Italy veterans – Norway 0:3 (end) | Kazakhstan – Germany2 1:2 (1:2 after SO) | Sweden2 – Denmark 3:0 (end)
Finland – Latvia 2:3 (end) | Canada2 – Slovakia2 4:1 (end) | USA – Switzerland 3:2 (end)
final
Italy veterans
0:3 (0:1, 0:1, 0:1)
Norway
Saturday 10.05.2014, 11:45 • Chizhovka-Arena, Minsk, Belarus • World Championship
     
    That's it from this one, we will be back in less than two hours. (13:51:23)
     
    The anthem coming up now.
     
    David Borrelli (ITA) and Lars Haugen (NOR) are the players of the game.
     
    Now players of the game are to be announced and the Norwegian anthem will be played.
     
    Team Norway wins their tourney opener and takes the lead in the standings of Group A. One goal in each period was enough as Minsk-based goalie Lars Haugen gets a shutout despite a good effort by Team Italy. 27-15 are the shots in favor of Norway after the game.
     
    Nicoletti wanted a piece of Bastiansen at the final whistle, but they just wrassled for a bit and then parted ways.
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    58:43
    Norway in full control now as a shot by Sorvik is deflected in front by Hansen and goes over the net.
     
    58:14
    Odegaard dumped one on net from the blue line, but it didn't catch a deflection and ended up going wide.
     
    57:36
    A dump-in by Ask is gloved easily by Bellissimo and it looks like both teams know the outcome of the game already.
     
    57:00
    Tudin fired one from far out, but only hit the glass behind the net.
     
    56:27
    Borgatello looked to spring Tudin, but the latter couldn't get his stick on it and so it went all the way to Haugen's crease.
     
    56:00
    Long drive by Nicoletti goes just wide of the mark.
     
    55:33
    Offside called against Italy as Ihnacak was crossing the blue line, commercial break coming up.
     
    55:00
    Team Norway had the puck in the Italian zone, but it took a weird bounce and so Di Casmirro was able to get it out.
     
    53:29
    Goal for Team Norway!

    This is pretty much a sealed deal as Team Norway takes a 3-0 lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock. What a sweet feed to spring ANDERS BASTIANSEN by Mathis Olimb and the captain made no mistake face-to-face with Bellissimo, finishing the play with a great shot over his shoulder.

    Assisted by Mathis Olimb.
     
    52:32
    Roymark set up Hansen beautifully in front of the wide-open net, but Bellissimo got over in a hurry and gave him no space between the pad and the post and since he didn't lift it up, the puck stayed out.
     
    52:15
    A pass by Bonsaksen goes all the way down the ice even though a couple of players were just inches away from touching it, icing is called.
     
    51:36
    Big shot by Scandella from the left circle goes just wide of the target.
     
    51:10
    Fontanive dumps it in, but the Norwegians regain possession immediately.
     
    50:17
    Ask looked to set up Skroder perfectly and that would have been a sure goal had Gander not intercepted it.
     
    49:14
    Big chance in front as a shot by Ihnacak was only blocked by Haugen and Borelli was looking for the rebound, but one of the defensemen poked the puck away.
     
    48:58
    Icing is called against Italy.
     
    48:19
    Martinsen fired one and then went into the net and Bellissimo covered up despite losing his stick.
     
    48:10
    Norwegians seem to have all the momentum now and it will be hard for Team Italy to get back into this one.
     
    47:56
    Perfect feed for Olden in front, but it was intercepted.
     
    47:40
    Odegaard fired one from the blue line, but it didn't get through traffic in front.
     
    46:50
    Kostner with a long shot from the left wing, Haugen makes a blocker save.
     
    46:33
    Ken Andre Olimb looked to set up Trygg for a blast from the blue line, but the puck skipped over his stick and went offside. Commercial break ensues.
     
    45:31
    Team Norway in possession, but now a misplay causes an icing against them.
     
    44:40
    Stene had the puck under control and tried to make something happen, but did not succeed.
     
    44:12
    Big hit thrown behind the play by Ask on Borgatello, no stoppage, no penalty.
     
    43:53
    Haugen makes a stop on Kostner and Odegaard doesn't let the 21-year-old Italian forward get to the rebound.
     
    43:37
    Sweet feed for Bastiansen in front, but the puck goes wide of the net.
     
