SAPPORO, Japan – Hungary and Ukraine will play for promotion on Saturday as both teams won their Friday games. Lithuania is out of the danger zone after having beaten Estonia, 4-1, in their Baltic clash. “Eesti” needs a miracle to avoid relegation.

Japan - Ukraine 2-3 (0-0, 2-2, 0-0, 0-0, 0-1) SO

Brave Japan had a 2-1 lead in the second period and it looked like the team could hold on and compete with Hungary for the promotion, but it was Ukraine that came out on top. Sergei Varlamov scored the 2-2-goal with 51 seconds left of the second period and Dmytro Tsyrul scored the winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout to guarantee the Ukrainians the opportunity.

Hungary and Ukraine will meet in the all-decisive final game on Saturday to determine which team will earn promotion to Switzerland 2009. Hungary leads Ukraine by one point prior to the game, so both teams need a win, either in regulation or in OT to gain the big prize. The one-point edge that Hungary has in the standings does not give them any real advantage under the three-point system as a tie is not possible.

Kostiantyn Kasianchuk gave Ukraine the lead with a PP-goal 42 seconds into the second frame, but Takahito Suzuki made it even four minutes later. The crowd of 1,879 fans at the Sapporo arena went into high gear when Toru Kamino gave the home favourites the lead at 6:49. The Japanese almost held the score intact until the second intermission, but Varlamov’s late goal tied the score.

Ukraine last played in the top division in 2007 in Moscow, while Hungary has not competed in any elite event since finishing 16th and last at the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck.

Hungary – Croatia 3-0 (0-0, 1-0, 2-0)

Hungary remained perfect with 12 points in four games after blanking Croatia, 3-0. After a balanced and scoreless first period with 9-9 shots, it was the Hungarians who took advantage at 35:01 with a goal scored by Imre Peterdi.

The recently promoted Croatians, who surprised with their win over Estonia two days ago, had the chance to come back in the last period as Hungary took four minor penalties (compared to one against Croatia) but Hungary goalkeeper Zoltan Hetenyi faced only five shots in the last period.

Despite of playing eight minutes shorthanded, the Hungarians out-shot Croatia 17-5 in the last period and 36-20 in total. Krisztian Palkovics scored two goals at 46:01 and 49:45, respectively.

Hetenyi had 20 saves to earn the shutout. It was his first game in the tournament as the strating keeper Levente Szuper got a break after three games. Szuper is expected to be back in Hungary’s cage when his team plays Ukraine in the deciding game for promotion to the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Berne and Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland, on Saturday evening. Japan also has marginal chances in case of a victory over Ukraine tonight.


Hungary forward Imre Peterdi scored the game-winning 1-0 against Croatia. Photo: Seinosuke Uchigasaki

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Estonia - Lithuania 1-4 (0-1, 1-1, 0-2)

Lithuania, which scored once in its previous three games, netted four against Estonia. It was Lithuania’s first win of the championship (1W-3L) while Estonia dropped to last place. Their only point so far came in the overtime loss against Croatia on Wednesday.

Estonia has only strong home team Japan left to play (Saturday) and they need at least an overtime win (two points) to have any hopes to avoid relegation to division II. They can manage it if they take two points from Japan, providing Croatia loses to Lithuania in their last game.

Mindaugas Kieras and Darius Lelenas (PP-goal) scored within the first 22 minutes, but Maksim Ivanov took advantage of a 5-on-3 power-play late in the second to get Estonia within one goal. But the green-red-yellow team made sure that there would be no comeback.

Dalius Vaiciukevicius scored a power-play goal four minutes into the third to restore the two-goal cushion and Egidijus Bauba sealed the win with an empty-netter with 13 seconds left.

Lithuanian goalie Nerijus Dauksevicius was the man of the match for his team making 36 saves as Estonia outshot their opponents 37-24. It was the first game in this championship where Lithuania didn’t run into penalty trouble.


Lithuania’s Egidijus Bauba scored the 4-1 goal against Estonia late in the game. Photo: Seinosuke Uchigasaki

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