After backstopping Latvia to a crucial win over Germany on Saturday, Artūrs Šilovs was right back between the pipes less than 24 hours later-this time with a tougher outcome. The Pittsburgh Penguins netminder suited up again on Sunday for Latvia’s final preliminary round game, but Denmark had other plans.
In a fast-paced, physical matchup, Denmark edged Latvia 4-2, leaving both teams with matching 1-2 records heading into the qualification round. Šilovs, who faced a lighter workload than the night before, stopped 17 of 20 shots. But it was Denmark’s Frederick Andersen who stole the show-turning away 33 of 35 Latvian shots and anchoring his squad with a composed, veteran performance.
Denmark wasted no time setting the tone. Nick Olesen opened the scoring just 23 seconds in, burying the first shot of the game and immediately putting Latvia on its heels. Less than five minutes later, Mikkel Aagaard doubled the lead on the power play, and before the first period was out, Nikolaj Ehlers made it 3-0-capping a dominant opening frame for the Danes.
To their credit, Latvia didn’t fold. Kristaps Zile gave them a lifeline late in the first, scoring a much-needed goal to shift momentum before the intermission.
That spark carried into the second period, where Eduards Tralmarks cut the deficit to one just six minutes in. From there, Latvia kept the pressure on, outshooting Denmark and generating quality chances, but Andersen held firm.
With time winding down and Šilovs pulled for the extra attacker, Latvia pushed for the equalizer. But Olesen sealed the deal with his second goal of the game-an empty-netter that iced the 4-2 win for Denmark.
Now, Latvia turns its attention to a tough qualification-round matchup against Sweden on Tuesday. That game brings some added intrigue, as Šilovs could potentially face off against two of his Penguins teammates-defenseman Erik Karlsson and forward Rickard Rakell. Whether Šilovs gets the nod again or Latvia turns to veteran Elvis Merzlikins remains to be seen, but either way, the stakes are rising fast.