Jan Laco kept Switzerland without goals

13 May 2012 | Mika Leino

Switzerland and Slovakia had a very important and interesting game on mothersday evening. With a win Slovakia could practically secure their place in the quarterfinals but with a Swiss win the situation would remain still wide open.

A must win situation didn't seem to affect much on Switzerland's game in the first peiod, at least not negatively. They started very good and had the control of the game. They opened the play fast and left quickly their own zone. However too much real scoring chances didn't come out and the few ones Slovakian goalie Jan Laco prevented with safe play. Slovakia was unable to create their own offensive play very much. Couple of lonely man's tries came but that was all for the most of the period. Then couple of minutes before the end Swiss Thibaut Monnet made a turnover behind his own goal and Juraj Mikus found with a quick pass Tomas Tatar in front of the goal who redirected the pass into the net.

Damien Brunner of Switzerland took a penalty already 23 seconds into the second period. Switzerland killed that off pretty easily and got back on track after that. They kept creating some scoring chances and controlled the game. Somehow this has been the name of the game for Switzerland in this tournament; they control but can't score. The final grittyness and toughness in scoring situations are missing. Switzerland had a chance to equalize also on powerplay but despite long puck moving on Slovakian zone they still remained scoreless. Slovakia was still mainly concentrating on counter attacks which chances they got quite many since Switzerland opened their game. Slovakians were though as effective, if you can say so, as the Swiss and second period didn't see a goal.

In the third period the game turned more and more into a game Slovakia's goalie Jan Laco against Switzerland. It was a wild period while Switzerland was trying with all possible ways to score on Laco and Slovakia was attacking every once and a while 2on1 or 3on1 odd man rushes. Laco wasn't the only good goalie in this game. Also Swiss goalie Reto Berra was very good.

Despite the furious Swiss attempts first period's goal by Tatar remained game's only one and so Switzerland lost the final chance for the quarterfinals. Surtenly some kind of a dissappointment for Sean Simpson's team which has played entertaining and good hockey in this tournament. Problem was the scoring and surprise lost in a game against France, the game which Switzerland surtenly didn't plan to loose.