 6-4. Finland looked to be in trouble against Slovakia, as they fell behind 2-0. Aho scored late in the first to put Finland on the board. They would tie the game in the second, thanks to a Saarela powerplay goal. Roope Hintz scored before the period ended, as Finland took the lead heading into the final frame. Finland exploded in the third, as they scored five times. Slovakia scored partway through the Finnish onslaught. The Finns won the game 8-3. The Czech Republic were the last team Finland had to face in the round robin. Both teams had 11 shots apiece in the first, but neither could find the back of the net. That all changed in the second, as Jesse Puljujarvi scored 57 seconds into the period to open the scoring. The Czechs responded later on with two goals, taking the lead in the process. That didn't last long, as Finland struck back with tow of their own to regain the lead. Finland conceded a goal with about half a minute left in the second, as the period ended with both teams tied at 3-3. The Czechs would take the lead again the third. That lasted less than two minutes, as Puljujarvi scored his second of the game to tie it back up. With under six minutes left, Laine scored to put Finland up by one. They hung on the rest of the way, as Finland won the game 5-4. Finland finished second in Group B, and would face Canada in the quarter-finals. The host looked in trouble in the first, as Canada scored twice in the first 11 minutes. Laine managed to find the back of the net seconds before the period ended, as Finland ended the period down 2-1. Antti Kalapudas tied the game in the second. The tie didn't last long, as Canada struck back a minute later. Finland would change goalies after that goal, as Kaapo Kahkonen came in to replace Veini Vehvilainen. Finland would tie the game again later in the period, thanks to Saarela's powerplay goal. Julius Nattinen scored moments later, giving Finland their first lead of the game. A Finnish penalty early in the third helped Canada tie the game. It was short-lived though, as Aho put Finland back in the lead a minute later. Once again, a penalty hurt Finland, as Canada scored a powerplay goal soon after to tie the game once again. Midway through the period, it was Canada's turn to have penalty trouble. This lead to a Finnish five-on-three, which they took advantage of. Laine scored his second of the game on the two-man advantage. Finland hung on the rest of the way, as they won the game 6-5. Finland faced rival Sweden in the semi-finals. The Swedes would open the scoring midway through the first. Finland had a couple powerplay opportunities in the first half of the second, but could not convert on them. They would get on the board though, as Hintz found the back of the net midway through the period. A powerplay minutes later opened the door for Finland to take the lead. This time, they capitalized on the man advantaged, as Kalapudas' goal gave Finland a 2-1 lead. Sweden could not muster anything after that, as Finland went on to win the game 2-1 and giving them a spot in the gold medal game. Finland had a rematch with Russia for the gold medal. It looked bad for the host early, as a Finnish penalty led to a Russian powerplay goal. Finland could not solve the Russian netminder, as they were shut out in the first two period. That changed in the third, as Laine scored to put Finland on the board. Russia would soon after take the lead again. Halfway through the period, Aho scored to tie the game. Russian penalty troubles later in the period opened the door for the Finns to take the lead. They managed to do just that, as Mikko Rantanen scored on the man advantage. Russia looked to fall apart, as their captain was ejected for protesting. Finland did what they could to hang on, but it ended up not being enough. Russia scored with six seconds left to tie the game and force overtime. Finland would not hang their heads after that goal though, as they looked to come out the winners in overtime. Kasperi Kapanen skated around the Russian net and scored on a wraparound 93 seconds into the extra frame, making it the golden goal. The 2-1 win awarded Finland the gold, to the excitement of the home crowd.
