The Calgary Flames & other sports related stuff

[JustKelli]

There was a hilarious moment between me and American player Kendall that I'll save for tomorrow and let them savor their historic win tonite. Final Shots 39 to 10 for the USA. Nicole Hensley gets the shutout

USA 3 FIN 0

So, we meet again! The defending champion U.S. blanked 2019 silver medalist Finland 3-0 in Sunday’s late game at Calgary’s WinSport Arena.

It was an historic night. Power forward Hilary Knight tied fellow American icon Cammi Granato's all-time IIHF Ice Hockey Women's Worlds goals record (44) with her third-period marker. Knight grew up idolizing Granato and shares her #21 jersey number.

Grace Zumwinkle and Kelly Pannek also scored for the unbeaten Americans, who were full value for the three points with speed and puck pressure. They outshot the Finns 39-10, and Finnish goalie Meeri Raisanen was the main reason it wasn't a more lopsided outcome.

It was the first encounter between these two rivals since the U.S. controversially edged Finland 2-1 in a shootout in the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship gold medal game.

In Espoo, Petra Nieminen appeared to have scored for the hosts in overtime, but the goal was called back after a 12-minute video review, cutting the short the celebrations. Annie Pankowski scored the decisive marker in the shootout for the Americans, who claimed their fifth consecutive world title.

But both teams will tell you that’s ancient history now. This year, the Americans can tie Canada for the most Women’s Worlds gold medals of all time (10). The Finns, still looking for their first win in Calgary, dream of topping the podium for the very first time.

Speaking of history again, with her 70th all-time Women’s Worlds game, Finnish captain Jenni Hiirikoski took sole possession of the all-time tournament record for most games played, surpassing former teammate Karoliina Rantamaki (69). The two Finns are tied with Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser for the most career Women’s Worlds (13). The 34-year-old Hiirikoski has been named Best Defender seven times at this tournament, among other accolades.

In their openers, the U.S., with Alex Cavallini in net, beat Switzerland 3-0, while Finland, playing goalie Anni Keisala, fell 5-3 to Canada. Head coaches Joel Johnson and Pasi Mustonen both started different veteran netminders for this renewal of hostilities.

Goalie Nicole Hensley, whose last Women’s Worlds game was the U.S.’s 3-2 gold-medal overtime win over Canada in 2017, recorded the shutout. Meanwhile, Raisanen, 31, got her first IIHF start since Finland’s 1-0 bronze-medal shootout loss to Russia in 2016.

The Finns were first-time silver medalists in 2019 after earning 12 previous Women’s Worlds bronzes. Based on this outing, the 2018 Olympic bronze medalists have still got work to do to successfully pull off another playoff upset like their 4-2 semi-final ouster of Canada in 2019.

The U.S. and Finland got off to a gritty, intense start with board battles aplenty. Raisanen looked sharp early on with good glove saves on Hayley Scamurra and Dani Cameranesi. But the U.S. carried the play more and more, despite two ineffective early power plays.

On the first American goal at 14;31, Scamurra won a battle with defender Minttu Tuominen below the goal line and kicked the puck out front to Zumwinkle, who beat Raisanen high to the short side.

The first period unmistakably belonged to the Americans with a 17-4 edge in shots. (Eerily, that was the exact same margin as the first period of the 2019 final.) Just before the siren, Brianna Decker nearly made it a two-goal lead when she took a stretch pass from Savannah Harmon but couldn’t fool Raisanen with her rising backhand.

Early in the second period, Knight had a fabulous opportunity when she got a shorthanded breakaway, but Raisanen made a pad save. Moments later, Abby Roque came within a hair’s-breadth in tight. Things got rougher, and the U.S. kept on coming.

Pannek – one of 11 2018 Olympic gold medalists on the U.S. roster – made it 2-0 at 6:25. Defender Jincy Dunne’s shot through traffic ticked off Pannek’s skate through Raisanen.

For Finnish fans, a mid-game power play with Scamurra off for her second tripping penalty of the night was not encouraging, as Suomi registered zero shots. The Finns, in fact, didn’t test Hensley in the second period until Susanna Tapani’s shot nearly 12 minutes in.

In the third period, Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen was shaken up after Knight knocked her over with a high forearm next to Raisainen's crease, taking a roughing penalty. The Finns remained unable to mount effective pressure, even with the 5-on-4 advantage. Knight was foiled on a breakaway after coming out of the box.

