GDT: May 12 • Norway vs. Belarus

[Systemfel]

2015 IIHF World Championship
Group A

May 12
6:15 AM ET • 12:15 CET

Norway
Projected lineup.

Left Wing​

|

Center​

|

Right Wing​

46 Mathis Olimb​

|

21 Morten Ask​

|

41 Patrick Thoresen

| -

24 Andreas Martinsen​

|

40 Ken Andre Olimb​

|

51 Mats Rosseli Olsen​

| -

8 Mathias Trettenes​

|

20 Anders Bastiansen

|

26 Kristian Forsberg​

| -

28 Niklas Roest​

|

11 Andreas Stene​

|

22 Martin Røymark​

| -

29 Robin Dahlstrøm​

|

-​

|

-​

| -

Left Defense​

|

Right Defense​

10 Mattias Nørstebø​

|

6 Jonas Holøs​

| -

55 Ole-Kristian Tollefsen

|

23 Mats Trygg​

| -

47 Alexander Bonsaksen​

|

90 Daniel Sørvik​

| -

42 Henrik Ødegaard​

|

-​

| -

Starter​

|

Backup​

30 Lars Haugen​

|

31 Lars Volden​

| -

Scratched​

|

Details​

F 14 Jonas Djupvik Løvlie​

|

Healthy​

| -

D 17 Stefan Espeland​

|

Healthy​

| -

G 70 Stefen Søberg​

|

Healthy​

| -

Belarus
Projected lineup.

Left Wing​

|

Center​

|

Right Wing​

74 Sergei Kostitsyn​

|

17 Alexei Kalyuzhniy

|

46 Andrei Kostitsyn

| -

13 Sergei Drozd​

|

23 Andrei Stas​

|

91 Artur Gavrus​

| -

11 Alexander Kulakov​

|

88 Yevgeniy Kovyrshin​

|

61 Andrei Stepanov​

| -

85 Artyom Volkov​

|

77 Alexander Kitarov​

|

15 Artyom Demkov​

| -

27 Alexei Yefimenko​

|

-​

|

-​

| -

Left Defense​

|

Right Defense​

89 Dmitriy Korobov

|

57 Ivan Usenko​

| -

25 Oleg Yevenko​

|

5 Nikolai Stasenko​

| -

8 Ilya Shinkevich​

|

14 Yevgeniy Lisovets​

| -

-​

|

26 Nikita Ustinenko​

| -

Starter​

|

Backup​

35 Kevin Lalande​

|

1 Vitaliy Koval​

| -

Scratched​

|

Details​

F 59 Sergei Demagin​

|

Healthy​

| -

D 22 Oleg Goroshko​

|

Healthy​

| -

G 31 Igor Brikun​

|

Healthy​

| -

Officials​

|

Referee​

|

TBA | -

Referee​

|

TBA | -

Linesman​

|

TBA | -

Linesman​

|

TBA | -

Click to read more...

 

[Faterson]

Game of the Year for Slovakia? Go Norway! Lots of viewers in Slovakia will be tuning in around noon.

Yesterday, Slovak TV hockey analysts couldn't agree what the Belarus strategy for its final two games would be: take it easy against Finland, and then play hard against Norway to get the 2 points needed? Or play hard in both games?

As we saw yesterday, Belarus gave it all against Finland, and were rewarded with 1 of the 2 points needed. (For a while, it looked like they might get all 3 points; and then, 0. Lots of fans were cursing around Slovakia when Belarus tied it in the final minute.)

Now Slovak hockey analysts say Belarus might be tired after that hard game against Finland (overtime, too), given that Belarus had less than 18 hours of rest between its last 2 games, while Norway had a day off yesterday.

Let's see what happens.

 

[PapaQ]

I wonder how Norwegians percieve this match... I am sure they're aware that the win will help Slovakia, but I don't know.. sometimes its all about motivation.

 

[SlovanHC]

They owe us

 

[tobu]

Belarus still the clear favorite in my opinion, but Norway has been decent so looking for a surprise.

 

[GotTheMovesLikeJagr]

I wonder how Norwegians percieve this match... I am sure they're aware that the win will help Slovakia, but I don't know.. sometimes its all about motivation.

We lost our chance to get to the quarterfinals when we lost to Denmark, but the match is still of importance in regards to Olympic qualification. Right now we are ranked 11th, which means we will play at home (Group F).

We would of course want to play at home for the Olympic qualifyer, and if we end up being ranked 11th, we would play at home against (as of right now) Germany, Kazakhstan and an as of yet unknown country. Should we fall to 12th, we would still be in group F, but without the home advantage. If we end up in 10th place in the ranking, we would play against (as of right now) France, Austria and an as of yet unknown country.

