IIHF – Norway sends GB down

Norway delivered a big performance when it mattered to secure its own IIHF World Championship status with a 5-2 victory over Great Britain in Monday’s survival battle.

After 18 successive campaigns in the top division, the Norwegians were facing demotion if they lost in regulation on Monday. GB, meanwhile, needed a victory to save itself; either outright in regulation, or backed up by a result in Tuesday’s meeting with Austria in the event of an overtime success.

Pressure can affect teams in different ways and the first period illustrated that point. Norway produce arguably its best hockey of a troubled campaign when it mattered most, grabbing a 3-0 lead. The Brits, meanwhile, suffered their worst opening frame in Prague, slipping out of the game – and the top division – with barely a whimper.

Things might have been different if Cade Neilson had connected with a loose puck in front of a wide open Norwegian net after 60 seconds’ play. But Norway made the most of that reprieve with two goals in two minutes. Markus Vikingstad produced a fine redirect to drag a Max Krogdahl point shot inside Jackson Whistle’s post, settling early nerves. Then Rob Lachowicz misjudged his clearance, picking out Patrick Thoresen in the right-hand circle. The veteran evaded Neilson’s desperate lunge and wired a shot in off the post. The 40-year-old veteran became the oldest player to score in this year’s championship, but the British defence was giving up the puck with alarming ease.
 

A third goal soon followed: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard dinged the iron, his fellow forwards worked hard to keep the play alive and as the Brits got in each other’s way at the back door, Eskild Bakke Olsen took advantage to score at the second attempt.

GB had been here before: in 2019 it saved itself against France after trailing 0-3; in 2022 it rallied from 0-3 before falling to Norway in a shoot-out. But today’s task got tougher due to a problem for talismanic forward Liam Kirk, who did not play a second in the middle frame. Norway showed little sympathy. The second period began with Brandsegg-Nygard scoring on the power play, a third of the tournament for the draft-eligible Skelleftea-bound forward. 

That maintained a remarkable record from Norway’s next generation: of 15 goals at this championship, 12 came from players aged 25 or under. That suggests that future tournaments may not be quite as tense as this one.

The…