    43:21
    Ken Andre Olimb fired one from the right wing, but only hit the side of the net.
     
    42:10
    Coast-to-coast hockey at the moment, but no real big chances on either of the two sides.
     
    41:11
    Gander leaves the box and we're back to even strength.
     
    41:10
    Rocco led the puck into a shorthanded odd-man rush, passed the puck to Ihnacak, but the son of former Slovak NHLer was denied by Haugen.
     
    40:58
    Ask is okay and now he redirectd a shot by Trygg, but it went wide.
     
    40:26
    A shot by Holos blocked in front by Nicoletti and then cleared by Di Casmirro.
     
    40:01
    Norwegians get the puck after the draw.
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Both teams are ready, the third frame will start in no time.
     
    Stay with us as the third period begins at 2:19 PM EET.
     
    Team Norway doubled up their lead in the second period thanks to a goal by Morten Ask, who, however, got shaken up on the play and if this is his end of the tournament, his team will sure miss him. The Italians, nonetheless, played great hockey and were a better team for most of the frame, despite being outshot 6-5. Lars Haugen still stays perfect after forty.
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    39:35
    Holos fired one on net, but it went right on Bellissimo who had no problem catching that one.
     
    39:11
    The delayed call is on Markus Gander for hooking.
     
    38:49
    Italians are still forechecking hard, but that will now result in a penalty against them.
     
    38:02
    Rocco was denied entry into the Norwegian zone and so the Nordic team has the puck.
     
    37:40
    Bad-angle shot by Nicoletti is stopped by Haugen and Ihnacak was dumped while looking for the rebound by Odegaard which resulted in an altercation, but no penalties are called by the refs.
     
    37:30
    Italian top line creating some mess in front of Haugen and now the goalie covers up and Kostner has some words for his teammates.
     
    36:40
    No shots in the last sequence.
     
    35:53
    Bellissimo covers up, commercial break coming up.
     
    35:25
    Borrelli's line has Norwegians under siege right now, but Haugen keeps his shutout bid alive.
     
    34:40
    Ken Andre Olimb set up Mathis Olimb in front, but Bellissimo made the initial stop and then it was cleared off the line by Thomas Larkin before Ken Andre could get his stick on it!
     
    33:45
    What a great feed by Egger that was meant for Nicoletti, but Kostner picked it up and fanned on the shot so it was blocked in front.
     
    33:21
    Skroder leaves the penalty box and puts an end to this powerplay.
     
    32:53
    A shot by Felicetti went up high and caught Tudin in the head, but the Ritten forward looks okay and stays on the ice.
     
    32:25
    Norwegians clear the puck, a good PK by them as they haven't let a shot on Haugen in quite some time now.
     
    31:44
    A shot by Borgatello got deflected big-time by Rocco, but Haugen closed the five-hole and it sure looks like he feels like home here in Minsk.
     
    31:19
    Sullivan's check was clean according to the refs and now Per-Age Skroder (NOR) gets two minutes for roughing as he was the one who retailiated after the whistle.
     
    31:19
    Goal for Team Norway!

    The Norwegians take a two-nothing lead, but it's a painful goal as the goal-scorer will leave the game with an injury. Sondre Olden carried the puck in and left it for MORTEN ASK on the blue line and the 33-year-old forward made a great move around Di Casmirro and then his shot found the five-hole of Bellissimo who won't be happy about this one. After that, Sullivan finished his check high on Ask and the forward got shaken up on the play.

    Assisted by Sondre Olden and Per-Age Skroder.
     
    31:02
    Scandella puts a shot just wide from the left circle.
     
    30:39
    Italy got back into the offensive zone and now Ramoser threw a big hit on Ken Andre Olimb who, however, stands tall on his skates.
     
    30:02
    A shot by Ken Andre Olimb is blocked and the follow up by Odegaard is denied by Bellissimo.
     
    29:20
    Captain Bastiansen is back on the ice for Team Norway, a much better powerplay this time by the Italians.
     
    29:04
    Rocco with a one-timer from a point-blank range, it goes just wide.
     
    28:28
    Scandella set up Sullivan with a great feed and Haugen just tips it wide with his skates!
     
    28:10
    Another Johnson's one-timer is blocked by Forsberg.
     
