In a nail-biter in Tallinn, China clinched its first win at the IIHF Division I Group B Men's World Championship, squeaking past Croatia 4-3. Both teams had stumbled through two opening losses, making this match a must-win showdown on the icy rink.
China struck first when Hou Yuyang wove through Croatia's defense and slipped a shot past goaltender Mislav Rosandic for a 1-0 lead. Hou doubled his tally in the second period, capitalizing on a rebound to put China ahead 2-0 and fire up his teammates.
Croatia answered back six minutes later, with Patric Dobric and Karlo Marinkovic weaving a sublime passing play to set up Borna Rendulic, who ripped a wrist shot into the net. The third period saw Rendulic tee up Vito Idzan for a power play goal that evened the score at 2-2 and set the stage for a back-and-forth finish.
China regained the lead through Yan Juncheng mid-way through the third, but Croatia fought back when Rendulic connected a clever backhand pass to Nikolas Malenica for an empty-netter, sending fans into a frenzy at 3-3. With under a minute left, Yan struck again, firing home the winner to seal a thrilling 4-3 triumph for China.
This hard-fought victory not only snapped China's winless run but injected fresh energy into their championship campaign. As the group stage continues, both teams will aim to harness lessons from this high-octane clashāChina riding newfound confidence, and Croatia eager to rebound in their next matchup.
Reference(s):
China squeak past Croatia 4-3 at Men's Ice Hockey World Championship
cgtn.com
