Jets forward Nino Niederreiter faces tournament pressure. Switzerland eyes medal contention, hoping their NHL star ignites offense in crucial quarterfinals.
As the group stage wrapped up Sunday, the stakes were clear across the tournament. Every team was looking to secure a final win to improve its standing ahead of the quarterfinals, which begin Tuesday.
For the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team, the task was straightforward but challenging. Entering the day with one win and one loss in round robin play, the Swiss needed a victory over high-profile Czechia to strengthen their seeding and potentially clear a more favorable path toward medal contention.
Much of the focus remained on Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter, one of Switzerland’s few NHLers and a player expected to be a major factor offensively. Through his first two games, however, Niederreiter was held off the scoresheet despite logging 15 and 18 minutes of ice time. On Sunday, his role was reduced even further. He played just 11:26 and finished the night minus-one, still searching for his first point of the tournament.
Despite Niederreiter’s limited impact, the game itself was tightly contested. Czechia opened the scoring in the first period, but Switzerland responded with two goals in the second to take control. The Czechs answered with a pair of their own in the middle frame, setting up a 3-3 tie that required overtime.
In the extra period, Swiss defenseman Dean Kukan provided the decisive moment, scoring the overtime winner to secure a critical victory. The result gives Switzerland a boost in the standings heading into the knockout stage.
While Niederreiter has yet to leave his mark offensively through three games, the Swiss will hope their veteran winger can find another gear when the the Swiss play their qualification round matchup versus Italy for a chance to play Finland in the quarterfinals.
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