Knight finally tallied her landmark goal with 6:58 left in the third, planting herself in the slot to outmuscle Finland's Rosa Lindstedt and converting Lee Stecklein's centering pass into a half-open net.

While most pre-game talk surrounded the rematch of the 2019 gold medal game, it's worth noting this wasn't a mirror image of the round-robin game between the U.S. and Finns that year. The Finns led 2-1 through the second period, but the U.S. exploded for five third-period goals in a 6-2 victory, outshooting their blue-and-white opponent 45-23.

In general, there was plenty of roster juggling and experimentation on both sides. For the U.S., forwards Britta Curl and Lacey Eden made their long-awaited Women’s Worlds debuts, replacing Jesse Compher and Abbey Murphy. Harmon took over from youngster Caroline Harvey on the blue line.

Finnish forward Noora Tulus missed this game after getting injured against Canada and was replaced by newcomer Emilia Vesa. On defence, Sini Karjailainen slotted in for Aino Karppinen.

The ROC team will face the U.S. on Tuesday and Finland on Wednesday.

This was the 20th all-time Women’s Worlds game between the U.S. and Finland. The Americans now boast a head-to-head record of 17 regulation wins, one extra-time win, and one extra-time loss

-- by Lucas Aykroyd

[JustKelli]

Slow day at the World's as both games are in the books...

GER 3 DEN 1
CZE 4 JPN 0

So anyway we have multiple monitors in our booth overseeing the ice surface, of which 1 is for external broadcasts. One of my girlfriends that attended the game last night was a little bit bored so she jokingly switched it over to Lego Movie 2 and during a TV timeout when it was rather quiet in the arena because there's no fans in attendance you could literally hear a pin drop. One of the American players skated by and happened to hear something that sounded odd and she looked up at me and said what's the matter Kelli are we boring you, to which I replied no you guys are rocking it but my girlfriend's a little bit bored, she's a die-hard Canada fan LOL.

Just to clear things up these women play with 100% of everything they have in them and it's great hockey all around even for some of the lesser teams that try their heart out. The refereeing leaves something to be desired though and it's not the officials job to dictate the pace of the game that is up to the players but some still make it all about themselves!!!

Canada and the USA go at it on Thursday both teams are currently undefeated.

And in very sad news Jeff Hayes formerly of the Boston Bruins was found dead today at age 31 no details have been released. I have since reached out to his brother Kevin of the Philadelphia Flyers to offer my condolences and support.

[JustKelli]

USA 6 ROC 0

Knight passes Granato in U.S. win

By Lucas Aykroyd | 24 AUG 2021

It’s all history, all the time in Calgary. Hilary Knight scored her 45th career Women’s Worlds goal to surpass fellow American legend Cammi Granato for the all-time tournament record as the unbeaten U.S. thrashed the ROC team 6-0 on Tuesday.

While the U.S. remains focused on winning a sixth straight gold, there was a touch of magic and nostalgia.

"Kendall Coyne and I went to Cammi's hockey camp back in Chicago, many, many years ago," Knight recalled. "She just exudes greatness. To be around that level of talent both on and off the ice is incredible."

Knight's record-setting marker came at 3:17 of the second period, giving coach Joel Johnson’s team a 2-0 lead. The towering 32-year-old forward got the puck at the top of the left faceoff circle, cut into the slot past three Russian defenders, and scored high to the glove side.

Fittingly, long-time linemate Brianna Decker earned the assist on the play. Decker is now the all-time U.S. assists leader (39 assists), moving past Krissy Wendell and Jenny Potter.

"When Decks has the puck, you just got to get open," said Knight. "She's on the half wall. Just coming in there, I was able to find some space and put the puck in the back of the net. I was shooting on that goalie in the same spot a couple times, and I missed and just wanted to make sure I got it this time."

"I've had the privilege and honour of playing with Hillary and Kendall a lot throughout my career," said Decker. "And, man, they make it pretty easy to move the puck in. You know you're gonna get a lot of assists when you're on a line with Hilary Knight! What I admired about Potter and Krissy, their games, was how strong they were on the puck, because that creates a lot of time and space for other players."

Versus the ROC team, Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek also stepped up with a goal and an assist apiece, and Grace Zumwinkle and Megan Keller had two assists apiece.

