Men's World Hockey Championship recap: Nikolaj Ehlers, Mikko Rantanen shine on Day 2

It was the first six-game day at the men’s World Hockey Championship, with Switzerland, France, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Slovakia and Finland hanging on for wins on the second day of play.

Switzerland had the first seven-goal effort of the tournament, crushing Slovenia just hours before the news that the team was adding Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler and Kevin Fiala. France and Kazakhstan needed extra time to win their games, while the Danes nearly got stunned by a big-time goaltending performance by Hungary. Slovakia and Finland both played tight affairs to close the day, but both managed to bounce back after disappointing losses on the opening night.

Switzerland cruises to 7-0 win over Slovenia

• Denis Malgin (COL) kicked things off in style with two goals and an assist. He scored the game’s first goal at 12:56 and then made it 4-0 early in the third, putting the game far out of reach. Malgin was one of the best players at the tournament a year ago, and it earned him a new contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, only to get moved to the Colorado Avalanche midway through the season. We’ll see if he’s back in the NHL next year.
• JJ Moser (ARI) was an underrated piece of the Coyotes’ blueline this year, and he started off strong with a first-period goal. His marker took any chance of Slovenia finding momentum away, and then he shut things down with 19:40 in ice time. He also led all players with seven shots, including four in the first.
• Former Edmonton Oiler Gaetan Haas had the best game of his international career Saturday, recording three assists. That ties his output from the 2019 tournament and is two below his best tournament-long performance from 2018.
• Calvin Thürkauf (CBJ) had a nice two-point performance in a depth role with the Swiss. He doesn’t score often, and it’s more his speed and size you’re looking for at a tournament like this. He brought it all and some.

Denmark holds on for 3-1 win over Hungary

• So, the story of Nikolaj Ehlers‘ (WPG) involvement is quite something. He didn’t have insurance until about an hour until game time, which could have prevented him from participating. Luckily, they got it for him, and he ended up scoring twice to help the Danes to an important win. Ehlers is the lone NHLer on Denmark, so there’s significant pressure for the Winnipeg jets forward to lead the team to a quarterfinal spot.
• What a game for Hungarian goaltender Bence Bálizs. It was his first World Championship game of any level since 2019, and he looked great with 41 saves on 44 shots. He was the main reason why the Hungarians had a chance against a Danish team that controlled the pace of play all game long.
• Former Vancouver Canucks forward Nicklas Jensen looked good on the man advantage, and he helped set up both of Ehlers’ goals. He’s always a top contributor for the Danes at this tournament, and he’s coming off a season that saw him play just 12 games this year in the top Swiss league. So he’s fresh and ready to go.

France edges Austria in shootout

• It took four tournaments, but Sebastian Ylonen is finally a winner at the World Championship. He stopped 27 shots sent his way by Austria and was integral to France’s win. They’ll need him to be good in his next start, which likely will be against Hungary on Tuesday, if the French are going to put themselves in a good spot to avoid relegation.
• Alexandre Texier (CBJ) had a couple of close looks, but had nothing to show for. Still, he looked like France’s best player, and he’ll need to be if the team is going to have a chance.
• It was a great night for veteran defenseman Florian Chakiachvili, who nabbed a pair of assists. He’s not a big point producer, but he can play a ton and was physically tough to beat.

Kazakhstan beats Norway in 4-3 comeback

• Nikita Mikhailis is a name I know has drawn some NHL attention. He doesn’t have a KHL deal for next year and is coming off two 40-plus-point efforts, which is nothing to sneeze at. He scored the game-tying goal, which was a bit of a wonky one, but he was Kazakhstan’s most engaged and effective forward.
• Before Saturday night, Norway’s Michael Haga had just one goal in 31 games over six years. He scored twice Saturday, including the opening power-play goal at 7:48 and then the 3-1 goal that gave Norway a two-goal advantage. It didn’t pay off in the end, but talk about a career-best game.
• How about that for Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (CBJ)? The Blue Jackets prospect scored early and played one of the best games of his international career, even if it was for nothing. He played only 14:09 but seemed to win most of the battles.

Finland edges Germany in evening thriller

• JJ Peterka (BUF) has been Germany’s best player through two games, which isn’t surprising after his great showing against USA in the pre-tournament game. Peterka is a skilled forward who can outskate the competition, and he was rewarded with the third German goal late in the second period.
• German defenseman Kai Wissman was rewarded for his strong play, scoring the 2-1 go-ahead goal 12 minutes into the second. He was strong defensively, giving Sweden and Finland little to work with in the first two games, and then he scored at the end of a long shift to give the Germans the lead.
• Sakari Manninen has been so good for the Finns throughout his his international career, and he scored a pair to ensure the Finns had a chance. He’s especially good in clean space on the power play, but his ability to score from just about anywhere makes him so dangerous.
• He had some quiet moments, but there were other times when you could tell why Mikko Rantanen (COL) is an NHL star. Rantanen was the catalyst for the game-winner, outskating three German players before creating a scoring chance. For a team that wins with hard work and power-play prowess, Rantanen will be so important moving forward.
• Mikko Lehtonen, the fourth goal-scorer, continued his strong tournament by getting on the board. He was the highest-scoring defenseman a year ago and looks like he could do it again given the way he’s playing right now.
• Kaapo Kakko (NYR) showed some nice skill on the first Finnish goal, spinning around to set up Joel Armia (MTL). That’s two excellent showings for the Rangers winger after a disappointing end to the season. He seems to love representing the Finns internationally.

Slovakia beats Latvia to get in win column

• After coming in relief early in the first period Friday, Arturs Silovs (VAN) stole the spotlight against the Slovaks. He made 27 saves, including some big ones on a couple of breakaway chances. The Latvian defenders didn’t make life easy for him, but it’s safe to say Silovs has won the starter’s gig early on.
• At the other end, it was a great bounce-back effort for Stanislav Skorvanek after the loss to Czechia. The Latvians didn’t get a ton of high-danger chances, but he was perfect other than allowing a breakaway goal late in the second. That’s all you can ask for.
• Speaking for players with Vancouver connections, Rodrigo Abols — the lone goal-scorer for Latvia — scored the only goal on a breakaway. He was one of the few Latvians that really showed up against Canada.