    27:54
    Huge one-timed blast by Trevor Johnson from the blue line goes just wide.
     
    27:19
    The last Nowegian PK was outstanding, let's see what it will look like now.
     
    27:19
    After a blocked shot by Felicetti, there is an interference penalty coming up against Anders Bastiansen (NOR).
     
    26:42
    Gander almost got on a breakaway, but the puck skipped over his stick and went all the way down the ice.
     
    26:15
    Now Egger's dump-in looked a lot more dangerous, but the puck stayed out of Haugen's area anyways.
     
    25:58
    Egger looked for a deflection with a dump-in from the blue line, but didn't get one.
     
    25:44
    Ask played the puck with a high stick in the neutral zone so we have a stoppage of play.
     
    25:32
    Let's see if that swtiches momentum in favor of Team Norway as now there is an icing call against Italy.
     
    25:14
    No goal is the official call right now.
     
    25:14
    Well, that replay is pretty much inconclusive, let's wait for the ref's call.
     
    25:14
    Now the refs were notified that Sullivan's shot during the powerplay might have crossed the goal line and it sure does look that way up on the jumbotron.
     
    25:14
    A drive by Di Casmirro is tipped up into the netting by Bonsaksen, a defenseman with Valerenga Oslo.
     
    24:50
    Finally a big shot by Team Italy, but Nicoletti put it just wide of Haugen's net.
     
    23:49
    Holos reenters the ice, 5 on 5 hockey coming up.
     
    23:38
    Odegaard with another shot down ice as the penalty is winding down.
     
    23:20
    And again, this time it's Borgatello on the puck.
     
    23:02
    Bonsaksen clears it out and the Italians will have to start from their own end.
     
    22:39
    A dump-in attempt by Rocco was not successful and the Norwegians clear right away.
     
    22:02
    Daniel Sullivan with a one-timer from the right circle and he hit the crossbar and then it went out!
     
    21:49
    Jonas Holos (NOR) gets called for tripping and Team Italy heads into its first powerplay of the night.
     
    21:33
    Rocco got the puck into the Norwegian zone, but the Nordic country has been good at not letting the Italians fire the puck on goal.
     
    21:13
    Now a long drive by Trygg got all the way through screen to Bellissimo who made the stop.
     
    20:43
    Italy has had a strong start to the second with Di Casmirro and Kostner causing mess around Haugen, but no shots were fired on the Oslo native.
     
    20:07
    Icing against Italy and tempers flare as they raced hard for the puck and crashed into the boards just as hard.
     
    20:01
    Team Italy won the faceoff.
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Team Italy is ready for the second and now Team Norway makes entry as well.
     
    12-6 are the shots in favor of Team Norway after twenty minutes of play.
     
    Tune back in for the second at 1:28 PM EET.
     
    A fun first period is over here at the Chizhovka-Arena with the Norwegians in front by one goal that was scored by an Allsvenskan player in Niklas Roest just five minutes in. And it looked like Team Norway would dictate tempo of the game, but the momentum switched after a penalty kill by Team Italy and Lars Haugen had to make some stops as well to keep his team in the lead.
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:59
    Forsberg and Roymark closed the period with one shot each, none found the target.
     
    19:46
    Roymark looked for the buzzer beater and found Forsberg's stick in front, Bellissimo closed his five-hole just in time to make the stop and it's a big one.
     
    19:36
    Will each team look for a buzzer beater or are we going into the second like this?
     
    19:15
    Martinsen fired one from the slot, pad stop made by Bellissimo.
     
    18:49
    Team Norway gets ahold of it and is able to get it out of their own zone.
     
    18:14
    Borrelli with a huge hit on Sorvik along the boards, but it's the Asiago forward who looks shaken up on the play.
     
    17:51
    Scandella carried the puck in on the left side and tried to fire it through the five-hole of Haugen, but the Dinamo Minsk netminder closed it quickly.
     
    17:45
    One-timer by Bastiansen from the blue line goes just over the crossbar.
     
    17:29
    Big battle in front of Norwegian bench and the puck ends up going into the endzone behind Haugen.
     
    16:42
    A shot by Roymark dangerously tipped in front, but Bellissimo can be thankful because it's going just over the bar.
     
    16:20
    Coast-to-coast hockey right now with both goalies making saves.
     