Russia: Russia started off against the Czech Republic in the first game of the tournament. Russia had a good opportunity in the first, as they had a five minute powerplay. They could not capitalize on that chance, and even committed a penalty of their own. Midway through the second, Alexander Mikulovich slashed Michael Spacek on a breakaway, giving the Czech a penalty shot. Alexander Georgiev could not stop the attempt, as the Czechs went ahead 1-0. Russia would end up tying the game midway through the third, thanks to Artur Lauta. The game remained tie the rest of the way, as the game needed a shootout. Maxim Lazarev was the only one scoring in the event, as the Russians won the game 2-1. Russia faced the host Finland next game. Russia conceded a goal early, but a powerplay moments later helped them tie the game. The period wouldn't end tied though, as Russia gave up one more with just over a minute left in the period. A penalty early in the second saw Russia fall behind 3-1. Russians special teams came alive midway through the period. Andrei Svetlakov kicked things off with a shorthanded goal. Pavel Kraskovski and Vladislav Kamenev added powerplay goals later on in the period. Alexander Polunin capped off the scoring in the second with an even-strength goal, as Russia went into the intermission up 5-3. The Finns scored early in the third to pull within a goal. Russia would regain their two goal lead thanks to Radel Fazleyev. Russia held on to win the game 6-4. Against Belarus, Russia had a good first period. Two powerplay goals followed by a late even-strength one gave Russia a 3-0 lead after the first. Their shutout would be broken early in the third. Alexander Polunin struck moments later, restoring Russia's three-goal lead. They coasted the rest of the way, as Russia beat it's neighbour 4-1. Against Slovakia, Russia would get outshot 9-7 in the first period. However, Lauta's goal late in the period was the only one, as Russia ended the period up 1-0. Yegor Rykov scored midway through the second to extend Russia's lead. Slovakia broke the shutout later in the period. The third period was low event, as both teams combined for 11 shots. Russia held on for the 2-1 win. The win placed Russia in first place in Group B. They faced Denmark in the quarter-finals. The Russians struck early, as Yegor Korshkov scored less than three minutes into the game. That remained the lone goal until early in the second, when Denmark tied the game. Denmark then took the lead midway through the period. It took Russia a while to respond, but they would. Lauta's goal early in the third tied the game. Denmark scored minutes later, once again putting the Russians down a goal. Time was running out, as Russia ended up pulling their goalie late in the game. An upset was not to be had in regulation, as Kamenev scored with under a minute left to tie the game. Kamenev continued to play hero in overtime, as he scored five minutes into the extra frame to give Russia the 4-3 win. An upset was avoided, as Russia moved on to face the US in the semi-finals. The Russians had the shot advantage in the first, but conceded the lone goal in the period. They turned up the pressure in the second, as their effort would pay off. Kraskovski scored 15 minutes into the middle frame to tie the game. Korshkov added one minutes later to give Russia the lead. The Americans started pouring it on in the third, but the Russians fended off their attack. Russia held on to win 2-1, earning a spot in the gold medal game. Russia squared off against Finland for the gold medal. Russia struck early, as Kamenev scored on the powerplay to put them up 1-0. Russia fended off Finland's attack in the second, as they headed into the third period still up by a goal. Their lead would disappear early in the third, as Finland scored 24 seconds into the period. Andrei Svetlakov scored just over a minute later to regain Russia's lead. Finland did tie the game again halfway through the period. Russia started to get into penalty trouble, and it was costly. Finland took advantage of this, as they took the lead for the first in the game. Before the teams set up for the ensuing faceoff, Kamenev would be kicked out of the game for protesting. Everything looked to be against Russia, as they searched for a tying goal. Svetlakov scored six seconds left to tie the game and give Russia a boost. Overtime didn't last long though, as Finland ended it 93 seconds into the extra frame. The 2-1 loss gave Russia the silver medal.
United States: The Americans faced off against rival Canadians to start their tournament. The US got an early powerplay in the first, but could not capitalize on it. Late in the first, top line winger Alex DeBrincat was assessed a five and a game for spearing. Being down a man for five minutes wasn't too worrying for the States, as they fended off Canada's powerplay. The US would concede the first goal though, as Alex Nedeljkovic was caught out of position and could not recover in time. An offensive zone draw helped the States tie the game, as Colin White buried the rebound off Sonny Milano's shot that was wide of the net. The US was in control early in the third, and managed to take advantage of a Canadian penalty. Zach Werenski's point shot was tipped by a Canadian defender and into the net, giving the Americans the lead. That lead was short-lived, as Werenski took a penalty minutes later and Canada capitalized on that. The US would get the last laugh though, as goals by Louis Belpedio and Auston Matthews sealed the game. The US won their opening