2024-05-13 17:52:17
In regular time, Rodrigo Ābols and Roberts Bukarts stood out for the Latvian national team with accurate shots. Stéphanes da Costa and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored for the French national team.
Daugavins, who scored 2+1 in the first game, scored a goal and one assist in this match.
LATVIA’S CAPTAIN WITH THE BUZZER-BEATER GOAL IN OT!
Kaspars Daugaviņš gets the win for Lativa with a goal in the final second of OT. #MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/gs2QPHWHLF
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 12, 2024
Goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins, who saved 27 out of 29 shots, was recognized as the best player in the Latvian national team. In the opposite goal, Žiljens Žunka managed 33 out of 36 shots.
With four points in two games, the Latvian national team is currently the leader of subgroup B, but Sweden and Poland will play the second game in the evening.
On Saturday, in the first match of the tournament, Latvia defeated Poland 5:4 in overtime, while France lost 1:3 to Kazakhstan.
At the beginning of the game, Renārs Krastenbergs earned the opportunity to play in the majority for the Latvian national team. In it, the Latvians successfully stood in the opponent’s defense zone and made several shots, but did not send the puck into the goal, including when the goal remained empty due to a mistake by the French.
The Latvian national team quickly gained the initiative, almost not giving the French a chance to score in the first ten minutes. In the second half of the period, Kristaps Zīle left the Latvians in the minority, but Oskars Batņa was suspended until the end of the game for stabbing him with a stick. Playing three-on-five, after da Costa’s shot, the puck from Roberta Mamčica went into the goal of the Latvian national team – 1:0 in favor of France in the 17th minute.
After Saša Trej’s rejection, the team continued to play four-on-four for the next two minutes, but ended the period again in the minority, because the five-minute rejection awarded to Batņi had not yet ended.
Although at the beginning of the second period, Latvian hockey players had another opportunity to play in the majority, however, in the first half of the third period, the opponents scored more goals. In the next ten minutes, the team led by Hari Vītoliņš leveled the course of the fight and, although at one point they were again forced to defend more, at the end of the period they once again pushed the opponents into their zone.
In the third period, after three minutes played, Abols reached 1:1, the first shift striker scored his second goal in the championship. His exchange partner Mārtiņš Dzierkals pulled three opponents on him, passed to Ralf Freiberg, who redirected the puck to Ābol in front of the goal.
Nearing the middle of the period, Elvis Merzlikins tripped the opponent near the goal and left the Latvian national team in the minority for two minutes, but in the middle of the third period, Igo Galle elbowed Jānis Jak in the head and neck area. The Latvian defender was able to continue the game, while Galle gave the Latvian national team five minutes to play in the majority.
In it, in the 52nd minute of the game, Kaspars Daugavins first hit the goal post, and then Roberts Bukarts sent the puck into the goal, making it 2:1. Jak provided the first assist in this goal.
When there were three minutes and nine seconds left before the end of regular time, Merzlikin bounced the puck in front of him after da Costa’s shot, from where Bellemare made no mistake. In the last seconds of regular time, the Latvians already had to save a draw, when Merzlikin saved from an conceded goal.
Also, Merzlikin neutralized da Costa’s solo move against the goalkeeper in extra time. In the second minute of overtime, the French gave the Latvians the opportunity to play in the majority due to Haraldas Egle’s possession.
Already in the same formations, Daugavins came alone against the goalkeeper in the last seconds and sent the puck into the goal – 3:2.
After that, on May 14 Latvia will meet with Kazakhstan, on May 15 – with Germany, on May 18 – with Sweden, on May 19 – with Slovakia, and in the final group game on May 21, the Latvians will play against the USA hockey players, whom they beat last year in the battle for the bronze medal. for awards.
The 16 teams participating in the tournament are divided into two groups, with eight teams each, which guarantees seven games for each team. The top four teams in each group will continue the medal fight in the quarter-finals, while the weaker teams in both groups will leave the stronger division, and next year will be replaced by Hungary and Slovenia in the top 16.
Last year, the Canadians triumphed in the world championships, beating Germany in the decisive match, while Latvia won the bronze medals, defeating the USA national team in overtime.
This year, the world championship will take place in the Czech cities of Prague and Ostrava from May 10 to 26.
2024-05-13 17:52:17