Initially, the match was expected to be easy for home favorite Canada, but the Norwegian players fought like lions and kept up the defensive pressure.

– It’s sad that we end up losing, but now we have shown all the so-called experts at home, who never go to hockey games and think that we are not good, that we can play good hockey, captain Tommy Jakobsen told ABC. Later after the match.

– People at home need to understand that this is a very high level sport.

Anders Bastiansen agrees with his teammate. He believes the team can now surprise more people.

– Now we have to take this with us further into the championship. We can beat anyone, we have shown that many times now. Against Canada, we tried to be creative in how we played out of the zone. I think we did well.

Norway’s greatest hero was goalkeeper Pål Grotnes. The Comet goalkeeper was also deservedly named Norway’s best player after the match.

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– We need a good goalkeeper and he has really stepped up and improved his game. Today he was just brilliant, said national team manager Roy Johansen about the last chance of the team.

Grotnes stopped a total of 50 shots during the game. A world-class achievement.

The national team manager was also very impressed with the efforts of the team as a whole.

– I’m impressed with all the guys. It had only been 17 hours since we played big against Germany and yet the effort was first rate. But the players got tired toward the end, Johansen said.

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The game plan developed before the match was followed to the letter. It was important not to give Canada the opportunity to frolic.

– We managed to get closer to Pål Grotnes and were tight again in the central area. No team has had it easy against us so far, Johansen said.

Matching Facts:

Canada – Norway 2-1 (1-0, 0-1 1-0)

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Halifax Metropolitan Center

7280 spectators

Aim:

1st period: 1-0 (09.32) Mike Greene (Derek Roy, Brent Burns). Shots: 14-3.

2nd period: 1-1 (33.59) Mads Hansen. Shots: 20-7.

3rd period: 2-1 (56.02) Rick Nash (Greene). Shots: 18-9. Overall: 52-16.

Chief referees: Danny Kurmann, Switzerland and Marcus Vinnerborg, Sweden.

Expulsions Canada 8 x 2 min., Norway 10 x 2 min.

Norway:

Goalkeepers: Pål Grotnes (Ruben Smith).

1st row: Tommy Jakobsen, Jonas Holøs – Mats Zuccarello Aasen, Mads Hansen, Per-Åge Skrøder.

2nd row: Anders Myrvold, Mats Trygg – Martin Røymark, Morten Ask, Marius Holtet.

3rd row: Juha Kaunismäki, Henrik Ødegaard – Lars Erik Spets, Anders Bastiansen, Mathis Olimb.

4th row: Erik Ryman, Eirik Skadsdammen – Kristian Forsberg, Mats Frøshaug, Kjell Richard Nygård. (©NTB)