France ruins the party for Norway

17 May 2014 | Fredrik Pålsson

Norway celebrates their national day today but in the early game today in Minsk it was France that celebrated a shootout win after turning the game around with three goals in 51 seconds.

It was a some what crazy game between France and Norway with a lot of shifts in momentum but in the end France won it 5-4 after shootout after a winner by Stephane da Costa.

"This is our national holiday, and we played to win, but unfortunately we didn't get the result we wanted today," Norway's Per-Åge Skrøder told IIHF.com

But they started good to win it with a 2-0 lead late in the second period after goals by Trygg and Ask. France dominated the second period and had 18 shots on goal but it was just with 2:35 that France finally managed to beat Lars Haugen in the Norwegian goal.Antoine Roussel scoring on a rebound.

The goal made things happen for France and just 26 seconds later the game was tied after a goal by Treille that was allowed after a long video review. And to the next goal it even took one second less and just 51 seconds after being down 0-2 France was suddenly in a 3-2 lead after another goal but Roussel that found the net with a tip in.

A hard blow for Norway but they refused to give up and came out and tied the game early in the third period when Daniel Sørvik got his first WC goal. France quickly retook the lead when Bellemare rifled a shot pass Haugen but Norway quickly tied it again when the Olimb brothers made it 4-4. Ken Andre made some dekes in offensive zone and gave the puck to his brother Mathis that easily scored on the open net.

Both teams had good chances for a winning goal in regulation but no more goals were scored and eventually France won the shootout for two important points in the chase of a quarter final spot.