9th spot is impossible (and unfavorable), as we would then have to play against Denmark and Slovenia - and with the tournament being played in September, they would have NHL reinforcements.

In short: we are playing to improve our standings in the ranking (for both the World Championship and the Olympic qualifiers) as well as a home advantage in the Olympic qualification.

 

[Faterson]

That certainly sounds hopeful.

 

[GotTheMovesLikeJagr]

Belarus still the clear favorite in my opinion, but Norway has been decent so looking for a surprise.

A bit of history of Norway vs. Belarus:

World Championship games:
2001: Norway

2 – 3

Belarus
2009: Norway

2 – 3 OT

Belarus
2013: Norway

3 – 1

Belarus

Olympic qualification:
1997: Norway

2 – 2

Belarus
2001: Norway

3 – 7

Belarus

Friendly games in the 2014-2015 season:
February 5: Norway

5 – 2

Belarus
April 24: Norway

1 – 5

Belarus
April 25: Norway

3 – 2

Belarus

 

[Faterson]

Norwegians definitely seem fresher in the opening 5 minutes. Looking good. One would assume that Belarus will get steadily more tired as the game progresses, given yesterday's game.

 

[tobu]

Liking the tempo of this game. Both teams playing for something. So far pleased and believing in team Norway!

 

[Faterson]

Well, hopefully falling behind 0-1 fires them up even more. I wonder if perhaps more Slovaks than Norwegians are watching this game?

 

[GotTheMovesLikeJagr]

Well, hopefully falling behind 0-1 fires them up even more. I wonder if perhaps more Slovaks than Norwegians are watching this game?

I deliberately chose to sit in the empty office at work so I can watch the game while working. Nobody can prevent me from watching world championship matches!

Edit: For faen da, Bonsaksen! Really stupid penalty!

 

[tobu]

Does Thoresen mean Thor's son? If so, then that's awesome!

 

[GotTheMovesLikeJagr]

Does Thoresen mean Thor's son? If so, then that's awesome!

Yes. We have quite a lot of patronymic family names in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic and Faroese.

In Norwegian and Danish, any name with the -sen ending (Thoresen, Jakobsen, Hansen , Martinsen) means "son of". In Swedish, Icelandic and Faroese, it is -son or -sson (Hjalmarsson, Ekman-Larsson).

Thoresen is nice, but Tore Vikingstad's name is even more epic.

And god damn you, Bonsaksen, you ****!

 

[Faterson]

Time for Slovakia to cancel those Prague hotel reservations, I guess. 0-2.

 

[PapaQ]

I guess Belarus deserve to be in QF more than Slovakia. I am sure they'll have no problem defending 0-2 lead, unlike us.

 

[tobu]

Yes. We have quite a lot of patronymic family names in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic and Faroese.

In Norwegian and Danish, any name with the -sen ending (Thoresen, Jakobsen, Hansen , Martinsen) means "son of". In Swedish, Icelandic and Faroese, it is -son or -sson (Hjalmarsson, Ekman-Larsson).

Thoresen is nice, but Tore Vikingstad's name is even more epic.

And god damn you, Bonsaksen, you ****!

I wish son of Thor would have the power of his daddy and stage a comeback.

 

[Jon Riley]

Wow, that is some soft penalty killing..


and wow, Tollefsen that was a stupid one

 

[GotTheMovesLikeJagr]

Time for Slovakia to cancel those Prague hotel reservations, I guess. 0-2.

Let's see. Many examples of Norway trailing 0-2 and then coming back (of sorts). Against Slovakia in 2010 (0-2 and ended the game 3-4), Denmark in 2014 (0-2 and won 4-3), Slovakia this year (0-2 and won 3-2).

 

[SlovanHC]

And slovakia is ****ed

 

[Faterson]

I guess Belarus deserve to be in QF more than Slovakia.

Absolutely. 1-3 now, but still looking pretty hopeless.

 

[tobu]

So son of Thor, you have heard me?

 

[Jon Riley]

Ditto. What do norwegian players have against watching the man in front of the goal?

Finally, c'mon guys!

 

[Faterson]

Apparently lots of school kids in the audience (game started at noon), judging by the thin voices. And it looks like they're cheering on Norway! (To help Slovakia?)

 

[tobu]

Apparently lots of school kids in the audience (game started at noon), judging by the thin voices. And it looks like they're cheering on Norway! (To help Slovakia?)

To me it sounds like half of them aren't even following the game, but instead having fun with Bob and Bobek.