game 4-2. The Americans were in control against Sweden, but could not solve their goaltender. The game remained scoreless until the second when Sweden scored to take the lead. The US could not answer back, and a couple of penalties late in the game sealed their fate. Despite outshooting the Swedes 46-23, the US were shutout 1-0. The US looked to rebound against Switzerland, and did they ever. The Americans laid it on the Swiss in the first, scoring six times in the period. Switzerland would break the shutout early in the second, but that was all that got past the Americans. The US scored four times in the second. They took their foot of the pedal in the third, as the US coasted to a 10-1 win. Facing Denmark in their last group game, the US would concede the first goal halfway though the first period. Matthews would rectify that seven minutes later, as both teams ended the first tied 1-1. From there it was all US. Milano's goal early in the second gave the Americans their first lead of the game. They added two more in the third, as the US ended group play with a 4-1 win. Sitting solely in second place in Group A, the US crossed over to face the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals. The game was all US on the scoreboard, as they scored multiple times in all three periods. The Americans routed the Czechs 7-0, and move on to the semi-finals. Facing Russia, the US got off to a good start, as Christian Dvorak scored midway through the first to give them the lead. The US got into a bit of penalty trouble later in the period, but managed to fend off Russia's powerplay. The Americans held the lead until late in the second, when a scramble around the US net resulted in Russia scoring to tie the game. Russia struck again minutes later, as the US now found themselves down a goal heading into the third period. They had chances in the third, but could not find an equalizer, as the Americans fell 2-1 to the Russians, proving that they probably should have done their research first. The loss put the US in the bronze medal game, where they faced Sweden once again. The US got on the board first, as Andres Bjork scored 12 minutes into the first. Matthew Tkachuk extended the lead minutes later, as he deflected Werenski's point shot. That lead evaporated before the period ended, as Sweden scored twice. The US got the lead back early in the second, thanks to Brock Boeser. The Americans added three more in the period, as they took a 6-2 lead heading into the third. Ryan Donato and Tkachuk both scored in the third, as both recorded their second goal of the game. Sweden scored late in the period, but it was too little, too late for them. The US won 8-3, and finished the tournament with the bronze medal.
Sweden: The start of the tournament was the best of times and the worst of times for the Juniorkronorna. They walloped Switzerland 8-3 in their first game, but it can at a cost. Both William Nylander and Adrian Kempe left the game injured. Kempe would recover in time for the next game. Nylander, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky, as a concussion ended his tournament. The Swedes were short a skater in their game against the US. Swedish goalie Linus Soderstrom stood strong in this game, as he stopped all 46 shots the US recorded against him. Alexander Nylander scored the only goal of the game, as Sweden shut out the US 1-0. Against Denmark, it was a new game, new goalie, but similar result for Sweden. The Swedes scored five times in the game, and gave Denmark little chance to get anything going. Felix Sandstrom had little work, stopping nine shots in the whole game, as Sweden continued their shutout streak by beating Denmark 5-0. Against Canada, Sweden's powerplay was working early, as they scored twice on the man advantage to take a 2-0 lead just over seven minutes into the game. Canada would get one back before the period ended. The teams got heated in the second, as on two separate occasions roughing penalties were handed out to both teams. Sweden got another powerplay opportunity later in the second, and made good on it. Adrian Kempe snapped one from the faceoff circle to make it 3-1 Sweden. They would make it 4-1 in the third before Canada would response again. Rasmus Asplund added an empty netter, as Sweden beat Canada 5-2. Sweden went through group play undefeated, as they claimed first place in Group A. Sweden faced Slovakia in the quarter-finals. It looked to be a cakewalk for the Swedes, as they dominated Slovakia. Soderstrom earned his second shutout of the tournament with a 17-save performance, as Sweden's 6-0 win moves them to the semi-finals. The semi-finals game was intense, as Sweden faced rival Finland. The Swedes struck first, as Asplund scored midway through the first. They stayed in the lead until midway through the second, when Finland scored to tie the game. The tie didn't last long, as Anton Karlsson's penalty led to Finland scoring their second goal in two minutes. Sweden could not get much going after that, as they ended up losing 2-1. The loss put them in the bronze medal game, as they got to square off against the US for the second time. The US built up a 2-0 lead in the first, but goals by William Lagesson and Carl Grundstrom in the span of a minute to tie the game. It started to go downhill for the Swedes in the second, as the US put up a four-spot against them. They pushed in the third, but gave up two more along the way. Axel Holmstrom scored with 92 seconds left in the game. Sweden lost 8-3, placing them in fourth place for the tournament.
