Czechia 4, Austria 1
Austria actually got on the board first in this game on a beautiful drive to the net by Anna Meixner. The goal was set up by Theresa Schafzahl and it felt like a dream start for the Austrians, who will need both of those players at the top of their game to avoid relegation in this tournament. It was a dream start for the country who is playing at the top level for the first time ever.
Despite getting the first goal, Austria struggled to keep possession and Czechia spent long stretches of the first in the offensive zone. However, they kept the game close throughout. They managed just three shots on goal in each of the last two periods as Czechia put pressure on, but a strong defense kept the score close.
They evened the score just before the intermission after a turnover behind the net. Aneta Tejralová drove up the left side and cut in towards the net and found Klára Hymlárová open at the back door for an easy goal.
Austria got into penalty trouble as the game went on. Czechia didn't score on the power play, but their next goal came right after a penalty expired while they were holding the zone. Natálie Mlýnková tipped a long distance shot from Sára Čajanová to make it 2-1 at the second break.
The Czechs finally put the game away late in the third as Kateřina Mrázová scored from close range and then again on an empty-net to secure the 4-1 win. Selma Luggin made 45 saves for Austria in their top division debut.
Canada 5, Sweden 1
Sweden simply could not stay out of the penalty box, taking away any chance they may have had to make this game interesting - removing the 20 minutes assessed for Nicole Hall's game misconduct, the Swedes still racked up an entire period's worth of penalty time - 21 minutes total.
Canada is icing their youngest team in over a decade, but the youngsters handled themselves well in their debut. Rosalie Tremblay, in particular, stood out as the top line center where she earned an assist on the first goal, setting up the play that led to Jessie Eldridge finding the back of the net. Emily Clark tipped a shot from the top of the zone by Daryl Watts during a power play to double the lad to 2-0.
Becca Leslie scored her first World Championship goal before the end of the frame to make it 3-0 Canada. She picked up the puck on a broken play and used some beautiful stick handling to go forehand, backhand and beat Ebba Traff Svensson.
Between Canada's ability to hold on to and move the puck and the interruptions of the penalties, Sweden simply could not muster much in the way of offense, particularly in the second where they had to kill Hall's major and got just tw0 shots on goal in the frame. Back-to-back-to-back penalties finally bit them during that third power play as Kendall Cooper scored from the slot to make it 4-0 after two.
Sweden got on the board with a power play goal from Hanna Thuvik early in the third after Mira Jungåker hit the pipe. Thuvik put back the rebound to make it 5-1. Any momentum they seemed to pick up from that goal was immediately squashed by another set of back-to-back-to-back penalties with a goal on the third power play, this time Eldridge's second to close out the 5-1 win.
USA 7, Switzerland 0
Andrea Brändli did her best to keep her team in this game, holding the Americans to a single goal in the first and two more in the second, but the US firepower took over in the third and they cruised to a 7-0 win.
The US allowed just two goals through the Olympics and continued their stingy defense to start this tournament. Between injuries and retirements, Switzerland is missing a ton of the talent that carried them to the bronze in Milan and they managed just eight shots on goal in this game.
Importantly for the Americans in this game, their fourth line was very involved, scoring two of the team's goals and being very noticeable on the ice. Casey O'Brien scored her first World Championship goal in the first while Kirsten Simms added an insurance goal late.
Hannah Bilka opened the scoring, tapping in a loose puck after Taylor Fox did the work circling the zone and finding a lane to the net front. It was 1-0 after one. Early in the second, KK Harvey carried the puck up the left and to the near post. The initial shot was saved and there was a mess for the puck in front of the net. It popped out just enough for Casey O'Brien to nab it and wheel around to put it back at net and in. Later, on the power play, Laila Edwards used her size to settle in the slot, giving her great position to use her stick to redirect a shot from the top of the zone by Harvey to make it 3-0.
Things broke open in the fourth. Bilka put back a rebound from a Abbey Murphy drive to net to make it 4-0 just 71 seconds into the frame. Five minutes later, Lacey Eden won the puck on the boards at the half line. Harvey snapped a quick pass to Simms, who carried it in and used a toe drag to freeze the defense and goalie, scoring easily to make it 5-0. A pass from behind the net by Kelly Pannek back to a trailing Hilary Knight made it 6-0 and Laila Edwards drag wrister off a drop from Alex Carpenter closed out the 7-0 win.
Finland 4, Denmark 1
Emma-Sofie Nordström made 55 saves, but the relentless push of the more experienced Finns was too much for the host country on the first day of the tournament. Despite the final, Nordström said it was one of her team's best defensive games. That played out in the first as Finland outshot Denmark 23-0, but had just a 1-0 lead. The Finns scored as Julia Schalin forced a turnover behind the Danish net and fed Elisa Holopainen out front, who had a wide target to make it 1-0.
