Japan, Slovenia and Kazakhstan opened the 2009 IIHF World Championship Div. IA with convincing victories over their opponents.

Croatia - Japan 1-7 (1-1, 0-4, 0-2)

While the scoreline looks comfortable, Japan were initially made to work for the first 3 points of these World Championships.

Croatia very much held their own in the initial phases of this game. While Japan may have had a territorial advantage, which would last for the whole game, Croatia were causing the Japanese defence concerns on their forays over the blueline. From one of those forays, Croatia opened the scoring in the game with Svigir beating Haruna just inside 5 minutes.

Croatia then hit some penalty trouble that ensured that they couldn't continue any momentum that they may have created. But, neither could Japan. Japan initially thought they had opened their account, only for the referee to declare that Nishiwaki had impeded a player in the process, before they managed to convert a powerplay at the 3rd time of asking in the 13th minute. Sho Sato the scorer.

But that was it for the first period as Japan continued to fail to convert their pressure. However, the Japanese moved up a gear in the second while the Croatians were already suggesting that they couldn't keep up the pace of their first period performance. Still, Japan's 2nd goal just 2 minutes into the second period still didn't create a feeling that Japan were ready to take control of the game. Even the territorial advantage seemed to drop a bit with most chances coming on the break, and ending quite quickly after.

But, the 3rd goal seemed to be the clincher, even if it took nearly 34 minutes to come. Takeshi Saito's goal seemed to deflate the Croatians and Japan pounced on the opportunity scoring just 30 seconds later and increasing their lead further in the dying seconds of the period.

As a result, the game was over before the 3rd period began. Croatia's patience grew shorter around their own net whenever they felt liberties were being taken on Belic. Japan seemed to have enough to control the game without setting the arena alight. The 6th goal came after the referee overruled the goal judge with the video replay confirming the referee's suspicions and the 7th goal came on the penalty shot after Brumerick slashed a rushing Sato on the break.

In the end it's difficult to tell anything from this game. Croatia stood up better than expected, but the scoreline still isn't close so a relegation battle still seems to be on the cards. Japan controlled the game, but will need to show more control and composure if they are to achieve more than mid-table anonymity in this tournament.

Croatia - Japan 1-7 (1-1, 0-4, 0-2)
1-0 04:49 Kresimir Svigir 1 (S. Belic)
1-1 12:44 Sho Sato 1 (M. Kawashima) PP1
1-2 21:54 Yoshinori Iimura (F. Miyauchi)
1-3 33:48 Takeshi Saito 1 (R. Kawai, Te. Saito)
1-4 35:20 Takashito Suzuki 1 (S. Sato, A. Keller)
1-5 39:57 Daisuke Obara 1 (M. Nishiwaki)
1-6 45:32 Takashi Saito 2 (S. Kuji)
1-7 51:40 Sho 2 Saito 2 PS

CRO 10x2, JAP 10x2, SOG 16:39 (6:14, 4:13, 6:12), Att: 300
CRO:  V. Belic; S. Belic (4), L. Novosel, M. Mladjenovic (4), V. Zibret, K. Svigir - M. Brumercik (2), M. Tadic (4), M. Novak (2), J. Kucera, T. Grozaj (2) - T. Sulevski, M. Sertic, D. Kanaet, P. Trstenjak, B. Rendulic (2) - I. Jacmenjak, N. Trstnenjak, V. Chovanec, D. Jakovac, M. Kopajtic.
JAP:  Haruna; M. Kawashima, R. Minami (4), S. Sato (2), G. Tanaka (2), T. Suzuki - A. Keller, Y. Haka, S. Kuji, Ta. Saito, Te. Saito  - F. Miyauchi, R. Kawai (2), Y. Kon (2), y. Iimora, S. Shigeno - J. Tonosaki, T. Kamino (2), M. Nishiwaki (6), M. Ogawa,  D. Obara

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Australia - Slovenia 0-6 (0-3, 0-3, 0-0)

It couldn't have started worse for Australia. In their first ever Division 1 World Championship game, they were only able to hold Slovenia at bay for 35 seconds before Andrej Hebar found a way past Matt Ezzy.

To be fair, though, Australia recovered quickly from such a disappointing opening and were able to play a containing game to some extent. Certainly, the play was pretty much all Slovenia, Australia only managing 3 shots in the period being testament to that, but Slovenia wasn't having it all their own way. In a much higher temp game compared to the first game of the day, Australia were able to skate with Slovenia. Their only fault was a tendency to leave Slovenian forwards unchecked in front of the net, which allowed Slovenia to finish the period 3-0.

But, like Croatia earlier in the day, that was as good as it got. Australia couldn't get a single shot on goal in the middle period despite Slovenia visibly slowing down, feeling that the game was already safe. The lack of punch for the Australian team impacted by a nasty head injury to Greg Oddy that required treatment to both him and the ice, and never saw him return to the game. Of Slovenia's 15 shots, a further 3 found their way past Ezzy.

The third period was about little more than whether Australia could score their first ever Division 1 goal. In the end, neither side could, although Roberto Franchini twice came close for Australia.

Slovenia will be happy to have had an easy warm-up game to start their bid to bounce straight back to the elite division. Australia will be happy to have survived their toughest game without being blown out, even if there is little doubt that Slovenia could have scored far more if it had been required. But, Australia must still feel that relegation is not a certainty, yet.

