<< English entry below >>
日本 vs リトアニア戦 ホッケー世界選手権～崖っぷちの決戦～
第1ピリオド（この試合で最も激しかったピリオド）
このパワープレーで佐藤選手が榛澤選手、中島選手のアシストから待望の先制点を決め、日本が1-0とリードします！
11分59秒にリトアニアの高スティッキング、続いて入倉選手のスラッシングで4対4に。
日本シュート9本、リトアニア6本 フェイスオフ勝率 日本46％
第2ピリオド
日本が2-0とリードを広げます。
キル開始わずか16秒でリトアニアのグリニアス選手が1点目を返し、1-2に。
日本シュート8本、リトアニア18本 フェイスオフ勝率 日本44％
第3ピリオド
36秒後、リトアニア13番ウグニウス・シーザス選手が同点ゴール（アシスト：サダウスカス選手、アリアウスカス選手）を決め、2-2の同点に。
このピリオドは両チームともに追加得点・追加ペナルティなしのまま延長戦へ突入しました。
日本シュート11本、リトアニア11本 フェイスオフ勝率 日本47％
日本 vs リトアニア戦 ～延長戦で劇的勝利！～
日本は佐藤選手、中島選手、米山選手の3人を送り出しました。
この3選手はいずれもこの試合で既にポイントを記録しており、期待のラインでした。
日本が見事勝利を掴みました！
佐藤選手はこの試合だけで2ゴール1アシストの大活躍でした。
日本、劇的な延長勝利で勝ち点3を獲得！
これで残留へ大きく前進です！！
5月7日 次戦 vs ポーランド戦展望
選手の経験値は日本と同程度ですが、ウクライナに勝利、フランス戦ではSOまで持ち込み、カザフスタン戦も1点差と粘り強い戦いを見せています。
守備面での課題がまだ残っており、特に後半の失速が目立ちます。
5月8日 vs ウクライナ戦展望
直近5試合で日本は4勝1敗と圧倒的な相性の良さを見せています。
English —————————————————————————–
Japan vs Lithuania Recap IIHF
By Beatrice Stefanelli (aka Bee)
Japan’s match against Lithuania last night was a nail-biter.
This was likely the match in which the loser would be relegated back to Division 1B.
In other words, Japan could not afford to lose.
Japan started 1 Narisawa in goal, and Lithuania started 30 Faustas Nauseda.
First Period
This was the most exciting period of the whole game.
Just 35 seconds in, Murakami drew a goaltender interference penalty, despite the fact that Murakami was forced into the goal by Lithuania.
It didn’t matter, though, as Lithuania’s 97 Emilijus Krakauskas drew a hooking penalty a mere three seconds later, turning the Lithuania power-play into a four-on-four.
Japan had all of three seconds on the power play before the game returned to back-and-forth hockey.
At 6:45, Lithuania’s 22 Dovydas Laimutis drew a delay-of-game penalty.
Sato, with assists from Hanzawa and Nakajima, would capitalize on the power play, opening the scoring for Japan.
The rest of this period would be a fiesta of penalties for both teams.
At 11:59, Lithuania 88 Martynas Grinius drew a high-sticking penalty; about a minute later, Irikura would draw one for slashing.
Both Lithuania and Japan killed these penalties, with a minute of four-on-four between the two.
At 17:52, Lithuania 77 Jukna Dovydas cross-checked Kimura, and spent his two minutes in the box acting like he didn’t know why he was there.
56 seconds later, Lithuania 2 Paulius Rumsevicius drew an interference penalty, giving Japan one minute and four seconds of a five-on-three.
Unfortunately, they did not do anything with this.
At the end of the first, the score was 0-1 Japan; Japan had 9 shots on goal to Lithuania’s 6, and had won 46% of faceoffs.
Second Period
Japan entered this period on the power play.
Yoneyama took advantage of this only 18 seconds in, with assists from Nakajima and Sato.
Play after this continued largely back and forth.
At 5:24, Hirano drew a penalty for interference; this is where the nail biting would begin.
Just 16 seconds into this penalty kill, Lithuania’s Grinius scored, with assists from Krakauskas and 27 Eimantas Noreika.
After this, Japan began to slip.
Lithuania would not score again this period, but they would frequently get too close for comfort.
Narisawa made a number of impressive saves during this.
At 10:49, Grinius would draw another penalty, this time for tripping.
Japan did not make anything of this opportunity.
Back and forth hockey continued through the end of the period.
The score at the end of the second was 1-2 Japan.
Japan made just 8 shots on goal, while Lithuania made 18; Japan won 44% of faceoffs.
Third Period
Watching this period was like sitting on a bed of nails.
After barely 5 seconds, Sato received a high sticking penalty; 36 seconds later, Lithuania’s 13 Ugnius Cizas scored, with assists from 19 Dominykas Sadauskas and 4 Nerijus Alisauskas to even the odds.
Lithuania would continue to push throughout the rest of the period, repeatedly getting Japan on the backfoot and creating numerous scoring opportunities.
Narisawa, however, is a force to be reckoned with, and managed to make quite a few impressive saves.
No more goals would be scored this period, and no more penalties would be incurred, sending the game to overtime.
Japan and Lithuania both made 11 shots on goal this period; Japan won 47% of faceoffs.
Overtime
At this tournament, overtime is 5 minutes of three-on-three.
Sato, Nakajima, and Yoneyama were Team Japan’s three; each of these players had at least a point in the game so far.
This proved to be the perfect line, as Sato scored the game-winning goal just 35 seconds in, giving Japan the win.
Sato had two goals, one assist in this game alone.
May 7th game against Poland
Poland has been playing very well throughout this tournament.
While their players have experience of a similar level to that of Team Japan, Team Poland beat Ukraine, went to a shootout before losing to France, and lost by just one goal to Kazakhstan.
The home crowd seems to have been a game-changer for them.
In contrast, Japan has won just this one game against Lithuania in overtime.
Japan’s performance thus far has not been great, especially defensively.
If they want to win against Poland, their defense will have to push to allow their strong forward core to actually score.
May 8th game against Ukraine
Ukraine’s favorite activity in Division 1A is to lose to Japan.
Japan has won four of their last five meetings, despite Ukraine being great otherwise.
Ukraine, so far, has defeated France and Lithuania, losing narrowly to Poland.
This is a game that, on paper, Japan will have to fight to win.
If history can be relied upon, Japan has the chance to narrowly edge Ukraine for the victory.
