Category: World Juniors

USA Edges Czechia in the Shootout

In Group B play, Team USA edged Czechia 4-3 in the shootout at the Under-20 World Junior Championships (WJC). Isaac Howard scored the winner in extras to give the Americans the win over the Czechs.

The game featured back and forth action between two good teams that were vying to stay within reach of undefeated Slovakia in Group B. With the victory, Team USA improved to 2-1-0-0. Their eight points trail Slovakia by one with a big game on New Year’s Eve to decide who wins the group.

Czechia proved to be a very difficult opponent for Team USA. They played a heavy style with physicality and had two one-goal leads in regulation. Michael Hrabal supplied strong goaltending by making 30 saves on 33 shots. The Coyotes’ prospect kept Czechia alive in a shaky third period where players kept turning over pucks to give Team USA great scoring opportunities.

The game couldn’t have gotten off to a better start for the Americans. Over a minute into the action, Howard finished off a good lead pass from Frank Nazar to convert a two-on-one. That gave Team USA an early 1-0 lead at 1:12.

However, they failed to capitalize on a couple of power plays that Gavin Brindley drew. Czechia was able to kill off the penalties thanks to some timely saves from Hrabal. Team USA also missed the net on some chances. It was a common theme throughout the game. Both Cutter Gauthier and Jimmy Snuggerud couldn’t hit the net on some quality chances.

Hrabal might have had something to do with it. Listed at six-foot six, he takes up a lot of the net. The Coyotes’ 2023 second round pick also has good footwork. Able to move well laterally, the 18-year-old looks like the goalie of the future for Arizona. He’s won seven games while posting a 2.67 goals-against-average (GAA) and .905 save percentage at UMass-Amherst in Hockey East.

Despite being held in check by a stingy USA defense, Czechia was opportunistic in the first period. On only their second shot of the game, they evened the score when Jakub Stancl was left alone in front to finish a Dominik Rymon pass with 4:20 left in the period. Previously, Hrabal made a good stop on one end. That allowed Czechia to quickly counter to tie it up.

Although they played a good opening period, Team USA found themselves tied at the break. It was a sign of things to come.

The second period saw each side pick up the scoring. They combined for four goals over a 7:48 span. Whenever one team scored, the other side countered quickly. It made for an exciting brand of hockey.

Czechia grabbed their first lead when Adam Bares snapped a wrist shot past USA goalie Jacob Fowler at 6:23 of the second. He handled a carom off a Matej Prcik pass and surprised Fowler with a quick shot.

Fowler made his second consecutive start in place of Trey Augustine, who was out ill. USA defenseman Seamus Casey also was out due to illness. USA went with six defensemen. Only extra forward Oliver Moore didn’t play.

Less than two minutes later, Will Smith responded by finishing off a nice passing from Boston College linemate Ryan Leonard to draw Team USA back even with 11:56 left in the second. The goal was the result of a quick play in transition. Rangers’ prospect Gabe Perreault got it started by moving the puck to Leonard, who found Smith wide open to tie it at two.

However, Team USA got sloppy defensively. Just over three and a half minutes later, Czechia executed a rush in transition that resulted in Sale setting up Robin Sapousek to go back ahead 3-2 with 8:13 remaining in the period.

Matyas Melovsky got the puck up for Sale, who skated around one USA defender and then centered for Sapousek, who was left all alone in front for the Czechia goal. It was poor coverage by the Americans.

Less than two and a half minutes later, this time, the USA answered back to level the game at three. Following a strong stop by Hrabal on Lane Hutson, Hutson stayed with the rebound and found defense partner Ryan Chesley in front for a one-timer that tied it again.

Hutson was selected as the top player of the game for Team USA. It’s the second time in the tournament he’s received that honor. Big things are expected from the Canadiens’ 2022 second round pick who’s in his second year at Boston University.

The third period saw Team USA apply heavy pressure on Czechia. Despite strong puck possession that included a few shifts where they had the Czechs on their heels, they couldn’t find a way to beat Hrabal. Either he made the saves, or USA players were unable to score. There were several close calls due to Czechia continuing to turn over pucks in their end.

In the three-on-three portion of overtime, Brindley was high-sticked to put Team USA on a 4-on-3 power play. Despite getting some good looks, they were unable to score. Both Snuggerud and Gauthier had shots sail over the net.

