Ice Hockey World Championship: Swiss defeat Canada 6:3

(sda) National coach Patrick Fischer’s team impressed across the board. The mixed performances of the middle of last week in the 3:2 against Kazakhstan (Tuesday) and in the 5:3 against Slovakia (Wednesday) were forgotten. The discipline was right this time, even though Timo Meier outnumbered the Swiss again for five minutes after just 224 seconds. Meier accepted this penalty in high spirits – and it remained the only one against Switzerland until the 52nd minute. The intention to be just as tough and aggressive as in the first games, but to behave a bit more cleverly and smartly, was implemented.

The Swiss turned onto the Siegesstrasse in the second section. Nico Hischier put the Swiss in the lead for the first time in the 27th minute with the second power play goal (4:3). The Swiss convinced again with the majority and scored two goals from three power play chances. Canada had not been able to capitalize on their strongest phase at the beginning of the second period before conceding a goal to make it 3-4.

The Swiss took the lead in the 27th minute, but they laid the foundation for success in the wild first half. The Swiss achieved their first brilliant performance when they got through the five-minute deficit quite easily at the beginning and could even have taken the lead with one man less on the ice (two great chances).

Hit three defenders

Above all, the Swiss put up with the fact that the game didn’t go well for them at all at the beginning. A first Swiss goal (by Nico Hischier) was subsequently annulled (video referee). This decision could have been the other way around. Then the Swiss fell behind three times – and were able to react immediately three times. 59 seconds after the 0:1, 82 seconds after the 1:2 and 48 seconds after the 2:3, the Swiss managed to equalize again. Michael Fora (1:1) and Jonas Siegenthaler (3:3) scored their first World Cup goals ever. In between, Dean Kukan (2:2) also scored, like Fora and Siegenthaler, a defender.

Later, however, the Swiss strikers also showed their great class. Both Nico Hischier at 4:3 and Pius Suter at 5:3, securing victory, demonstrated why they regularly set offensive accents in the National Hockey League. Timo Meier increased the lead to 6:3 with a shot into the empty goal. Leonardo Genoni also impressed in the Swiss goal, although the champion goalie conceded two goals in the first half, which should annoy him. But Genoni, who was in front of the goal for the third time in the fifth game (and should be number 1 for the remainder of the tournament), put up with the false start and radiated his usual calm after the first break.

France is waiting on Sunday

Also noteworthy: Andres Ambühl played his 120th World Cup game and took the lead in this “eternal” ranking ahead of German defender legend Udo Kiessling. Ambühl also convinced in his record game, even if he couldn’t get any scorer points. But he worked as hard as ever and twice provoked Canadian penalties.

For the Swiss, the World Cup continues against France on Sunday evening. However, it is already clear that the Swiss will play against Germany for group victory on Tuesday morning (at 11.20 a.m.). A win against the Germans guarantees the Eisgenossen first place after the preliminary round – no matter how the game against France ends.

The big challenge for the Swiss team in the remaining days of the World Cup will be to be able to perform like they did against Canada in every game – even if from now on there will never be two rest days in a row. In the first part of the World Cup, the form curve dropped significantly after the successful start against Italy and Denmark. That must not happen in the second week with quarterfinals, semifinals and finals from Thursday.

Canada 3-6 Switzerland (3-3, 0-1, 0-2). Helsinki. 5676 spectators. – Referee: Heikkinen/Öhlund (FIN/SWE), Davis/Spur (USA/CZE). – Gates: 12 Johnson (Barzal, Graves) 1-0. 13. Fora (Meier, Kurashev) 1:1. 15. Lowry (Exclusion Batherson!) 2-1. 16. Kukan (Hischier, Corvi/Exclusion Batherson) 2:2. 20. (19:03) Batherson (Barzal) 3-2. 20. (19:51) Siegenthaler (Suter, Malgin) 3: 3. 27. Hischier (Kukan/Exclusion Anderson) 3:4. 44. Suter (Malgin, Simion/penalty indicated) 3:5. 59. Meier 3:6 (into the empty gate). – Punish: 4 times 2 minutes against Canada, 2 times 2 plus 5 minutes (Meier) against Switzerland. – Canada: Thompson; Severson, Sanheim; Whitecloud, Chabot; Holden, Graves; mayo; Roy, Dubois, Cozens; Anderson, Lowry, Sillinger; Batherson, Barzal, Johnson; Geekie, Mercer, Comtois; O’Dell. – Switzerland: Genoni; Kukan, Siegenthaler; Fora, Janis Moser; Glauser, Geisser; perch; Ambühl, Corvi, Herzog; Kurashev, Hischier, Meier; Simion, Malgin, Suter; Thürkauf, Bertschy, Scherwey; riat. – Remarks: Switzerland without Marti (ailing), Miranda, Berra (both extra) and Aeschlimann (backup goalkeeper). – Ambühl honored for 120th World Cup game (world record). – Hischier’s 10th goal disallowed for goalkeeper disability. – 38th crossbar Comtois.

Ice Hockey World Championship. Group A. Saturday: Denmark 3-0 France (1-0, 1-0, 1-0). Canada 3-6 Switzerland (3-3, 0-1, 0-2). – Ranking: 1. Switzerland 5/15. 2. Canada 5/12. 3. Germany 5/12. 4. Denmark 5/9. 5. Slovakia 5/6. 6. France 5/5. 7. Italy 5/1. 8. Kazakhstan 5/0.