After opening these Women's Worlds with 3-0 wins over Switzerland and Finland, the U.S. extended its shutout streak to three games. It's the third time they've started this tournament that way (2001, 2009). Shots favoured the defending champs 55-11.

Both nations now face crucial matches for Group A seeding. Coach Yevgeni Bobariko's women take on the Finns on Wednesday, while the U.S. renews its classic cross-border rivalry with Canada on Thursday.

"When we have this border battle with Canada, it's a great game to be a part of," Knight said. "It really gets your blood flowing, and it's something that a lot of us live for."

With superior speed, skill, and physical power, the U.S. has thoroughly dominated Russian opposition in Women’s Worlds play. It now boasts a record of 16 wins and zero losses with a goal difference of 144-8. The Americans have outscored the Russians 48-0 in their last six meetings and have not allowed a goal since a 13-1 romp in 2015 in Malmo.

"In the third we just kind of crumbled and let them score three easy goals," said Russian forward Fanuza Kadirova. "If we take that away and try to play evenly and at 100 percent from the first second to the last, we can improve."

For the U.S., the offensive floodgates are now open. Their power play came to life with two conversions against the ROC team after being blanked on 11 previous opportunities.

"The Americans were simply quicker than us," said Bobariko. "We took a lot of penalties and didn't stick to the game plan we devised."

This affair was as lopsided as the ROC team’s 5-1 loss to the Canadians, in which they were outshot 62-7. Goalie Anna Prugova, who stopped 24 of the 26 shots she faced in relief against Canada, battled hard in her first start for the Russians, although she'd be pulled in the third period. The U.S.’s Alex Cavallini, who earned a 10-save shutout against Switzerland, returned between the pipes for another easy goose egg.

"It's certainly fun to celebrate accomplishments, but none of those are possible without great defensive play," said Johnson. "And that always starts with with our goaltenders. So Alex for two games and Nicole [Hensley] for one have just been outstanding."

Reflecting the U.S.’s great depth, forwards Hayley Scamurra and Abby Roque and defender Jincy Dunne were scratched. Forwards Jesse Compher and Abbey Murphy and defender Caroline Harvey, all of whom played against Switzerland in the opener but were scratched against Finland, drew back into the line-up.

The U.S. mustered intense pressure from the get-go. It was a tough start all around for Bobariko’s team. Assistant captain Anna Shibanova was shaken up in a collision with Murphy and went off, although she would return to action.

Zumwinkle, a rookie who scored in each of her first two Women’s Worlds games, was the catalyst on the 1-0 opening goal at 11:50. She powered from the left corner to the front of the net, getting past blueliner Angelina Goncharenko, and Curl, a fellow rookie, put in the rebound for her first career Women’s Worlds goal.

Growing up, Curl idolized Knight. She has a photo of her holding Knight’s stick when she was 13. She’s still got a ways to go to catch her childhood icon on the all-time goal-scoring list, though.

"We love the energy that the younger talent brings," Knight said. "We had a lot of firsts today, a lot of first goals. And it was really exciting to be on the bench and experience that. Many more to come for those guys!"

In the second period, the ice stayed tilted in America’s favour. After Knight’s history-making 2-0 goal, she stayed dangerous. Near the seven-minute mark, Knight almost added another one, ringing the disc off the post. Moments later, she redirected a feed from captain Kendall Coyne Schofield off Prugova’s left pad.

The rough outing for the Russians continued as top scorer and nine-time World Championship participant Olga Sosina got hit twice inadvertently on one shift and went to the bench in obvious pain.

On the 38th U.S. shot of the game, Stecklein made it 3-0 with a rising wrister from the center point that went in off Prugova’s right shoulder with 2:35 left in the middle frame.

"It's not only about Hilary Knight," Bobariko noted. "Every player on the US team is a very skilled, top-level player. Every player on their team is a danger for the net.

At 2:45 of the third period, Pannek ended the American power play drought when her one-timer from the left faceoff circle handcuffed Prugova.

More power play goodness ensued as Murphy hammered home her first Women's Worlds goal at 6:13. That ended Prugova's outing, as she was replaced by Valeria Merkusheva.

Just 1:40 later, Compher made it 6-0 when she put in the rebound from a Zumwinkle redirection. The ROC team showed frustration as Nina Pirogova was penalized for a knee-on-knee hit on Coyne Schofield, who fortunately was able to continue.

