(Switzerland – Norway 5–2) They hung in for 20 minutes, but then things unraveled for the Norwegian boys.
Norway shook Switzerland on the eve of the first period after equalizing at 1-1.
Both Mats Zuccarello in his WC comeback and eternally young Patrick Thoresen could have made it 2-1 with a few minutes left on the clock, but Switzerland averted it with a cry of distress.
Despite the result, Zuccarello proved to be the NHL star he is in his first championship since 2016 for Norway. The 36-year-old was voted Norway’s best player.
– He is in the mood to play. You just have to take your hat off to Zuccarello, says former hockey player and Viaplay’s expert Ole Eskild Dahlstrøm.
Norway finished the first period very strong, but in the second Switzerland showed why they were clear advance favourites.
The Swiss scored three times and ensured a lead-heavy period for Norway.
The 4–1 goal from Tristan Scherwey in particular was hard to swallow.
– That passing error is good old-fashioned brain haemorrhage, said recent Vålerenga player Alexander Bonsaksen in Viaplay’s studio.
Isak Hansen made a huge mistake when he sent the puck straight into the stick of Gaetan Haas. He played through to Scherwey who first missed, but put the rebound behind Norway’s goalkeeper Jonas Arntzen.
– It is simply clumsy of me. I wish it didn’t happen, but I can’t do anything about it now. It’s just a matter of forgetting it and moving on, said Isak Hansen during the break after the second period.
– Isak Hansen doesn’t look after anyone. There must he adjusts after the mispass and takes the man. It is a weak effort by Hansen where, unfortunately, Bonsaksen’s analysis of the 20-year-old’s blunder is.
Vålerenga player
Before that, Norway had ended the first period with a fierce pressure against Switzerland. Markus Vikingstad equalized at 1-1 with five minutes remaining.
But Norway was unable to carry the pressure into the second and third periods.
Norway was penalized for being outnumbered in the third period. On a fourth return from Switzerland put Nino Niederreiter in 5–1.
With one minute left in the game, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard embellished the result when he whipped in 2–5.
