Sorry Kazakhs fall short once again

In what was an important game for both sides at opposite ends of the table, Slovakia managed to grab a big three points whilst looking for the most part unconvincing. For Kazakhstan, they fell short once again, and have now lost all four of their round robin games without picking up a solitary point. For Slovakia, Tomas Kopecky had two goals and an assist, whilst defenceman Dominik Granak had a goal and an assist. Slovakia managed to shut down Kazakhstan’s most dangerous forward Vadim Krasnoslobotsev, with Rymarev and Pushkaryov scoring for the Central Asian side.

With Kazakhstan already staring relegation in the face, they got off to the worst possible start as they went behind just 68 seconds into the game. Miroslav Satan held the puck behind the goal, and none of the Kazakh players covered defenceman Dominik Granak, who crashed the crease and managed to get his stick on a pass from Satan to knock the puck past Vitali Yeremeyev in the Kazakstan goal. Slovakia thought they had scored their second, but a great diving save by Yeremeyev was sent to review, with the officials ruling that it was no goal. As the period went on, the Kazakhs got more into the game and began putting pressure on Jan Laco in the Slovakia goal. Eventually their efforts were rewarded with the equaliser. Yevgeni Rymarev skating behind the net with the puck, dragging Rene Vydareny out of position. Confusion between Vydareny and Granak left the posts uncovered, and the aforementioned Rymarev managed to find a space between Laco’s pad and the post from behind the goal to level the score. 

The second period was quite conservative, but there were a few good chances for both sides early on. As the time was ticking down Slovakia got another powerplay chance as Yevgeni Fadeyev took a hooking penalty, and this time they converted. Smart one touch passing at the point by Zdeno Chara and Dominik Granak eventually set up Libor Hudacek at the left hand circle, and the Slovan Bratislava forward found the top corner of the net with his shot.  The Kazakhs went close late on in the period with a 2 on 1 chance, but they could not find the net. 

The third period saw the Kazakhs try everything in their power to get something from the game, and they managed to equalise for the second time three minutes into the period. The Kazakhs worked the puck behind the net, and Talgat Zhailuaov set up Konstantin Pushkaryov, who one timed the puck past a diving Jan Laco. Slovakia were given another powerplay chance which they could not convert, but they managed to sustain the pressure. Ivan Baranka’s patient work with the puck eventually opened up a passing lane, and his pass was perfect onto the tape of Tomas Kopecky, who fired a one timer which beat Yeremeyev low on his left side. Time was beginning to run out for Kazakhstan, and they were becoming increasingly desperate. Jan Laco was forced to make a big glove save late in the period, but their fate was all but sealed with a too many men penalty called against Kazakhstan with 100 seconds to go. Slovakia kept the puck in the Kazakh end for most of the penalty, but with 14 seconds to go they were given a 2 on 1 chance, and Michal Handzus found Kopecky with a perfect pass, and the Florida Panthers forward one timed the puck into the net to seal an important three points for Slovakia, and all but sending Kazakhstan back down to Division 1A.

 

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