Plymouth 2017 Preview: Women’s World Championships Semi-Finals

Today’s Games

12:00pm - Relegation Game 2: Czech Republic vs Switzerland

The Czechs pulled off their first win of the tournament in the first relegation game. Can they send Switzerland down (if temporarily) in two games or will the Swiss force a third game on Friday?

3:35pm - Semi-Final 1: Canada vs Finland

The idea that a semi-final game against Finland would be worrying for Canada isn’t entirely new but the idea that it would be this worrying... Susanna Tapani leads the tournament in scoring. Noora Räty is lights-out. The Canadians looked good against Russia but Germany beat Russia. In all likelihood Shannon Szabados will face Finland for the first time this tournament. Can she save Canada from competing for bronze on Friday? Tune in to find out. (live on TSN 3/5)

5:00pm - Fifth place game: Russia vs Sweden

Unless you were following Nicole Haase on twitter (although by now if you’re not, why not?) you may have missed one important consequence of Germany’s defeat of Russia. The highest Russia can finish is fifth place - which would normally move them out of  them in Group A for the next Worlds. (Both the IIHF vote on a new Worlds format and their Olympic results will affect that.) Sweden came into the tournament ranked fifth and will at least not want to go home with a lower seeding. Either way, what’s really on the line here is pride - who goes home with a win in their final game?

7:35 pm - Semi-Final 2: USA vs Germany

Germany has won the hearts and minds of a lot of women’s hockey fans this tournament and secretly a bunch of us would love to watch Jennifer Harss and Coach Hinterstocker’s systems stymie the Americans. In reality, this will probably be a master class on fast, agressive hockey by Team USA and barely a speed bump on their way to the gold medal game. (live on TSN 4, NHL.com, Friday at 10 am on NHL Network )

Division IIA

South Korea and North Korea met in competition today, with South Korea winning 3-0. I have to say as someone who remembers East and West Germany competing separately at the Olympics... who remembers the Berlin Wall falling... this Worlds really tugs on my heartstrings.

South Korea continues to lead in the standings by virtue of goal differential. The next and final day of competition is Saturday. South Korea and the Netherlands will meet to determine who gets promoted to Division IB.