In the second, the Nuutinen sisters showed off as first Emma and then Sofia lit the lamp to give Finland a 3-0 lead. On a rush, Emma took the puck going up the right side boards. She took a lane to the net front where her initial shot was saved, but her momentum carried her across the goal mouth and she picked the puck back up and lit the lamp the second time around. Minutes later, on the penalty kill, Sofia picked up a puck Oona Koukkala played off the side boards from behind her own net. Sofia carried it the length of the ice and her shot on goal deflected in off a Danish skate to make it a 4-0 game.
Denmark did get a wonderful moment early in the second when Nikita Bergmann picked up a turnover in the neutral zone and let go of a wrister from the faceoff dot to beat Sanni Ahola and get the Danes on the board.
In a great moment of premonition from Nordström, after the game she said, "If we play like this tomorrow against Japan, we can beat them."
Day 2
Japan 2, Denmark 3 (SO)
This game felt like all Japan for about 57 minutes of play. But things in hockey change on a dime and the host-nation took advantage of the few minutes they had the edge and then outlasted Japan in the shootout to walk away with a win that puts them in the driver's seat when it comes to avoiding the relegation game.
This year's format means the teams that finish in the bottom of each group will play after the preliminary round and the loser will be sent back to Division IA. The win for Denmark and the balanced strength of the groups means they now have the advantage over Japan to not end up in last place in Group B. Obviously an upset going forward would impact things, but for now, the Danes can celebrate that they took care of business.
Japan outshot Denmark 32-15 and took control of the game early. Umeka Odaira scored less than six minutes into the game. Using her speed she accelerated from her own blueline and went straight at Emma-Sofie Nordström, pitching the puck top shelf to make it a 1-0 game. Eight minutes later, she did almost the exact same thing, this time racing up the left side and beating Nordström five-hole.
Japan's approach seemed to be timely poke checks and taking off in transition and quite frankly, it worked very well for them. Their speed and strength on their sticks forced turnovers and upset momentum again and again.
Things looked up in the second as Silke Glud beat a defender in her own zone and opened a lane for herself straight to Japan's net. The initial save was made but Nikita Bergmann put back the rebound to make it a 2-1 game.
No matter what they tried, Denmark looked like they wouldn't be able to close the gap. A long stretch of power plays that included more than a minute of 5-on-3 early in the third looked like a prime opportunity, but Denmark looked too careful, passing up shots. The ones they did get to net hit the post and their best offensive opportunity slipped away.
Then Teresa Christensen took off in transition in a goal that looked out of the Japan playbook, racing down the ice and putting a shot that squeaked through Miyuu Masuhara's five hole and trickled into the net.
A late Japan penalty seemed like a prime chance for Austria to win it in regulation, but Christensen took a penalty 10 seconds in. The teams started overtime in the box, so as the penalties expired OT was four on four. With no whistle in the extra frame, those players never left the ice. The lack of open ice was evident and the shootout seemed inevitable.
Nicoline Jensen scored a beautiful, patient goal to open the shootout and put Denmark on the front foot. Odaira's goal was initially waved off but review showed it hit inside the bar. A bunch of great goalie saves ensued until Frederike Foss, the last shooter, scored to give Denmark the win. She and her team celebrated on the ice while the stadium went wild. It seemed everyone was aware of the likely meaning of stealing the win.
Germany 2, Austria 0
Selma Luggin continues to be outstanding in net for Austria. She withstood an onslaught from Germany, making 49 saves a day after she stopped 42 against Czechia. She held the Germans to a single goal through more than 58 minutes. Nina Jobst-Smith's backhander in the middle of the second came after her team failed to clear the zone and in the midst of absolute chaos in front of her net. It's honestly almost unfair she took the loss in this game.
Germany looked poised and connected in the game, consistently getting pucks to the net and not looking frustrated in the face of Luggin's stellar performance. It's not surprising, however, that their game-winning goal came from one of their most experienced players. As Austria tried to get the puck clear and switch the run of play, Carina Stroebel went to one knee and used her body to corral the puck and keep it on side. She quickly stood and fed the puck back down low. The switch in direction and momentum had Austria on their heels and a little chaotic. In the confusion, Jobst-Smith picked up the puck on the near side and backhanded it over a sprawling Luggin to give Germany the 1-0 lead.
Despite a ton of possession and puck movement, that's all they would be able to muster in this game until Jobst-Smith took off and potted an empty-netter to ice the win.
Coming up on Sunday, November 8
- 9:00 AM Eastern – USA vs. Germany (Group A) (NHL Network, TSN)
- 9:00 AM Eastern – Finland vs. Sweden (Group A) (NHL Network, TSN)
- 1:00 PM Eastern – Czechia vs. Switzerland (Group B) (NHL Network, TSN)
- 1:00 PM Eastern – Canada vs. Japan (Group B) (NHL Network, TSN)
(Photo: Czechia Women's Hockey Instagram)