Czech Republic: The Czechs kicked off the tournament facing Russia. It did not look good for them early on, as Jakub Zboril received a five and a game for boarding. The Czech Republic did kill off the major penalty. The game remained scoreless until midway through second, when Michael Spacek scored on a penalty shot to give the Czechs the lead. The Czech Republic managed to stay in the lead until midway through the third, when Russia found the back of the net to tie the game. The game remained tied 1-1 through the rest of the third and overtime, meaning a shootout was needed to decide a winner. Russia scored the lone goal in the event, as the Czechs missed their first two and was stopped on their third attempt. The Czech Republic opened the tournament with a 2-1 loss. The Czechs got reinforcement next game, as David Pastrnak came over and suited up for them against Slovakia. He would make an impact late in the second, as he scored to give the Czechs a 1-0 lead. Dominik Lakato extended the lead midway through the third. Vitek Vanecek stopped all 18 shots Slovakia registered, as the Czech Republic shut out their neighbours 2-0. Facing Belarus next, it didn't take as long for the Czech Republic to open the scoring. Simon Stransky's solo effort over 15 minutes into the period put the Czechs up 1-0. Belarus would tie the game 43 seconds into the second period. The Czechs conceded another goal midway through the period, but responded two minutes later to tie the game. The period didn't end in their favour though, as Belarus added a powerplay goal late in the period. Entering the third period down 3-2, the Czechs put on the pressure. They were rewarded midway through the period, as Jiri Smejkal scored to tie the game. Minutes later, Radek Vesely added another to give the Czech Republic the lead. An empty netter was added, as the Czech Republic beat Belarus 5-3. Against Finland, it started slow, as both teams could not find the back of the net in the first. That completely changed in the second, as the Czechs and Finns exchanged leads multiple times, as they ended the period tied at 3-3. The Czechs regained the lead almost nine minutes into the third thanks to Spacek, but a penalty moments later lead to Finland tying the game again. The Finns struck four minutes later. The Czech Republic's attempt to tie the game ran out of time, as they ended up losing 5-4. The Czech Republic finished third in Group B, and crossed over to face the US in the quarter-finals. That game did not go well for the Czechs, as they found themselves down 2-0 after the first. A change of goalies in the second provided little spark for the Czechs, as the Americans kept finding the back of the net. The Czech Republic went out in a whimper, as they were shut out 6-0. The Czech Republic was out at the quarter-final, finishing fifth overall in the tournament.
Canada: For a team with high expectations, Canada looked disjointed in this tournament. Facing rival US in their first game, Canada had the best chance in the first period, but Brandon Perlini's shot skirted just wide of the post. Canada looked to have caught a break late in the first as they were awarded a five-minute powerplay. Canada could not solve the US in the extended man-advantage, as the game remained scoreless. The Canadians did break through five minutes into the second, as Julien Gauthier beat a scrambling US netminder after receiving a pass from Matthew Barzal. The US would tie it up later in the period thanks to a set play off a faceoff. Both teams swapped powerplay goals in the third, making the last nine minutes of the period crucial. It didn't go Canada's way in that time, as the Americans scored twice in less than a minute. Canada was deflated, as they lost their opening game 4-2. Looking to rebound against Denmark, Canada dominated the play in the first. However, it was the Danes who struck first. That lead didn't last long, as Anthony Beauvillier scored a minute later to tie the game. The first period ended 1-1 to the surprise of many. Canada's attack did break through in the second, as they put up a four-spot. Dylan Strome added one more goal in the third, as Canada went on to win 6-1. It looked bad for Canada early on against Switzerland, as an early penalty led to the Swiss scoring in the first couple minutes. Canada would find themselves down 2-0 before Strome scored late in the period to pull Canada to within a goal. Joe Hicketts scored midway through the second to tie the game. Both teams failed to find a third goal, as the game went all the way to a shootout. Canada redeemed themselves in the shootout, as they scored twice while stopping all of Switzerland's attempts. Canada managed to escape with a 3-2 win. Against Sweden, early penalties put Canada in a hole, as they conceded two goals while a man down. Mitchell Stephens buried a rebound later in the period to put Canada on the board. The game got heated in the second, as two separate times roughing penalties were assessed to both teams. A slashing penalty by Brendan Perlini was costly for Canada, as Sweden scored while he was in the box. Canada let up one more goal before Mitch Marner scored on a two-man advantage to lessen Sweden's lead. Canada pulled Mackenzie Blackwood in an attempt to eventually tie the game, but it failed. Sweden added an empty netter, as Canada lost their last group game 5-2. Canada finished third in Group A, and crossed over to face Finland in the quarter-finals. The quarter-final game looked good for Canada in the first, as they went up 2-0 after 11 minutes. The shutout held until late in the first, as Canada ended the first up 2-1. Both teams scored in the first half of the second period, as Canada's goal led to a goaltending change for Finland. Canada held the lead until late in the period, as Finland struck twice in less than two minutes to take the lead. Canada was down a goal to start the third period, but didn't take long to tie the game, thanks to Marner's powerplay goal. Finland struck back quick, but so did Canada, as both teams were tied 5-5 with 14 minutes to go in the period. Canada got into penalty trouble midway through the period, as Jake Virtanen was assessed a double minor, then Hicketts was called for delay of game, putting Canada down two men. That was all Finland needed, as they scored on the two-man advantage. Canada's attempt to tie the game failed, as they lost 6-5. The lost ended Canada's tournament, as they ended in sixth place.
