Host Denmark and Norway are poised for a winner-takes-all showdown when they meet on Sunday in the deciding game at the 2024 Men’s Final Olympic Ice Hockey Qualification Group F in Aalborg. But while the Norwegians breezed past Britain for a second successive victory on Friday, host nation Denmark laboured to an overtime win against Japan.

Norway 6 Great Britain 2 (2-0, 3-0, 1-2)

Patrick Thoresen rolled back the years with a hat trick to fire Norway past Great Britain on Day Two of the Men's Olympic Qualification Group F in Aalborg. The 40-year-old team captain added to his goal on Japan in yesterday’s opener, helping to keep the Norwegians perfect.

Back in May these two teams met in IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship play in a relegation showdown. On that occasion, Norway ensured its top-division survival after a strong first period set up a 5-2 victory.

Friday's rematch followed a similar pattern. Norway, looking for a second win at this Olympic qualification tournament, took control with two early goals and never relinquished its grip. Britain, needing a victory to keep its hopes of progress alive, could not handle that opening onslaught and eventually succumbed to a heavy loss.

Thoresen was the difference between the teams in the opening frame. His first goal at 7:21 was a simple redirect of Max Krogdahl’s shot from the right, although there was some great work by Eirik Salsten in the slot to dislodge the British defence and create the space for Thoresen to finish.

Then came a Norwegian power play and Thoresen potted his second just over two minutes later. This time, a Mats Zuccarello feed picked out the bearded forward beside the net. He looked to steer the puck back to the danger zone, but a kind bounce off the back of goalie Ben Bowns sent it into the net.

If the Brits thought that was unfortunate, there was more evidence that the hockey gods formed part of the Norse pantheon at the start of the second. Ken Andre Olimb’s shot deflected off Thoresen and flew into a three-man scrum involving Bowns, Salsten and defender Nathanael Halbert. From there, it skittered under Bowns’ pad and trickled into the net off the post. GB challenged the play, citing goalie interference, but a video review ruled that Thoresen had his hat-trick goal.

Norway’s day got better: a long-range effort from Johannes Johannesen looped off Bowns’ shoulder and dropped into the net to make it 4-0. Soon after, Jackson Whistle took over in the GB net, but he couldn’t stop Emilio Pettersen adding a fifth late in the middle frame to put the game beyond reach.

There was some consolation for GB in the third period. By now, Thoresen was sitting it out, warming down in the arena while Eskild Bakke Olsen took his place on the first line. Britain got on the scoreboard in the 46th minute when Liam Kirk set up a power play goal for Josh Waller. Then Ben Davies battled away in the slot to bang home a rebound from Sam Ruopp’s point shot for Britain’s first 5-on-5 goal at this tournament.

But Norway had the final word, with Olimb adding a sixth goal to seal a comfortable win and send his country into a last-day showdown with Denmark for a ticket to Milan.

Japan 2 Denmark 3 OT (1-2, 1-0, 0-0, 0-1)

Japan gave Denmark a real fight before falling in overtime to Lars Eller's goal at 3:45. The Danish captain grabbed the rebound from his own effort, circled into another shooting lane, and finally ended the resistance of Yuta Narisawa in the Japanese net.

Despite dropping a point here, the host nation’s Olympic destiny remains in its own hands: any kind of victory over Norway tomorrow would be enough for top spot and a ticket to Italy.

But Japan, the lowest ranked team to make the final qualification round, deserves enormous credit after pushing the top seed all the way. And the Japanese might even have claimed a famous victory if Yu Sato’s overtime effort had bounced off the other side of Frederik Andersen’s post.

Denmark applied the early pressure in this game and Eller had a good chance off a feed from Nicklas Jensen in the corner right at the start. However, Japan claimed a shock lead midway through the first period.

It was the second game in a row that the Japanese surprised a higher-ranked opponent and, just as against Norway, Chikara Hanzawa and Teruto Nakajima combined to do the damage. Hanzawa robbed Nicholas B. Jensen of the puck behind the net and popped it out in front for Nakajima to fire past Andersen.

Unlike the Norway game, where Japan led until the 35th minute, Denmark found an instant response. Jonas Rondbjerg released Alexander True down the left and collected a return pass before going behind the net to score on the wraparound.

Japan almost regained the lead when Koki Yoneyama’s point shot skidded awkwardly in front of Andersen and got behind him, but the goalie reacted before an opposing forward could touch the puck into the net.

Late in the first period, Denmark began to assert itself. A neat passing play put the home team in front, Morten Poulsen from the left channel setting up Christian Wejse for a deft backhanded finish at 17:31. It seemed that Japan was on the rocks.

Despite that late lift, the Danes could not forge ahead in the second period. As against Britain on Thursday, they had possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances. True fired at Narisawa when well placed, then Eller sent Nikolaj Ehlers clean through, only for the Winnipeg star to shoot wide.

Japan hung around bravely and got its reward after 36 minutes when Makuru Furuhashi tied the game. It started with a battling effort from Taiga Irikura in the corner, getting the puck to Hiroto Sato on the point. He stepped up and fired in a shot that bounced around the crease before Furuhashi gleefully banged it home.

In the third period, Denmark dominated. Seeking the winning goal, the host nation reshuffled its lines and, at times, we saw the NHL duo of Eller and Ehlers combining. However, not even that firepower could unpick a brave Japanese defence. Patrick Russell came closest, clipping the frame of the goal seconds into the session, but Narisawa made 11 saves to take the action into overtime.

Against Norway, the Danes will look to qualify for just their second Olympic men's hockey tournament ever. They finished seventh in Beijing in 2022.