photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
Coach Artis Abols was only too happy to let his players bask in their historic win last night, to soak it up and enjoy it, to let it sink in. But he also knows there is more to be done. After all, the game was Latvia’s first of the tournament, and the bigger truth is that the team plays four games in five nights. They are back at it again tonight against the United States, another pre-tournament favourite.
“I tell them, I’m so proud, but like I say here the two points tonight give us nothing,” Abols said after the 8-round, 3-2 shootout win. “If we don’t take two more, these two will not matter. But it’s a nice feeling for the moment.”
In four previous meetings at the World Juniors, Canada had won by scores of 16-0, 10-2, 5-2, and, exactly one year ago, 10-0.
One way to bring the players back to reality is to realize that Canada outshot Latvia, 57-27. The game was close mostly because of the incredible play of goalie Linards Feldbergs. Last year, he played one game at the World Juniors, against Canada. He allowed seven goals in 44 minutes of play, was pulled, and watched the rest of the tournament from the bench. The first goal in that game was a memorable one for Abols.
“The [Conor] Geekie goal on the power play was the first time ever that [Feldbergs] had faced such a hard shot! That’s an NHL shot. Probably nine of ten NHL goalies would have allowed that goal.”
Fast forward a year, and Canada scored the first goal again last night. But it came in the second period, off a mistake by the 19-year-old goalie. He stayed in his crease as a loose puck came towards him. Jett Luchanko chased it down, beating Feldbergs with a deke.
“That goal shows that he’s mentally strong because we had a power play and his decision wasn’t good,” Abols continued. “He should go out and play the puck. But he stayed mentally strong and played a high level and finished well.”
The win was doubly shocking. Not only was it a David vs. Goliath matchup, but the Latvians have four players born in 2008. Every other player in the tournament is 2005 and 2006, with 17 exceptions (250 registered players).
Those four Latvian players are Olivers Murnieks, Martins Klaucans, Rudolfs Berzkalns, and Roberts Naudins. Only Naudins failed to play last night while Murnieks logged 18:40 of ice time, Klaucans 14:08, and Berzkalns 9:43. Abols is quick to point out he didn’t add these four 16-year-olds to the roster because they are all ready for U20 play today—there is simply a lack of U20 talent in Latvia right now.
“We are missing 2005 and 2006 players,” he admitted. “During covid a lot of players quit. That’s just the way it is. But those players aren’t better than the young guys we have here either. There is a lot of talk about Murnieks, and it looks like he could become a good player. The others don’t get as much attention, but right now I’m proud for every guy who stepped on the ice tonight. They all did their best. For our team, to beat Canada, in front of 18,000 fans, that’s huge.”
This win keeps the small but hockey-mad nation in the international spotlight. Recall it was only a year and a half ago that the senior team won their first ever Men’s World Championship medal, a bronze in Tampere. That result is not lost on Abols and his players.
“The bronze medal was a sign that everything is possible. Even for Latvia, there must be many pieces that fall in the right spot, but even in one game here, the youngest team in the tournament can beat Canada.”
Yes, it’s only one game, but those two points go a long way to taking Latvia to the quarter-finals and away from the relegation game. And in making history, the young Latvians now have a confidence they simply didn’t possess 24 hours ago. Let’s see where that takes them in the coming days.
“I tell them, I’m so proud, but like I say here the two points tonight give us nothing,” Abols said after the 8-round, 3-2 shootout win. “If we don’t take two more, these two will not matter. But it’s a nice feeling for the moment.”
In four previous meetings at the World Juniors, Canada had won by scores of 16-0, 10-2, 5-2, and, exactly one year ago, 10-0.
One way to bring the players back to reality is to realize that Canada outshot Latvia, 57-27. The game was close mostly because of the incredible play of goalie Linards Feldbergs. Last year, he played one game at the World Juniors, against Canada. He allowed seven goals in 44 minutes of play, was pulled, and watched the rest of the tournament from the bench. The first goal in that game was a memorable one for Abols.
“The [Conor] Geekie goal on the power play was the first time ever that [Feldbergs] had faced such a hard shot! That’s an NHL shot. Probably nine of ten NHL goalies would have allowed that goal.”
Fast forward a year, and Canada scored the first goal again last night. But it came in the second period, off a mistake by the 19-year-old goalie. He stayed in his crease as a loose puck came towards him. Jett Luchanko chased it down, beating Feldbergs with a deke.
“That goal shows that he’s mentally strong because we had a power play and his decision wasn’t good,” Abols continued. “He should go out and play the puck. But he stayed mentally strong and played a high level and finished well.”
The win was doubly shocking. Not only was it a David vs. Goliath matchup, but the Latvians have four players born in 2008. Every other player in the tournament is 2005 and 2006, with 17 exceptions (250 registered players).
Those four Latvian players are Olivers Murnieks, Martins Klaucans, Rudolfs Berzkalns, and Roberts Naudins. Only Naudins failed to play last night while Murnieks logged 18:40 of ice time, Klaucans 14:08, and Berzkalns 9:43. Abols is quick to point out he didn’t add these four 16-year-olds to the roster because they are all ready for U20 play today—there is simply a lack of U20 talent in Latvia right now.
“We are missing 2005 and 2006 players,” he admitted. “During covid a lot of players quit. That’s just the way it is. But those players aren’t better than the young guys we have here either. There is a lot of talk about Murnieks, and it looks like he could become a good player. The others don’t get as much attention, but right now I’m proud for every guy who stepped on the ice tonight. They all did their best. For our team, to beat Canada, in front of 18,000 fans, that’s huge.”
This win keeps the small but hockey-mad nation in the international spotlight. Recall it was only a year and a half ago that the senior team won their first ever Men’s World Championship medal, a bronze in Tampere. That result is not lost on Abols and his players.
“The bronze medal was a sign that everything is possible. Even for Latvia, there must be many pieces that fall in the right spot, but even in one game here, the youngest team in the tournament can beat Canada.”
Yes, it’s only one game, but those two points go a long way to taking Latvia to the quarter-finals and away from the relegation game. And in making history, the young Latvians now have a confidence they simply didn’t possess 24 hours ago. Let’s see where that takes them in the coming days.