"We took a lot of bad penalties," said Pirigova. "We need to get rid of mistakes like that."

Knight is now just one point away from equalling the all-time American points record (78 points) held by (who else?) Granato. Stay tuned for more history.

[JustKelli]

CAN 5 SUI 0

Kudos for a valiant effort for the Swiss goalie that literally stood on her head stopping 58 of 63 shots. My girl Natalie Spooner notched a pairing in a winning effort that saw 2 goals come in a 17 second span in the 2nd period.

Canada crushes Swiss

By Andrew Podnieks | 24 AUG 2021

Despite the heavy odds against them, the Swiss did have one ray of hope – goalie Andrea Braendli, who stopped 55 of 58 shots in a 3-0 loss to the United States. The 24-year-old kept her hot hand going in the first period, stopping all 21 shots fired her way. Her best was a right pad kick save on a close-in chance from Jill Saulnier, who found a rebound off an Ella Shelton point shot but couldn’t beat the Swiss goalie.

And so, when the first period ended 0-0, the Swiss had made a bit of history right there. It was only the second time they had held Canada without a goal in any period of the previous 18 (2nd period in 2019). But the Swiss also didn’t test Maschmeyer too much at the other end, and it seemed only a matter of time before Canada would solve the Braendli puzzle.

Sure enough, Canada got the game’s first goal at 5:04 of the second, and it came short-handed. Blayre Turnbull made a sensational rush down the right side and beat Braendli with a deke, but the puck hit the post. Emily Clark, following up on the play, knocked in the loose puck, though, for an important 1-0 lead.

"I think they got a little nervous when it was 0-0 after the first period," Stalder noted. "I think on that power play where they got the short-handed goal it would have been a different game if we had scored."

Four minutes later, Canada got a bit of a lucky goal off a 3-on-2 rush. Poulin fired a pass to the middle, but the puck bounced off Jamie Bourbonnais and in. And then just 17 seconds later, they made it 3-0. Renata Fast took a long wrist shot that Natalie Spooner redirected past Braendli.

The Canadians added a fourth goal of the frame late after a mad and pressure-filled sequence which saw one Swiss player lose her stick. Erin Ambrose took the shot, and Melodie Daoust deflected the puck off the shaft of her stick and in.

Switzerland got its best chance to score late in the period after a bad giveaway by Shelton outside her blue line. Stalder picked off the puck and skated in alone, but her quick shot looking for the five-hole was rejected by Maschmeyer to keep it a 4-0 game and to keep the Swiss scoreless all time against the Canadians.

"I think on breakaways if you come with a lot of speed I don't want to deke because I might get pressure from behind, so I tried to go five-hole, but she covered it well," Stalder explained.

Spooner did it again early in the third when she redirected a Shelton point shot at 1:01 to make it 5-0. That spelled the end for the beleaguered Braendli, who was replaced by Saskia Maurer, who made her senior WW debut for the Swiss on Saturday and was letter perfect the rest of the way.

The Swiss had another great chance to capitalize when Canada took two quick penalties and were down two skaters for 85 seconds, but the PK did its job. A little later, Evelina Raselli had an open net off her own rebound but couldn't get the puck over the pad of the sprawling Canadian goalie.

And now the showdown North American fans have been waiting for – Canada versus the United States, Thursday afternoon Calgary time.

"The part we liked about tonight's game is the types of goals we scored tonight were playoff-type goals, net front, jamming away from below the goal line," Ryan continued. "Those are the types of goals we're going to have to score moving forward. It was good to see."

The Swiss also finish their preliminary round on Thursday, playing Finland in the early game

[JustKelli]

JPN 4 HUN 1

Japan too much for Hungary

By Lucas Aykroyd | 24 AUG 2021


The Land of the Rising Sun is on the rise. Japan edged Hungary 4-1 in Tuesday’s third game at the 2021 Women's Worlds at Calgary’s WinSport Arena.

Akane Shiga, Rui Ukita, Haruna Yoneyama, and Hanae Kubo scored for Japan. Haruka Toko sparkled with two assists.

Captain Fanni Gasparics replied for the newly promoted Hungarians, who remain winless in three tries.

It was a true battle of power plays as Japan capitalized three times and Hungary once. The Japanese bounced back in style after getting shut out 4-0 by the Czech Republic in their last game. They outshot Hungary 29-25.