Slovakia: Slovakia were the last of their group to start play, as they faced Belarus first. Patrik Koch got the Slovaks on the board seven minutes into the game. That lead lasted less than five minutes, as Belarus struck back to tie the game. A penalty early into the second cost Slovakia, as Belarus scored on the man advantage to take the lead. This time it was Slovakia who needed a goal to tie the game, and Filip Lestan was just the player to do that. Seconds into the third period, Lukas Hrusik scored to give Slovakia the lead again. This time they hung on, with Juraj Siska adding an empty netter. Slovakia opened their tournament with a 4-2 win. Slovakia had a tougher time against rival Czech Republic. They were held to two shots in the first period, but managed to escape the period tied at zeros. The game remained scoreless until midway through the second, when Siska's penalty led to the Czechs opening the scoring. The Czech Republic scored early in the third, as Slovakia could not find an answer. Slovakia were shut out 2-0. Slovakia had a much better first period against Finland, as a couple quick goals midway through the period gave them a 2-0 lead. Finland did strike back on the powerplay, but Slovakia stayed in the lead, as they ended the period up 2-1. They stayed in the lead until late in the second, when Finland scored twice to take the lead. Slovakia started leaking goals in the third, as they conceded five times, and were only able to respond once. Slovakia ended the game on the wrong side of the 8-3 score line. Slovakia's last group game was against Russia. The game stayed scoreless until late in the first, when Russia scored to break the tie. Russia added one more midway through the second. Slovakia would break the shutout late in the third, as Christian Jaros' goal pulled Slovakia to within a goal. There weren't a lot of chances in the third, as Slovakia failed to tie the game. The Slovaks lost 2-1. Slovakia ended up fourth in Group B, and crossed over to face Sweden in the quarter finals. That was not a good game for the Slovaks, as they were outplayed throughout the game. Adam Huska was pelleted with 55 shots, and managed to stop 49 of them. Slovakia's 17 shots did not find netting, as they were shut out 6-0. The loss ended Slovakia's tournament, as they finished seventh overall.
Denmark: The Danes started off against a Swiss squad that were missing a couple players due to suspensions. Despite the even play in the game, Denmark would give up the first goal midway through the first period. It looked like Denmark tied the game in midway through the second, but that goal would be waved off due to a crease violation. They would get on the board early in the third, as Soeren Nielsen's goal would not be waved off this time. They took the lead five minutes later, as Mathias From whacked the puck into the net. Denmark held on the rest of the way, as they won their first game of the tournament 2-1. Denmark looked to have a tougher time against Canada, as they were dominated throughout the game. However, they managed to strike first, as Alexander True buried a cross-crease pass. Denmark's lead was short-lived though, as Canada scored 63 seconds later to tie the game. Denmark held on to end the first period tied 1-1. Canada's attack ended up being too much for Denmark, as they conceded four goals in the second. The third wasn't great either, as Canada's one goal was more than Denmark's shot total in the period. Denmark lost the game 6-1. It didn't get much better for them against Sweden, as Denmark was limited to nine shots for the entire game. Sweden just dominated, leading to Denmark suffering a 5-0 loss. Denmark faced the US to end their group games. The Danes struck first, as Mathias Lassen gave them a 1-0 lead. It lasted short of seven minutes, as the US tied it up late in the first. Lassen's goal was all the offence Denmark got, as the US turned up the heat. Denmark conceded a goal in the second and two in the third, as they ended up losing 4-1. Denmark's fourth place finish in Group A was enough to move on to the quarter-finals. Denmark was tasked with facing Russia. It didn't look good for the Danes early on, as Russia opened the scoring minutes into the game. That scored held up until the second. Goals by Markus Jensen and Thomas Olsen in the period gave Denmark a surprising 2-1 lead. Russia tied the game midway through the third. The tie didn't last long, as Emil Christensen scored two minutes later to once again but Denmark in the lead. The Danes could not hold on, as Russia scored in the last minute of the third to once again tie the game. Overtime was needed, and Denmark could not fend off Russia any longer. Russia scored five minutes into the extra frame, as Denmark's tournament ended with a 4-3 overtime loss. Denmark finished the tournament in eight place.
