IIHF World Championships semi-finals: Canada halt Latvian charge, Germany stun USA
USA 3 Germany 4 (OT)
The USA were the undoubted favourites going into the second semi-final. However, Germany had proved with their quarter-final win over Switzerland that they were no pushovers.
Alex Tuch and Rocco Grimaldi put the Americans into a commanding 2-0 lead within the first five minutes and it was looking like Germany might be brushed aside easily in Tampere.
Germany turned things around midway through the first period, however. First, Frederik Tiffels scored a power-play goal to narrow the margin and then Maksymilian Szuber equalised in the 17th minute.
Michael Eyssimont scored the only goal of the second period to retake the lead for the USA but the spirited Germans weren't ready to give up there. Marcel Noebels popped up with a goal late on in the third period to force overtime.
Tiffels completed the comeback for Germany with an overtime winner to upset the USA and send the Germans into the final against Canada on Sunday. The USA will play Latvia in the bronze-medal match.
Canada 4 Latvia 2
Tournament co-hosts Latvia have surprised many by reaching the final four of the World Championships. After sensationally beating Sweden in the quarter-finals, they were set to be tested once again when they met another one of the world's best sides, Canada, in the first semi-final in Tampere.
Latvia took a shock lead in the opening period courtesy of Dans Locmelis, to leave Canada stunned. They held onto their lead for a while, but the Canadians finally hit back.
With just five minutes left of the second period, Samuel Blais levelled things up, but it wasn't to last long. Just over a minute later, Latvia incredibly scored again, with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Rudolfs Balcers putting the underdogs back in front.
Heading into the final period, the Latvians were eyeing an upset, but Canada were determined not to let that happen. 45 seconds in, Jack Quinn scored to peg their opponents back once more, and they proceeded to take control of the contest.
18-year-old Adam Fantilli gave Canada the lead for the first time in the match with 11 minutes to go, before Scott Laughton wrapped the game up in the dying seconds with an empty net goal to take them through to the final.