Latvia and Canada with strong finishes

10 May 2014 | Andreas Reiner

With it's win against Finland, Latvia improves to 2-0 while the Canadians win their game against Slovakia with 4:1 and get their first win.

Finlands Miikka Salomäki scored the first goal 5 minutes into the game and everything seemed to go its usual way but not today. Kaspar Daugavins scored the tying goal just 3 minutes later. In the second period it was the Finns again, this time Tuukka Mäntylä was successful on a powerplay assisted by Petri Kontiola and Juuso Hietanen in the 33rd minute. With the last period underway it was at the time that the Latvians showed that they've changed from a small Hockey Nation to one of those nasty Teams you don't like to play against. On a powerplay it was Kristaps Sotnieks in the 48th minute to score the equalizer and just 5 minutes later Arturs Kulda, again on a one-man advantage, scored the game winning goal.

The first period between Canada and Slovakia ended goalless and 3 minor penalties against the Eastern Europeans. It was Oldie Miroslav Satan who opened the score for the Slovaks in the 33rd minute. 2 minutes before the end of the middle period Jason Garrison passed the puck to Joel Ward who got the puck passed Jan Laco to tie the game. The Canadians now looked to lock this game in the last period and avoid a repetition of yesterdays embarrassment against France. With 3 unanswered goals within 11 minutes the Maple Leafs just did that. Cody Hodgson in the 48th assisted by Jason Garrison and Nazem Kadri, Kevin Bieksa in the 58th assisted by Kyle Turris and finally Joel Ward with his second goal of the evening, assisted by Alex Burrows and Tyler Myers in the 59th minute finished the game and brought the Canadians on the winning road.