USA Dominates Kazakhstan 6-1 in IIHF Championship Showdown

Herning, Denmark – The United States showcased its strength, defeating Kazakhstan 6-1 in Group B of the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on Sunday.

Forward Frank Nazar led the charge with a goal and two assists, helping the Americans bounce back from a slow start. The U.S. exploded into action in the second period with five goals, notably dominating possession during that stretch.

Jackson Lacombe, Tage Thompson, Matty Beniers, Michael Kesselring, and Zach Werenski also contributed scores to the American tally. Goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman made 16 saves to secure the victory, as the U.S. seeks its first gold medal since 1933 and its first overall medal since 2021.

Lacombe reflected on the game, saying, “We kind of had the puck in the O-zone almost the whole period. I thought we did a great job at possession and making plays.” Kazakhstan’s lone goal came from Vladimir Volkov, who scored in a late-game effort.

In contrast, Kazakhstan struggled with a lackluster performance, especially in the second period, where they were outshot 38-17. Goaltender Sergei Kudryavstev made his first start and recorded 21 saves on 26 shots before being replaced for the third period.

Kazakhstan entered the match with only three points after an earlier victory and found itself in a precarious position. With one final Group B game against the silver medalist Switzerland ahead, the team faces the prospect of relegation. Assistant captain Nikita Mikhailis noted, “We should focus on our own game. We have the last game against Switzerland, and we should think about this more and play our best.”

Reflecting on their previous game against Norway, where they narrowly won 6-5 in overtime, the U.S. demonstrated a more focused effort against Kazakhstan. Coach Ryan Warsofsky emphasized the importance of puck management moving forward, especially with a challenging match against the defending champion Czechs looming.

During the first period, the Americans couldn’t break through Kazakhstan’s relentless defense, while the Kazakhs worked diligently to maintain the scoreless deadlock. Nazar finally put the U.S. on the board midway through the second period, hitting his fourth tournament goal.

Thompson praised Nazar, stating, “He’s been great. I love his game. Works extremely hard, moves his feet, shoots, gets to the net. All the things you want out of a guy, and he’s been doing them consistently, so it’s been big.”

Following a flurry of goals, Kazakhstan’s coach, Oleg Bolyakin, called a timeout in hopes of regrouping his team. Unfortunately, the Americans continued to capitalize on their chances, pushing the score to 6-0 before Volkov finally got one back in the dying seconds of the game at 6-1.

Mikhailis remained optimistic despite the loss, expressing, “Team USA is a very good team with very qualified players. If we played the match like we did in the first period, we could battle back and maybe win also. So many mistakes that we did influenced this match.”

Historically, the U.S. has maintained dominance over Kazakhstan, winning all six of their World Championship encounters.