Australia - Slovenia 0-6 (0-3, 0-3, 0-0)
0-1 00:35 Andrej Hebar 1 (T. Razingar)
0-2 11:59 Mitja Sivic 1 (A. Music, S. Kovacsevic)
0-3 16:02 Sabahudin Kovacevic (M. Robar, D. Rodman)
0-4 25:20 Matej Hocevar 1 (R. Ticar, E. Muric)
0-5 26:06 Tomas Razingar 1 (M. Sivic, I. Golicic)
0-6 28:54 Mitja Sivic 2 (S. Kovacevic, T. Razingar) PP1
LTU 5x2, SLO 6x2, SOG 6:46 (3:13, 0:18, 3:15), Att: 1,000

AUS: M. Ezzy, R. Starke (2), J. Seymour (2),  G. Oddy, M. Villani, L. Webster - D. Harding,  A. White, R. Franchini, V. Stransky (2), V. Rubes - D. Huxley, R. del Basso, A. Esposito, B. Young, S. Stephenson - D. Dunwoodie, C. Minson, T. Manco, T. Stephenson, D. Upton.
SLO: A. Hocevar, Z. Pavlin (2), J. Milovanovic, D. Rodman, A. Hebar, M. Rodman - M. Robar, S. Kovacevic, T. Razingar, M. Sivic, A. Music - A. Tavzelj, B. Groznik, E. Muric (4), G. Polonicic (2), A. Terlikar - Z. Svete, R. Ticar, M. Hocevar, J. Golicic, Z. Pance.

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Lithuania - Kazakhstan 1-5 (0-2, 0-1, 1-2)

This game immediately felt like the start of the tournament proper. After a couple of one-sided games that felt could have been even more one-sided, this game was all out intensity from the first puck drop.

Just 14 seconds into the game, Kazakhstan got their first washed-out goal; there would be another one apiece before the period ended. Penalties weren't in short order during the game either as the Kazakh's set a ferocious pace that the hosts had to respond to. However, two goals 80 seconds apart, both within the first 4 minutes very much ensured that the initial momentum was Kazkahstan's. Lithuania struggled to gain any control of the game, camped out in their own zone for long periods of time, but so strong was their defensive checking game, they were able to keep their rivals to just 9 shots. But, with Lithuania unable to get out of their own zone without being on the powerplay, they could only manage 4 shots of their own.

In the second period, Lithuania managed more testing shots on Kuznetsov, but their efforts still came to nought. Their problems were best typified by Kazkhstan's only goal of the period. Bernatavicius set a blistering break down the right wing but his rebound was picked up by Kazakhstan who scored at the other end after converted Solarev's rebound. This pair were causing all sorts of difficulties for Lithuania whereas Bauba and Bernatavicius were little more than an inconvenience to the Kazakh defence.

Early penalties to both sides resulted in a spell of 4-on-4 hockey that allowed Lithuania to build some good momentum with Bernatavicius still the most prominent player going forward. And the pressure gave the near capacity crowd at the Siemens Arena something to cheer about when they finally broke through Kuznetsov. A lovely one-two between the Kumeliauskas brothers including a great backpass by Tadas to Donatas and suddenly Kazakhstan's inability to get more out of their 2nd period pressure was looking a cause for concern.

But, penalty trouble culminating in a spear by Kieras on Belyayev in front of Dauksevicius' killed the game with a little under 8 minutes left. Savchenko got the 4th and Koreshkov the 5th, both with a 2-man advantage to ensure the 3 points went against Kazakhstan in the league table.

Lithuania - Kazakhstan 1-5 (0-2, 0-1, 1-2)
0-1 02:37 Sergei Yakovenko 1 (V. Krasnoslobotsev, I. Solarev)
0-2 03:47 Yuri Rymarev 1 (R. Starchenko, A. Koreshkov) PP1
0-3 25:29 Ilya Solarev 1 (V. Krasnoslobotsev)
1-3 46:25 Donatas Kumeliauskas 1 (T. Kumeliauskas, R. Aliukonis)
1-4 53:14 Roman Savchenko 1 (A. Gavrilin, V. Krasnoslobotsev) PP2
1-5 54:29 Aleksandr Koreshkov 1 (S. Alexandrov)
LTU 13x2 +1x5+20 (Kieras), KAZ 10x2, SOG 23:39 (4:9, 7:18, 12:12), Att: 7,300

LTU: N. Dauksevicius; A. Katulis (2), R. Aliukonis, T. Kumeliauskas, D. Kumeliauskas (2), D. Lelenas (2) - M. Kieras (25), K. Nekrasevicius (2), E. Bauba (4), D. Bernatavicius (2), K. Nekrasevicius (2) - P. Nauseda, A. Kaminskas (6), M. Slikas, S. Kuliesius, D. Vaiciukevicius - J. Vezelis, T. Vysniauskas (2), S. Ivanuskin (2), A. Bobas, P. Verensis.
KAZ: A. Kuznetsov; S: Yakovenko, R. Savchenko (2), I. Solarev, V. Krasnoslobotsev, A. Gavrilin - Y. Mazunin, Y. Fadeyev (2), M. Belyayev (4), A. Samokhvalov, S. Alexandrov (2) - A. Lakiza, V. Antipin (2), A. Koreshkov, Y. Rymarev, R. Starchenko (2) - V. Kolesnikov, G. Petrov (4), A. Vorontsov, A. Shin, A. Spiridonov (2).