With the teams skating 4-on-4, the best chance came when the dangerous Jiri Kulich got off a wrist shot in the high slot. It narrowly missed. He nearly put in the rebound. The Sabres’ prospect is playing in his third WJC. Having already posted a hat trick in a Czechia win, Kulich has three goals and two assists for five points thus far. He has 22 career points in 17 games at the WJC.

The game required a shootout. In it, it looked like Kulich’s goal in the bottom of the third round would hold up for Czechia.

But Fowler denied Ondrej Becher to keep it alive. Perreault made a great move and banked in a backhand off a good fake to draw Team USA even in the fifth round.

After Fowler prevented Matyas Sapovaliv from winning it, he made an aggressive poke check in extras to thwart Kulich. That save was the biggest one of the game. After Hrabal got over to deny Perreault on another strong move, Fowler stopped Sale to set the stage for Howard.

A patient Howard waited before finding just enough real estate to beat Hrabal to give Team USA an exciting 4-3 shootout win over Czechia.

It was an excellent game. If Team USA expects to win the gold medal, they’ll likely have to go through Czechia again. Much depends on the final game of group play when they battle Slovakia for the top seed. Whoever prevails should have an easier path.

In another game to keep a close eye on, host Sweden is currently leading Canada 2-0 after one period. The winner would have e the upper hand on the top spot in Group A.

There’ll be more crucial games coming over the weekend. Then, it’s on to the quarterfinals.

Germany supplies first upset of World Juniors

On Boxing Day, the Under-20 World Junior Championships (WJC) got underway in Sweden. Remarkably, it’s the 2024 WJC.

The best hockey prospect tournament in the world is on its second day. Day One provided no upsets.

That included Team USA defeating Norway 4-1 in a closer game due to the brilliance of Norwegian goalie Markus Stensrud. He had 40 saves on 44 shots. He kept the American squad off the scoreboard for nearly the entire first half until Jimmy Snuggerud scored his first goal at 9:59 of the second period.

Gavin Brindley followed up by netting a pair 2:33 apart. His first goal came on the power play when Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault combined to set him up for a one-timer past Stensrud with six minutes left in the second period. Perreault made a good play in front to find Brindley open for the goal.

At even strength, some strong puck pursuit led to Brindley coming out and firing home his second of the game. After Frank Nazar came out with the puck, he passed for Brindley, who put Team USA ahead by three with 3:27 remaining in the second.

In the third period, Norway and Team USA exchanged goals 25 seconds apart. After Petter Vesterheim tallied shorthanded, Isaac Howard scored a power-play goal to restore a three-goal lead with 13:17 left in regulation.

Trey Augustine had a good game in net for Team USA. He stopped 22 of 23 shots to earn the victory. That included a few big saves when the game was scoreless. Norway played well in defeat. They created some scoring chances. It was a strong showing.

Team USA was off on Day Two. They will take on Switzerland on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 11 EST in Frolundaborg. The game can be seen on NHL Network, which exclusively covers every Team USA game. TSN has the rest of the tournament with Canada featured in a top heavy group, with host Sweden and Finland.

While Sweden is expected to be one of the contenders for the gold medal, along with Team USA and Canada, Finland isn’t as strong. Following a tournament-opening 5-2 loss to Canada, they became the first upset victim in group play. Germany pulled off a 4-3 upset earlier today to make history by beating Finland for the first time in 26 games at the WJC.

Philipp Dietl made 40 saves on 43 shots to earn the game’s top player for Germany. That included a couple of clutch stops late when Finland had a power play. They pulled goalie Niklas Kokko for a six-on-four with less than two minutes remaining. But Dietl came up big to backstop Germany to the upset.

By losing its first two games in Group A, Finland must respond when they face Latvia on Friday, Dec. 29. Latvia lost its second straight game in regulation – falling to Canada 10-0 on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

In Group B, Team USA and Slovakia are both undefeated far. Slovakia improved to 2-0 by shutting out Switzerland 3-0. They also defeated Czechia 6-2 on Dec. 26. If both teams remain unbeaten through their first three games, that would set up a clash on New Year’s Eve to determine who wins the group.