In goal, two-time Japanese Olympian Nana Fujimoto got her third consecutive start. Aniko Nemeth got into her second game after making 23 saves in Hungary’s 3-0 opening loss to Germany.

Both teams came out with a palpable sense of urgency. The Hungarians were eager to build on a strong two-way effort in their 4-2 loss to the Group B-leading Czechs. The Japanese aimed to generate more offence after entering this game with just one goal – Hikaru Yamashita’s 1-0 winner versus Denmark – on 52 shots through two games.

The Hungarians put more pressure on Fujimoto’s net in the early going, but Nemeth had to be sharp as well to get her blocker on Aoi Shiga’s drive through traffic.

With under five minutes to play in the first, Akane Shiga – Aoi’s younger sister – pounced on Hungarian blueliner Lotti Odnoga’s defensive-zone giveaway and forced Nemeth to make her best save of the stanza with a glove grab.

The Japanese had another fabulous chance on a 3-on-1 rush that fizzled and hit the cross bar. At 19:18, Hungary’s Petra Szamosfalvi was sent off for hooking, and Akane Shiga banged in a power-play rebound to open the scoring just 17 seconds later as the Japanese swarmed the net.

At 3:16 of the second period, Hungary struck back on an early power play. Japan’s Chika Otaki was sent off after dumping Odnoga into the boards on the forecheck. Gasparics took a pass from Sarah Knee, waltzed into the left faceoff circle, and fired the puck high past Fujimoto on the short side.

A 5-on-3 power play enabled Japan to retake the lead at 7:30, as Haruka Toko found Rui Ukita in the low slot and she confidently roofed it home.

The Hungarians fell short with two more power play opportunities to close out the middle frame and another two in the first half of the third period.

Nearing the seven-minute mark of the third, Nemeth gave her team a chance when she stoned Suzuka Taka on a clearcut breakaway, denying the five-hole attempt.

Akane Hosoyamada's power-play howitzer was deflected in by Yoneyama for a 3-1 lead.

After Mei Miura centered the puck from a nice right-wing rush, Hanae Kubo, Japan's 38-year-old national team legend, poked it in at the side of the net at 11:34 to make it 4-1. It was her first goal and point here in Calgary. That killed Hungary's comeback hopes.

Japan also topped Hungary 4-2 in a pre-tournament exhibition game on 18 August on the strength of two goals by Rui Ukita.

Hungary closes out its round-robin slate versus fellow top-division newcomer Denmark on Wednesday. Japan does the same versus Germany on Thursday.

[JustKelli]

FIN 4 ROC 0

Finns skate to first win

By Andrew Podnieks | 25 AUG 2021

Finland scored three beautiful goals in the opening period en route to an impressive 4-0 win over ROC this afternoon, their first win of the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship after starting with consecutive losses to the North Americans.

The Finns used their superior skating and playmaking to overcome a ROC team determined to play a physically demanding game. Several players on both sides went down with minor injuries, and both teams had ample opportunity on the power play.

The win means Finland’s game against Switzerland tomorrow will determine third place in Group A. Third place will mean a date with the top team in Group B in the quarter-finals. A Finland win will give Suomi that spot, but a Swiss win in regulation could see a variety of placings depending on the score.

The Finns opened the scoring at 8:07 off the rush. Michelle Karvinen drove down the right wing and waited patiently for teammate Susanna Tapani to go to the net. Karvinen waited and waited, and at the perfect moment put the puck on Karvinen’s stick for the goal.

Four and a half minutes later, the Finns made it 2-0 when Karvinen’s long shot went in and out of the glove of goalie Valeria Merkusheva. Petra Nieminen was there to swat the rebound in at 12:33.

Three minutes after that, Noora Tulus made a great pass across the crease to Jenniina Nylund coming hard to the back side of the net, and as with the first goal Nylund merely redirected the perfect pass in.

That spelled the end for Merkusheva, who was replaced by Nadezhda Morozova.

Teams settled in to a more defensive mode for the second period, and although there wasn’t a goal there were chances with the extra skater. ROC incurred two of the three minor penalties, but neither team was able to cash in.

Olga Sosina had ROC's best scoring chance early in the third on the power play. She took a pass in centre ice and flew down the right wing, beating Anni Keisala with a shot to the far side but hitting the post. That bit of bad luck cost ROC. Just a few minutes later Finland made it 4-0 off a faceoff win in the offensive end. Nieminen cut in on the short side of goal and lifted a puck over the shoulder of Morozova at 4:50, putting the game out of reach.

