"It is a scandal"

After a first period without any goals Norway was still in the game despite Russia had the momentum. But three penalties in the first five minutes of the second period changed the game. The Russian domination became even bigger than in the first period and Russia could take the lead with two power play goals. Pavel Datsyuk opened the scoring 1:21 into the second period beating Volden with a high shot. Denis Denisov added the second goal with a shot from the blue line.


Datsyuk opened the scoring. Photo: Roman Kucera

Russia's two first penalties of the game gave Norway a five on three power play which Morten Ask scored on. Norway didn't play it very well but Ask to a good shot from a quite bad position for 2-1. Just seconds later something that can have been game deciding happened. Norway's Per-Åge Skrøder scored on a rebound on the following five on four power play but the goal was disallowed as the referee judged Skrøder to be in the crease. A very dubious call and there was heavy booing from the fans in the arena. The Norwegian players was also clearly very upset with the decision.

"It's terrible not to get 2-2 there", Skrøder said after the game. "I touched the goalkeeper earlier after being interfeered but a Russian defender, perhaps that's what he jugded for but that was several seconds earlier so in that case the whistle was late", he said about the decision to disallow his goal.

Norway's coach Roy Johansen was very unsatisfied with the decision to disallow the goal. "I feel very bad about the 2-2 that was disallowed. It was only four guys in the entire arena that didn't that it was a goal. They show the replay so everyone can see it, if they show the referees should be able to use it, otherwise they shouldn't show it. As a smaller hockey nation we're used to get decisions against us. We also got many hard penalties in this game but this situation was something else. It's a scandal" But he also added "We lost to a better team". And to the question if a 2-2 goal had changed the result of the game he answered "That is only speculation now". Forward Patrick Thoresen said "It could have changed the game a bit"

But the Russians didn't say much about the goal "I didn't see the situation", head coach Bilyatidnov said and goalie Semen Varlamov only "I have nothing to say about that".

And of course to make Norway's pity even bigger Russia's Kulyomin made it 3-1 shortly afterwards. "It's tough, first you get pissed off for getting the goal disallow then you get even more pissed off when they make it 3-1. But we showed good fighting spirit and did well", Skrøder said about getting 3-1 so quickly after the disallowed goal.

But the Norwegian player and fans used their anger in a good way and cheered by their fans Norway could reduce Russia's lead on another power play. Marius Holtet the goal scorer. "Perhaps I went down to early", Varlamov said about the conceded goal.

But Norway lost a lot of that energy when Aleksandr Perezhogin made it 4-2 already 40 seconds into the third period, the first mistake by Norway's young goalie Lars Volden who hade made several important saves before this mistake. After the goal Norway couldn't recover and Russia and full control of the game creating many chances for a fifth goal Volden however made several saves to keep the margin at two goals.


Perezhogin scored the fourth goal. Photo: Roman Kucera

"We played a normal good game and controlled the third period", the Russian head coach Bilyatdinov said after the game. Johansen was also pleased with his players working effort. "I'm satisfied, we worked hard". Patrick Thoresen commented on his team's effort "We played better today compare with the game against Sweden. We're close, but it's not enough".

Notable from the game was that 4,438 spectators was the best number so far in Stockholm on a non Swedish game and that Evgeni Malkin had two assists and now is top scorer with five points.

 

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