MINSK, 18 May (BelTA) – Belarus blanked France 3-0 in their last round-robin game of the 2016 IIHF World Championship on 17 May to keep place in the top division, BelTA has learned.
A pair of goals by Andrei Stas carried Belarus to the second win of the tournament. Geoff Platt added a goal and assist and Charles Linglet finished the game with three assists.
Belarus finished sixth in Group B and 12th overall.
Group B standings are as follows: 1. Finland – 21 points (7 games played), 2. Canada – 18 (7), 3. Germany – 13 (7), 4. United States – 10 (7), 5. Slovakia – 8 (7), 6. Belarus – 6 (7), 7. France – 5 (7), 8. Hungary – 3 (7).
Hungary, finishing 8th in the group, will have to leave the elite division. Kazakhstan faces relegation in Group A.
Group A Standings are as the following: 1. Czech Republic -18 (7), 2. Russia - 18 (7), 3. Sweden - 13 (6), 4. Denmark - 11 (7), 5.Norway - 8 (7), 6. Switzerland - 8 (7), 7. Latvia - 6 (7), 8. Kazakhstan - 2 (7).
Four best teams from each group advance to the playoff which is scheduled to take place in St Petersburg and Moscow on 19 May.
