HOCKEY CANADA
2003 IIHF World Junior Championship
Sweden wins 7-2 over Germany What was touted as a must-win game for both teams quickly turned into a battle of wills, one that Sweden won with relative ease. Germany came out hard, playing aggressive hockey, and it looked like a team very different from some of the earlier games they played. They spent much of their time with all five of their players in Sweden’s end, hoping to get the first goal. Instead, they took the first penalty, and looked listless throughout the rest of the period. After 20 minutes, it was already a lopsided 4-0 game for Tre Kronor. In the second period, the Germans decided enough was enough. At 12:02, Dmitri Patzold left the ice to a round of applause and German goaltender Patrick Ehelechner came in with the score 6-0. He fired the crowd up with some key saves, notably a cross-crease dive, snagging the puck out of the air without seeming to look. The real key of the German game was when Marcel Goc beat the buzzer at the end of the second period, with one second left, to score the first goal of the game for Germany. They started looking hopeful, and playing like they wanted to win the game. “The beginning was pretty good, then they got some rebounds and scored on their rebounds,” Patzold said of his game. “It doesn’t feel good to come from the ice, but sometimes maybe you need to come from the ice.” The near-capacity crowd tried its best to rally the underdog of the tournament. “The fans were really good to us,” says Patzold, “and they tried to help us. On the ice, we just couldn’t help ourselves.” The third period seemed arrhythmic, with first Sweden controlling the game, and then Germany controlling matters when the game was well out of reach. The fate of the Germans seemed sealed when they just couldn’t get the puck over Michal Zajkowski’s glove and into the net. Swedish captain Alexander Steen was the Swedish Player of the Game again, scoring two goals and being instrumental in setting up other great scoring chances. He says that Sweden needs to regroup for tomorrow’s game, which they have to win to stay in the medal round. “We were up 6-1 after two periods, and we didn’t really need anymore goals. There’s no point in tiring yourself out looking for more goals when you have a game the next day.” Jen McCauley
Monday’s game against Team Germany will be very important to Team Sweden, but not for the reason that they would like. Coming into the tournament the Swedes had high hopes about winning a medal for the first time since 1996. However, after dropping the first two games, the Swedes are poised to enter relegation-round purgatory instead of medal heaven. Sweden’s fate is no longer in its own hands, and Tre Kronor faces two must-win contests to get back on pace with the Czech Republic. The Czechs sit two points ahead of Sweden after two games, with a big game still impending between the two nations on December 31 in Halifax. Only the top three teams in each pool advance to the medal round, and in Pool B Canada and Finland have already earned births. Germany has essentially been eliminated from the medal round, but would still like to play spoiler against Sweden. The German team is rejuvenated after a great effort against Canada, where it scored its first goal of the tournament. Despite being eliminated from the medal round, the game does carry a lot of importance for the Germans, who carry over any points they earn against other fourth- and fifth- place teams in the relegation round. Confused? The Swedes rebounded from a tough opening-night loss to Canada 8-2 with a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Finland. They outplayed their Nordic rivals and got stalwart goaltending from Michal Zajkozski. Look for him to make his second straight start in net after Mathias Fagerstrom allowed eight goals in the opener. The top pair of Alexander Steen and Robert Nilsson have been dynamic in Sweden’s first two games and should provide the offensive spark against Germany. Look for Germany to be led by goalkeeper Dimitri Patzold, who has become a fan favourite here in Halifax after keeping his team close in all three games despite being bombarded with shots. In the game against Canada alone, Patzold kicked aside 49 shots and was treated to the (self-assessed) largest ovation of his career despite opposing the host nation. Another bright spot on the German roster is David Danner, who finally deposited the team’s first goal of the tournament against Canada. Assistant coach Rupert Meister said, “Scoring a goal will really bring us up. We will play now with more confidence, and hopefully we will win.” Sweden disposed of the German team 5-2 in exhibition play on December 21st. Andreas Jamtin recorded a goal and four assists. Jamtin has been held pointless in the team’s opening two games of the tournament but hopes to return to top form against a familiar opponent. Look for him to be a key player in the Swedish attack. The action begins at 4pm in Halifax, so check in regularly throughout the game for live updates, and comprehensive post-game analysis. Forest Kenney |
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For more information: André Brin Director, Communications | Directeur, communications |