WJC ’22 USA hangs on for 3-2 win over Slovakia, Owen Power’s hat trick highlights Canada win over Czech, overlooked Swedes defeat Russia

It was a busy day of action at the U20 World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. After only one tuneup due to the threat of COVID, they played the first games of Group format on Boxing Day.

With Rogers Place and WP Centrium Arena in Red Deer hosting the signature event featuring the game’s best prospects, once again it’s a loaded deck early on in the preliminary round. Eight teams can play in a single day at the two arenas.

Group B is considered the group of death due to defending champion USA, Sweden and Russia. There’s also pesky Slovakia and Switzerland. Group A is headlined by Canada with the always tough Finland, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Canada is the heavy favorite in that group while USA is a slight favorite in Group B.

If Day 1 was any indication, then the Americans will be tested early and often. Following a near flawless first two periods in which they scored three goals including a pair on the power play, USA had to hold on for a 3-2 win over Slovakia in Red Deer.

It was quite the nightcap. Following Canada’s 6-3 victory over at times an over matched Czech, USA finally got a challenge from the resilient Slovaks in a heated third period. They can thank goalie Drew Commesso for remaining calm in net when things got tight. He finished with 23 saves on 25 shots with many coming in the frantic final period to earn Player Of The Game honors for USA.

With six players back from last year’s gold medal team including key star Matty Beniers and captain Jake Sanderson, USA didn’t start strong at all. Instead, they got into early penalty trouble. After killing off a bench minor, they were successful on the penalty kill with Landon Slaggert off for tripping. Commesso made a few big saves to keep Slovakia off the scoreboard.

Once they settled down, the Americans used their team defense and forecheck to control most of the play. Special teams made a difference in the first. USA took advantage of two undisciplined Slovakia penalties to get the game’s first two goals.

On the first man-advantage with Maxim Strbak off for interference, some superb passing resulted in Logan Cooley setting up Matthew Knies for a quick one-timer past Slovakian goalie Simon Latkoczy at 13:35. It came on an abbreviated five-on-three due Simon Nemec in the box for tripping. That proved costly as USA connected twice.

Still on a five-on-four power play, the Americans moved the puck well around the box. Eventually, a nice play started from Beniers saw Matthew Coronato get the puck across to an open Mackie Samoskevich in the circle for a good snapshot over the glove of Latkoczy for a 2-0 lead with 4:42 remaining.

That kind of precision allowed USA to grab a two-goal lead into intermission. Despite not totally dominating play, they used the power play to be in command. If the first was a bit of a feeling out process as most opening periods are in such a short tournament (ask Canada), then the second was all USA.

Despite an iffy interference minor on Carter Mazur with four seconds left in the first for what really was a clean check that was essentially the IIHF strict rules working against a player, they had no problem killing off the remaining 1:56 of Slovakia’s third power play. In fact, they held them without a shot for the first 19 minutes of a flawless second period.

With Sanderson leading a disciplined team defense that included plenty of strong back checking from the forwards when they weren’t hounding the Slovaks on the forecheck, it really could’ve been more goals than the single one they got from Slaggert, who put in a rebound of a tough Wyatt Kaiser shot that Latkoczy couldn’t handle. What if Latkoczy wasn’t handcuffed by the Kaiser shot and Slaggert hadn’t converted his first at even strength? Perhaps it’s a different game.

Who knew that goal would prove so crucial. It did for one reason. The stellar play from Latkoczy, who in his second year for Slovakia again demonstrated that maybe an NHL team should consider taking a chance on him. The 19-year old was under siege in a lopsided second that saw USA outshoot Slovakia 23-2.

To be honest, the performance from Latkoczy was outstanding. He gave his team every chance to come back. They nearly rallied back from a three-goal deficit. It was quite a final period. Maybe a little too close for comfort for USA Hockey coach Nate Leaman. However, he indicated he was mostly satisfied with how his team played.

For two periods, Slovakia only had 11 shots. To put it into perspective, USA had 23 in the second alone. They led in shots by a wide margin. But a Beniers minor for closing his hand on the puck with 10 seconds left in the second provided the spark the underdogs needed.

