2021 IIHF World Championships
Game 05
Great Britain 1 Sweden 4
Ben Bowns was the star performer of this game as Great Britain made Sweden work hard for a win they required to keep their playoff hopes alive.
First Period
Ben Bowns was excellent from the get-go.
Inside the opening seventy seconds he made glove saves to rob Henrik Tommernes and Oscar Lindberg
That double save was followed by a fantastic left pad stop at the four minute mark to deny Par Lindholm from the slot.
Then the unthinkable happened in rather remarkable circumstances.
After being held and then bundled over by Rickard Rakell, Brendan Connolly crashed into goaltender Viktor Fasth at the same time as Liam Kirk’s deflected pass crossed the goal line.
After an elongated video review the officials awarded a goal to the shock of Great Britain and horror of the Swedish bench.
The ruling was the player ran into the goalie due to the actions of a Swedish player and therefore the goal stood.
Great Britain might have even doubled their lead had Fasth not denied Mike Hammond with a fine blocker save.
A slashing penalty called on Brendan Connolly with 5:44 remaining in the first period would prove decisive.
Victor Olofsson found Marcus Sörensen at the back door and the latter made no mistake to send the teams into the intermission at 1-1.
Second Period
Sweden took their game to a level beyond in the middle frame and would record 22 shots.
They were helped by GB who turned the puck over with regularity and were running on fumes at times.
Bowns held down the fort once again in the early going with a pair of quick-fire saves.
GB created one chance of note before falling behind.
Josh Tetlow’s shot from the point produced that a rebound that neither Hammond or Brett Perlini were unable to convert.
Lawrence Pilut created some space with some fancy stickwork before teeing up Jonathan Pudas to score with an excellent shot back against the grain into the top far corner.
Sweden extended their lead to 3-1 with a second goal in five minutes.
Mario Kempe made Great Britain pay for one of numerous tunrovers in the second period with a snipe past Bowns.
There were late opportunities for GB to halve the deficit.
Sam Duggan was turned aside by a pad stop from Fasth and the rebound evaded Robert Dowd.
Efforts from Ben O’Connor and Dowd were also swatted asisde as Sweden held the upper hand through forty minutes.
Third Period
A comeback for GB was never on the cards.
GB took two penalties in the first six minutes of the third frame and although the penalty kill stood firm, the gas tank was empty.
Sweden added a fourth goal through Mario Kempe with the unfortunate Bowns unable to hold onto a stinging shot or recover on the rebound.
A 4-1 loss to the fourth seeded nation in the world who were desperate for a victory is certainly nothing to be ashamed off and Great Britain showed they can once again hang with the world’s best.
GB Player of the Game: Matthew Myers
Post Game Notes:
Ben Bowns was outstanding. The former Cardiff Devils netminder made 52 saves and his save percentage through the tournament now sits at .928. That’s good for eleventh best amongst all goaltenders.
Liam Kirk scored his fifth of the tournament tying the record of Ian Forbes (1962) for goals scored at a World Championships (top pool).
At the time of writing, Kirk leads the entire tournament in goal scoring.
Last but certainly not least, Matthew Myers was presented with his 100th GB cap ahead of today’s game with Sweden in the World Championship.
As per the official Great Britain media channels “Myers will also captain his country on the very special occasion as he becomes only the fourth player in history to reach the milestone after Ashely Tait (110), David Longstaff (101) and Jonathan Phillips (101), who reached a century of caps against Denmark.
This is his 17th World Championship – and he has also played in five Olympic Qualifiers – and he made his debut in the 2004 World Championship Division I Group A in Oslo, Norway.
He was also handed his number 8 shirt with the ‘C’ in a surprise presentation by long-time team-mate and friend Jonathan Phillips.”
Line-up
Forwards
Kirk-Connolly-Dowd
Lake-Perlini-Hammond
Davies-Myers-J.Phillips
Hook-Lachowicz-Betteridge
Duggan
Defense
Tetlow-Richardson
O’Connor-D.Phillips
Swindlehurst-Clements
Garside
Goaltenders
Bowns
Whistle
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