    15:35
    What a chance for Team Italy as Borrelli carried the puck in, gave it to Rocco who could have put a backhander on Haugen but instead tried to pass it to wide-open Ihnacak, but it didn't get through.
     
    15:06
    Bellissimo covers up with Bastiansen looking for the rebound of Mathis Olimb's dump-in.
     
    14:28
    Ken Andre Olimb tried one from the left side and Bellissimo made an unsure blocker save, but it was enough.
     
    14:19
    Di Casmirro fell while crossing the blue line, but the linesman's call is offside, no penalty called.
     
    13:48
    It looks like the momentum is on Team Italy's side at the moment, likely thanks to the successful penalty kill.
     
    13:25
    Egger with a great play to breakup a Norwegian counter-attack following a turnover in the offensive zone.
     
    13:14
    Ramoser got the puck to the doorstep this time, another save is made by Haugen.
     
    13:07
    Trivellato centered one well for Fontanive in front, but Haugen stays perfect.
     
    12:38
    Italians almost capitalized on a counter-attack, but Haugen came up with a great pad stop.
     
    12:29
    A slow tempo game as the Norwegians lose it again in the neutral zone.
     
    11:45
    Mads Hansen with a great shot through traffic in front from the left circle, but it is a pad stop by Bellissimo.
     
    11:02
    Italians have the puck in the corner of the Norwegian zone, but can't get it into a shooting position.
     
    10:37
    Borgatello gave the puck away in his own zone, but soon recovered and took it away himself.
     
    10:10
    Bonsaksen carries the puck from behind his own net looking to set up an attack.
     
    09:45
    Scandella is out of the box, the Italians have survived their first penalty kill.
     
    09:10
    Italians were able to clear after that, but now Team Norway is back in.
     
    08:45
    Mathis Olimb received the puck in between the circles and just fired it wide of the target.
     
    08:21
    Holos with a huge one-timer from the blue line and a great glove save is made by Bellissimo!
     
    08:03
    Ihnacak clears it down the length of the ice.
     
    07:55
    Trygg sent the puck into the pileup in front from the blue line, but Bellissimo controls it all the way.
     
    07:44
    Team Norway is heading into a man-advantage, Giulio Scandella gets a minor penalty for interference.
     
    07:42
    A big shot by Trygg during a delayed call and a good shoulder save is made by Bellissimo.
     
    07:10
    Italians look for an equalizer with a couple of good shots, but Haugen as stopped all of them so far.
     
    06:48
    Team Norway keeps pushing and now a shot by blueliner Sorvik from deep in the offensive zone goes through the crease and just wide.
     
    05:42
    Goal for Team Norway!

    And the score is opened just the way we expected! Team Norway has been proving their role of the favorite of this game and they capitalize on an odd-man rush following an Italian turnover in the neutral zone. NIKLAS ROEST received a beautiful feed on a give-and-go with Andreas Stene and put the puck in off the post.

    Assisted by Andreas Stene.
     
    05:30
    More action in front of Bellissimo, but he doesn't have to make a stop.
     
    05:00
    Italians had the puck in the offensive zone for some time, but nothing was fired Haugen's way so the Norwegians went the other way and Ask sent the puck right through the crease.
     
    04:25
    Now the puck ends up on the Norwegian bench following a battle in the neutral zone.
     
    03:58
    Norwegians failed to make anything happen in the Italian zone so Ihnacak carried it into their zone, but his cross-ice feed was intercepted.
     
    03:32
    A couple of shots fired by Borgatello and Kostner and finally Haugen covers up.
     
    03:05
    The puck is in the Italian zone, but the defending team has been pretty good on their defensive side.
     
    02:40
    Low shot by Stene from the blue line, easy pad stop for Bellissimo.
     
    01:45
    The puck is in the neutral zone and Italy has it under control.
     
    01:20
    Bastiansen's line caused a lot of mess in the offensive zone with him and Ken Andre Olimb getting a shot away each, Bellissimo had to make a stop and then it was cleared into the neutral zone by Borgatello.
     
    01:02
    The puck is in Norwegian zone, but Team Norway has possession.
     
    00:45
    Icing by Team Italy right now.
     
    00:40
    Good defense by Brian Ihnacak in the neutral zone, another turnover by Team Norway.
     