Switzerland: This tournament was one the Swiss will want to forget. Starting off against gold-medal favourites Sweden, Switzerland gave up a goal in the first two minutes, and it got worse from there. Fabian Heldner and Chris Egli were given five and a game for checking to the head in the first. Switzerland had no chance the rest of the way, as Sweden continued to build their lead. Switzerland's first game ended with them losing 8-3. The Swiss looked to rebound against Denmark. It looked good in the first, as Noah Rod opened the scoring in the first. The game stayed that way until the third, when Denmark scored twice. Switzerland tied to tie the game up, but their attempt was all for naught, as they fell 2-1. Switzerland wasn't expected to do much against Canada, but they ended up surprising them, as they ended the first period up 2-1. The Swiss stayed in the lead until midway through the second, when Canada scored to tie the game. It stayed tied at 2-2 the rest of the way, as a shootout was needed to decide a winner. Switzerland could not convert on any attempt, as they lost the shootout. Needing a win against the US to stay alive, the game was over for Switzerland in less than a period. The Americans scored six times in the first and followed that up with four in the second, as Switzerland was blown out 10-0. Switzerland ended group play with only one point, and would be placed in the relegation round. Belarus would be their opponent in the best-of-three, loser-is-relegated series. The first game saw both teams end the first period tied at 1-1. The Swiss line of Timo Meier-Denis Maglin-Damien Riat would take over from there, as they teamed up for two goals in the second period. Switzerland added two more in the third, as they took the first game 5-1. Switzerland got off to a good start in the second game, as they were up 3-0 13 minutes into the game. Belarus would strike back with two quick goals, as Switzerland ended the first period up a goal. Their lead would extend in the second, as Switzerland scored three times in the period. The score remained the same in the third, as Switzerland held on to win 6-2. The win gave Switzerland the series win, as they get to stay up in the main tournament.
Belarus: The Belarusians did not have a good tournament. Starting off against the host Finland, Belarus had little chance. They kept the game scoreless until late in the second, when Finland scored to open the floodgates. Belarus were shut out 6-0 by the host in their opening game. Belarus faced Slovakia the next day, and managed to perform much better. Both teams swapped goals in the first and second period, as they entered the third tied 2-2. Belarus conceded a goal 19 seconds into the period, and could not recover from there. Slovakia added an empty netter, as the 4-2 loss was Belarus' second of the tournament. Belarus started off rough against Russia, as they gave up three goals in the first period. They would break the shutout in the third period thanks to Alexei Patsenkin, but that was all Belarus could get. Russia added another, as Belarus lost the game 4-1. Belarus ended group play facing the Czech Republic. They would go down 1-0 after the first, but them exploded in the second, as the Belarusians scored three times in the period. They ended the second up 3-2. Belarus managed to hang on for half a period, but the Czech would eventually tie the game. Belarus could not strike back, as the Czechs added two more. The Belarusians lost 5-3 in their final group game. Belarus finished group play with no points, and was sent to the relegation round to face Switzerland. Game one started off well for the Belarusians, as they scored on the powerplay two minutes into the game. The lead didn't last long, as Switzerland tied the game minutes later. The score stayed that way until late in the second, when Belarus' defence could not hold off the Swiss attack any longer. Switzerland scored twice before the period ended, and added two more in the third period, as Belarus lost the first relegation game 5-1. Game two started off with a bang, as Switzerland scored twice in the first four minutes, causing Belarus to change goalies. The Swiss added one more goal before Belarus came back with two goals before the end of the period. Belarus could not do much after that, as Switzerland's attack was too strong. A three-goal third period all but ended Belarus' hopes in this game, as they ended up losing 6-2. The two losses ended Belarus' stay in the main tournament, as they will be playing in Division Group A next year.
Final Ranking
1 (Gold) - Finland
2 (Silver) - Russia
3 (Bronze) - United States
4 - Sweden
5 - Czech Republic
6 - Canada
7 - Slovakia
8 - Denmark
9 - Switzerland
10 (Relegated) - Belarus
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