[JustKelli]

CZE 2 GER 0

Czechs stay perfect

By Andrew Podnieks | 25 AUG 2021

For the second time in as many Women’s World tournaments the Czechs have finished the Group B preliminary round with a perfect 4-0 record. They completed their schedule tonight with an impressive 2-0 victory over Germany, and as a result finish first in the group to face one of Finland, Switzerland, or ROC in the quarter-finals.

The Germans will now finish second or third in the group, 7th or 8th overall, and will face either Canada or the United States in the quarters. Pick your poison. They have one last game tomororw night against Japan.

"I think we played really well two days ago and again today," said Dominka Laskova, who had both goals for the winners. "In the first two games we weren't too happy with how we played, even though we won. We knew we could play better. We've taken a big step from the start of the tournament to right now. We're happy with where we are."

Goaltender Klara Peslarova picked up her fourth straight win and is now 7-0-1 in the last two years. Franziska Albl made her first career start at the Women's Worlds and was sensational for the Germans.

"We talked about having back-to-back games, so we decided to start Franziska. She played really very well," said Germany's coach Thomas Schadler. "Our defence was okay today. We battled hard and blocked shots, but we didn't have many scoring chances of our own. We have to work on that tomorrow."

"Of course, it was disappointing," added Tanja Eisenschmid. "We worked really hard off the hop, but we were lacking in the offensive zone. That effectively brought on the loss. The Czechs were moving their feet well and played aggressively, always on the puck. That made it difficult for us because it felt like we were always trying to win the puck back."

Teams swapped four penalties in the first, but it wasn’t until the last of these, against Germany, that the game really got going. Midway through the frame, with the extra skater, the Czechs perked up and created several great scoring chances, only to be stymied by Albl and, on one occasion, the post. Noemi Neubauerova was alone in front and redirected a pass, only to see it hit the post and carom into the corner.

Soon after, the Czechs had their best chance of the period after a turnover and collision at their blue line, when the same Neubauerova lost control of the puck and allowed Marie Delarbre to race the length of the ice unhindered. Her shot, however, was stopped by Peslarova, as she showed why she had a 3-0 record and .935 save percentage coming into the game.

The Czechs thoroughly dominated the middle 20 minutes, limiting Germany to a single shot on goal. Their own offence started with another great chance from Neubauerova, who was again foiled by Albl. But they opened the scoring at 4:28 after a faceoff win in the German end. Vendula Pribylova passed it over to a wide open Laskova, and she wired a shot high to the short side over Albl’s glove for a 1-0 lead.

"It was a set play that we work on," Laskova described. "I got a nice pass and saw an opening. I needed a bit of time to relax and then hit the spot."

Albl kept her team in the game the rest of the period, foiling Katerina Mrazova with another gem of a pad save. Neubauerova had a breakaway a little later, but she lost control of the puck on the deke and it rolled into the corner without Albl having to make a save.

Albl was again razor sharp in the third early on as Natalie Mlynkova burst through the middle and went in on goal, only to be stopped by the goalie when she deked and fell to the ice. Midway through, though, the Czechs finally got another puck by Albl. Neubauerova drove hard to the net on the rush, and although Albl held her ground the puck squirted free and Laskova pushed it over the goal line for her fourth goal of the tournament, tying her with teammate Alena Mills for topscorer to date.

"I think the turning point for us was the game against Hungary," Czech coach Tomas Pacina explained of his team's play in the preliminary round. "We felt we didn't play very well and we let them into the game. The girls repsonded well after that game. We felt against Japan we played 40 complete minutes and today we played 50 complete minutes. We definitely believe in the quarter-finals we'll play 60 complete minutes."

[JustKelli]

HUN 5 DEN 1

Hungarians come ninth, Danes tenth

By Lucas Aykroyd | 25 AUG 2021

Hungary has made history. With a 5-1 win over Denmark on Wednesday, the newly promoted Hungarians earned their first victory ever at the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship to finish ninth. The Danes, fellow newcomers, wind up with four straight losses and tenth place.

Looking confident and opportunistic to wrap up their inaugural top-level stint, the Hungarians cashed in three times on the power play. Hungary outshot Denmark 18-11.

