Latvia and Slovenia put on an entertaining hockey show in Stockholm. Latvia also took the important three points with a 5-2 win.
 
Five different players scored for Latvia; Eduards Tralmaks also added two assists and Kristers Gudlevskis made 15 saves. Lukas Horak made 19 saves for Slovenia.

“We didn't start the way we wanted, but we knew we’d find a way to win. Then it started flowing, and we did win, and that’s the most important thing,” Latvia's Kristians Rubins said. 


 
It became obvious from the first moments of the game that neither team had come to play the neutral zone trap. Oddly enough, halfway through the first period. shots on goal were 4-0 for Slovenia, although it was Latvia who had the more dangerous chances and carried the play. By the end of the period, Latvia had outshot Slovenia 7-6 – even though the momentum had shifted to the team in blue, thanks to two powerplay opportunities.
 
However, the Latvian penalty kill was perfect in the first period.
 
Less than three minutes into the second period, Slovenia took the lead in the game. Nik Simsic carried the puck into Latvian zone and fired a shot from the outside. Marcel Mahkovec drove to the net and backhanded the rebound in, to make it 1-0 at 2.40.
 
The goal stunned Latvian fans to complete silence.
 
But the drums were back on six minutes later when Kristians Rubins tied the game, also by taking care of a rebound in front of the net at 8.50.
 
Then the fans got to witness some of the wildest 52 seconds of the tournament.
 
First, at 12.02, Latvia took the lead in the game. Janis Jaks found Eduards Tralmaks on the point, he fired a slap shot, but his stick broke and the puck took a surprising turn to the right, right to the tape of Anri Ravinskis wide open at the back door, and he had an easy job to make it 2-1.
 
In the next shift, just 21 seconds later, Slovenian defense missed a man in the slot. Toms Andersons sent a saucer from behind the net and Martins Dzierkals beat Horak with a wrist shot on his glove side.
 
That could’ve been the final nail in the coffin, if not for the Slovenian goal 31 seconds later.  This time the bounces were on their side. Blaz Gregorc patiently danced around a Latvian forward ready to block his shot, fired a slap shot. Gudlesvkis made the save, but the puck hit a Latvian defender’s shinpad and in to make it 3-2 at 12.54.

“We got off to a better start than in our last game, and even came back after their goals but we made too many mistakes in our own zone. We had more chances than in the earlier games,” said Slovenia’s Robert Sabolic.
 
However, Latvia regained their two-goal lead 51 seconds later, Dans Docmelis wheeled around the Slovenian zone, dropped the puck to Roiberts Mamcics who sent it back to Docmelis in the slot, and he used his chance.

“It was kind of wild,” said Rubins. 
 
With six minutes remaining, Tralmaks won a puck battle in the neutral zone, and then beat a Slovenian defenseman in a foot race, before driving to the net and flipping the puck top shelf for 5-2.