First win for Norway

09 May 2012 | Fredrik Pålsson

After losing to the three seeded teams of the group Norway finally won after a controlled 6-2 win against Italy.

In front of a tiny crowd in Stockholm (offical 1 387) Norway took control of the game against Italy from start and Mats Trygg could open the score at 3:04 with a shot from just inside the blue line. 1-1 came at 5:11 and was scored on what almost was Italy's first real attack. Luca Ansoldi scored when his pass hit a Norwegian defender and went in. But after the goal Norway lost the control and there was not much action on the ice. "We controlled the game even if it was tough with 1-1", Norway's head coach Roy Johansen said after the game.

And Norway regained control of the goal when a Norwegian shot hit both Patrick Thoresen's and Italian defender's skates for 2-1. When Marius Holtet fired home from 3-1 the blue line on a power play it felt like the game was over. Norway was just too strong for Italy. Bastiansen added 4-1 halfway through the game after some quick dekes in front of goal.

Italy didn't have much at all in this game but when they got the chance on the power play they played it well in Alexander Egger scored. Diego Iori had a good chance for 4-3 in his second shift of the game but this was Norway's game with 27-12 in shots after two periods.

"When we consider the opposition this was perhaps our weakest game. They had some chances after 4-2", Patrick Thoresen said after the game.

The third mostly felt like a long wait for the final buzzer with exception for a couple of nice goals. Mats Trygg scored his second of the game with a great shot in the upper corner when coming in a 2 on 1 counter attack while playing shorthanded. "I was very tired and was thinking about changing but I saw the ice was open so it was just to skate against the net", Trygg said about the goal.

Per-Åge Skrøder made it 6-2 after Thoresen served him with an open net after doing a pass behind his own back. An important win for Norway who still has a good chance of reaching the quarter finals despite only one point in the three first games. "We knew it was important to win the game to reach the quarter finals coach Johansen said after the game.

Italy's coach Rick Cornacchia just said a few words on the press conference. "We were tired after the game yesterday after the game and were not ready to play". Goalie Daniel Belissimmo was also unpleased "Right now I think we was outworked, outsmarted and outplayed" he said.