STOCKHOLM – With Patrick Thoresen’s two goals over the first 1:28 of the game, Norway would go on to trounce Germany 12-4 and increase its chances of making the quarter-finals of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Norway controlled every aspect of this game from the moment the puck dropped and never looked back. "We got a great start, scoring two goals in the first two minutes," said Morten Ask. "We kept capitalizing on our good chances, and I think Germany got demoralized." It was the one of the worst losses in German hockey history at the World Championships. Most recently at the 2008 World Championship, Canada blew out Germany 10-1. "I don’t know what to say right now," said Christoph Schubert. "It was probably one of the worst days in German hockey history. Every little thing they did ended up in our goal. I can’t even count them up anymore. We didn’t get a lucky save or bounce today." For Norway this registered the first time in the modern era that they scored double-digit goals in a World Championship game. Thoresen’s two early goals paced the attack, giving Norway its third win of the tournament. Thoresen would end the day with a hat trick and six points, easily earning player of the game honours for Norway. His three goals came on four shots. "It was a lot of points," Thoresen said of his performance. "It’s not too often you can make six points. It’s one of those games I will remember for a long time, that’s for sure." Thoresen came into the game 12th in tournament scoring but because of his remarkable performance against Germany he is now 2nd behind Yevgeni Malkin with twelve points. Morten Ask contributed in the blowout with four assists. With the win Norway solidifies its position in fourth place of the Stockholm group with ten points, ahead of Latvia and Germany. Norway came out with an impressive first period determined to put pressure on German goaltender Dennis Endras, who was enjoying an exceptional tournament to that point with a goals against average of 2.26 and a save percentage of 93%. Norway chased Endras from the game with three goals in five minutes on ten total shots and continued with an offensive display that was their best of the tournament, arguably ever. Coming into the game Norway scored 15 goals, averaging three per game. Germany had given up 11 goals in its five games. Twenty seconds into the contest, Norway struck first when Thoresen scored off a backhand shot. The assists went to Mads Hansen and Per-Åge Skrøder. 1:08 later with Philip Gogulla in the penalty box for tripping, Thoresen scored a power play goal to make it 2-0. Martin Røymark added to the German pain by taking a backhand pass from Marius Holtet and efficiently depositing it high and stick side. It was Holtet’s second assist in the period on as many goals. Germany called a time out and at 5:35 replaced Endras with Dimitri Kotschnew. Matters were not improved. Norway added six more in the second. Thoresen capped his hat trick at 12:07 of the second. "When we got to 6-0, we were like, ‘We can’t lose, really.’ Then we just kept scoring," said Ask. "After the second period, we just wanted to be aware of not getting any injuries or doing stupid stuff like getting suspended. We just had to stick to our game plan." Skrøder scored as Germany’s Denis Reul was being called for hitting from behind. Reul earned a two-minute penalty and ten-minute misconduct for checking from behind. Norway would not stop, taking advantage of Reul’s time in the box to score a power-play goal. Mats Trygg skated in off his position on the point and took a Thoresen pass to slam the puck home at 14:07. Germany would finally break the goose egg when captain Patrick Reimer scored his third of the World Championship at 18:25. The period saw sloppy hockey by both sides with six goals scored, three by both sides. Norway entered double digits when at 44 seconds in the third Skrøder scored his second of the game. Germany’s Justin Krueger answered back at 1:01 off a feed from Gogulla, who had three assists on the day. Goals by Mads Hansen and Trygg extended the lead to 12-2. To start the third, German head coach Jakob Kölliker brought Endras back in the game replacing Kotschnew but three more goals in the period and he was out again. A dejected Endras showed his frustration, slamming his stick on the bench and then sitting with his head down and a towel to mask his frustration. "Obviously their goalies had a tough day, and they kept changing in and out," offered Ask. "That wasn’t helping their cause, I think." Germany would score the last two goals of the game but certainly not enough to make much of a difference. JOHN SANFUL