Forward Alex Gowie, who played at the University of Calgary from 2014 to 2017, and captain Fanni Gasparics had two goals apiece. Kinga Jokai-Szilagyi stepped up with a goal and two assists. Sarah Knee and Bernadette Nemeth both had two helpers.

Captain Josefine Jakobsen replied for Denmark.

In net, Hungarian coach Lisa Haley went with starter Aniko Nemeth for the third time. Danish coach Peter Elander gave 18-year-old Emma-Sofie Nordstrom her Women’s Worlds debut.

It was the last official game of the 2021 tournament for each team. There is no relegation this year since no lower-division competitions were played due to the global pandemic.

This was a great learning experience for both Denmark and Hungary and a potential stepping stone toward the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

From 11 to 14 November, the Hungarians will compete in an Olympic qualification tournament against the host Czechs (Pribram), the Norwegians, and a team to be determined. The Danes will do the same against the host Germans (Fussen), the Austrians, and a team to be determined.

After failing to capitalize on their first power play, the Danes took three consecutive penalties and got burned on a 5-on-3 at 14:45. Jokai-Szilagyi, just above the goal line to Nordstrom’s left, tried to centre the puck and it deflected in off Danish assistant captain Nicoline Jensen’s outstretched stick.

Gowie stretched Hungary’s lead to 2-0 at 17:49, exploiting a Danish giveaway. Michelle Weis flubbed her attempt to backhand the puck cross-ice to her defence partner, and Gowie pounced, beating Nordstrom with a quick glove-side release. The versatile South African-born Canadian has represented Hungary internationally since 2016-17.

Just 22 seconds into the middle frame, another power play goal put Hungary up 3-0. Jokai-Szilagyi – once again by Nordstrom’s left post – sent a sweet backhand pass to Gasparics out front and she made no mistake.

The Danes fought back with a shorthanded marker at 5:16. Jakobsen came down the left on a 2-on-1, heads-up all the way, and snapped the puck over Aniko Nemeth’s glove to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Near the midway point, Gasparics stripped Josephine Asperup of the puck in front of the Danish net and nearly added another Hungarian goal, but Nordstrom foiled her backhand attempt.

With just 45 seconds left in the second period, Gowie circled the Danish net on a 4-on-3 and unleashed a rising wrister that deflected in off blueliner Malene Frandsen.

Approaching the three-minute mark of the third period, Nordstrom came out to make a nice right pad save on Imola Horvath off the rush. But despite their best efforts, the Danes had simply dug themselves too deep of a hole.

Gasparics rounded out the scoring with 1:24 left, finishing off Jokai-Szilagyi's set-up on an odd-player rush.

Denmark won one game at its lone previous IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in 1992. Jannie Hadsen scored in overtime to give the Danes a 4-3 victory over Switzerland in the seventh-place game in Tampere, Finland.

The Danes and Hungarians aren’t completely done with each other. Taking advantage of the time and opportunity here in the Calgary bubble, they will play an additional exhibition game on Sunday.

[JustKelli]

The stage is set for what should make for a very interesting and entertaining hockey game this afternoon at 4 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time as Canada and the US face off in the final day of round-robin play before the playoffs both teams are undefeated going into this game.

Canada has not captured gold since 2012 and in 2019 (the last time the tournament was held), the Canadians did not play for the top prize. Canada was upset by Finland in the semifinals, marking the first time the country was not in the gold-medal game in the tournament's history. Canada has won the most gold medals (10) dating to the start in 1990. Add to that 8 silver and 1 bronze

After winning the last four consecutive Olympic gold medals the Canadian women lost to the USA in 2018. This tournament is basically a tune-up for both teams for the Winter Olympics in 2022 in China.

Canada is Infamous in both hockey and curling as two examples for us being the best in the world at something but training the rest of the world to learn how to beat us LOL.

[JustKelli]

If you are watching the Canada versus USA game live as I am the first thing you will notice is that the referees put their whistles in their pockets allowing the players to dictate the course. Canada took the lone penalty at the 19:40 mark for tripping. The USA will start on the power play for the 2nd for1 minutes and 20 seconds or less.

Kelly Cooke from the USA and Lacey Senuk from Edmonton are the two on-ice officials for this game. Lacey is one of the most recognized officials refereeing women's hockey currently.

CAN 2 USA 0 after 1