Latvia - France 3-1

Both teams needed points, but Latvia was a little more desperate to get them. Janis Sprukts scored one and added two assists as Latvia beat France 3-1 in the Preliminary Round at the IIHF World Championship. Kristers Gudlevskis made 28 saves for Latvia. France needed to win the game to stay in the quarter-final hunt, with one game remaining, and for Latvia, three points were crucial to avoid relegation.