    00:20
    Neither of the teams able to get past the neutral zone very early on.
     
    00:01
    Team Norway wins the opening puckdrop.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    Both teams huddle around their respective goals and motivate themselves before the big game.
     
    And now Team Italy enters the ice as well.
     
    Team Norway is one the ice now and so are the officials.
     
    The surface is ready and stands are beginning to fill up, it will be game on soon here at the Chizhovka-Arena.
     
    Less than twenty minutes left on the clock before the opening faceoff and it will be a crucial game for Team Italy as Norway, France and Denmark are teams to beat for them as they are looking to avoid relegation. On the other hand, the Norwegians need to beat all of these and one of the four favorites of this group – Canada, Czech Republic, Sweden or Slovakia – in order to have a chance to advance to the next round.
     
    Warmups start in ten minutes, the game will be on in about fifty so stay tuned for more.
     
    The captains are 34-year-old defenseman Alexander Egger for Italy, one of the Bolzano Foxes who won the EBEL last year, and Anders Bastiansen for Norway, a long-time center for the team and also for his club of Färjestad in the SHL.
     
    The starting goaltenders will be aforementioned Lars Haugen, an Oslo native and one of two starting netminders for Dinamo Minsk, and the other is Daniel Bellissimo, born in Toronto and currently playing for Luleå HF in the SHL where he is a backup goaltender.
     
    While the Norwegian lineup includes a couple of KHL players, namely starting goalie Lars Haugen who is with Dinamo Minsk and Yaroslavl's blueliner Jonas Holos, there are five EBEL champions with Team Italy, Bolzano Foxes Alexander Egger, Davide Nicoletti, Markus Gander, Marco Insam and Luca Felicetti.
     
    Starting lineups:

    Italy: Bellissimo (Bernard) – Egger "C", Nicoletti, Hofer, Borgatello "A", Sullivan, Larkin, Johnson, Trivellato – Scandella, di Casmirro "A", Kostner – Borrelli, Ihnacak, Rocco – Gander, Felicetti, Tudin – Insam, Ramoser, Fontanive.

    Norway: Haugen (Volden) – Holos "A", Odegaard, Espeland, Trygg, Sorvik, Bonsaksen – Hansen "A", Roymark, Forsberg – Bastiansen "C", K. Olimb, M. Olimb – Olden, Skroder, Ask – Martinsen, Roest, Dahlstrom – Stene, Lovlie.

    Referees: Fraňo (CZE), Vinnerborg (SWE) – Carnathan (USA), Hull (CAN)..
     
    The game starts in about two hours, stay tuned for lineups and more.
     
    The last time these two teams met was two years ago in Stockholm, Sweden, where the Scandinavian country beat its opponent from the Appenine Peninsula 6-2. Marius Holtet scored the game-winner for the Norwegians back then.
     
    While Italy is back in the elite division after a one-year hiatus, Norway has been a perennial participant since 2006, a year after getting promoted from the lower division.
     
    Second day of the World Championship has six games in store for the fans and it all begins in the Chizhovka-Arena where Norway and Italy battle in what might turn out to be their most critical game of the preliminary round. Based on past championships, Norway is a favorite given the fact that Italy got promoted to the elite division for this season.
     
    Welcome. Game starts at 11:45.
    Commentary by

    Radoslav Vavřina

    Goals & lineups Match log
    Goals and assists: 6. Roest (Stene), 32. Ask (Olden, Skroder), 54. Bastiansen (M. Olimb)

    Italy veterans: Bellissimo (Bernard) – Egger "C", Nicoletti, Hofer, Borgatello "A", Sullivan, Larkin, Johnson, Trivellato – Scandella, di Casmirro "A", Kostner – Borrelli, Ihnacak, Rocco – Gander, Felicetti, Tudin – Insam, Ramoser, Fontanive.
    Norway: Haugen (Volden) – Holos "A", Odegaard, Espeland, Trygg, Sorvik, Bonsaksen – Hansen "A", Roymark, Forsberg – Bastiansen "C", K. Olimb, M. Olimb – Olden, Skroder, Ask – Martinsen, Roest, Dahlstrom – Stene, Lovlie.
    Referees: Fraňo (CZE), Vinnerborg (SWE) – Carnathan (USA), Hull (CAN).