On their fourth power play of the game, Slovakia made it count when Samuel Knazko and Matej Kaslik combined to set up captain Martin Chromiak on the doorstep for an easy finish at 63 seconds of the third period. A Kings’ 2020 fifth round pick, Chromiak is having a good season for Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

“It’s my job to have a big role here and to score goals, so that’s what I’m trying to do.” Chromiak told reporters courtesy IIHF.com afterwards. “But this game showed us how strong this Group is. If we don’t play 60 minutes, we’re not going to win. I think if we play our best game, we can beat anybody. We have a really good group of guys.”

He wasn’t done either. Neither were his pesky teammates, who began taking the play to a suddenly fragile USA. Maybe it was partially having what looked like a comfortable lead due to how they played the prior period. But you can never relax against a dangerous opponent. Slovakia had a good tournament in ’21 before being eliminated in a closely fought quarterfinal by you guessed it. Team USA.

Suddenly turning up the volume, it was Slovakia with the extra jump in their step. They were faster to loose pucks and forechecked much better. That tenacity lead to some good scoring chances. Luckily for USA, Commesso was very poised under pressure. He made some key stops and had superb rebound control throughout. While counterpart Latkoczy was busier in stopping 39 of 42 shots, Commesso also was strong to finish with 23 saves. It’s no wonder each goalie were selected as the game’s Top Players.

A tremendous glove save from a diving Latkoczy kept the game alive with a few minutes left. Had he not made that stop, it’s 4-1 and it’s over. Instead, it remained a two-goal game. After matching roughing minors to Slaggert and Stacha were handed out with 2:55 left, Latkoczy was finally lifted at the 57:25 mark of the contest.

It was perfect timing. Again, the Slovaks were able to find their meal ticket for a big goal that made things interesting. Nemec was able to dish across for a lethal Chromiak one-timer on a six-on-four that made it 3-2 with still 2:33 remaining in regulation. More than enough time for the limited crowd of over 1,000 spectators to get their comeback hopes up.

Probably a regrettable decision was to not keep Latkoczy on the bench following Chromiak’s second goal. Instead, Slovakia was conservative. They waited before pulling Latkoczy with under a minute left.

By that time, USA started defending better in front of Commesso, who still had to come up with one more clutch save. There also was a close call where Chromiak was all set up in his office, but his heavy shot missed wide. Had it been on target, the game likely goes to overtime. That’s how impressive Slovakia was in the final 20 minutes. But like Chromiak noted, they needed to play better in the rest of the game.

Following the near tying goal, a couple of American players got in front of shots to deny a desperate Slovakia. That was enough to burn the final 20 seconds. When the buzzer sounded, they celebrated the victory while breathing a sigh of relief.

“It was kind of a funny game. Drew was super busy for certain parts of it, so it’s kind of on the guys to stay dialled. It’s also a reminder you can’t take any country lightly. We have to be ready every night,” Sanderson pointed out.

“But you have to find ways to win. It’s not going to be pretty hockey for 60 minutes. You have to chip away, get pucks deep, and just get to work. That’s winning hockey.”

They’ll take the win and move on. Monday is an off day for USA. Next up is Switzerland on Tuesday. That will be one of only two games following a busy Day Two. Canada also has a day off before facing Austria.

Speaking of the tournament hosts, Canada overcame a two-goal first period deficit before scoring five unanswered goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the Czech Republic on home ice at Rogers Place.

It wasn’t so much about what Czech Republic did well. But rather what Canada did wrong to put themselves behind 3-1 after a good start thanks to a highlight reel goal from Ducks’ prospect Mason McTavish four minutes in. Following a brilliant individual effort from the ’21 third pick, three undisciplined Canadian miscues would up in the back of their net.

A sloppy turnover in the neutral zone allowed the Czechs to counter attack with Jiri Kulich and Jakub Brabanec combining to feed Michal Gut for the tying goal past Rangers’ prospect Dylan Garand at 7:42. Garand had a strange game due to allowing three goals on just 17 shots. However, he wasn’t helped much in an absurd first period where the teams combined for six goals.

Defense was optional. So was maintaining good puck possession and discipline. An Xavier Bourgeault tripping minor allowed Czechia (no idea why they’re called that) to grab the lead. It only took 27 seconds for Ivan Ivan (middle name is also Ivan!) and David Jiricek to find Pavel Novak isolated for an easy one-timer on the power play at 11:32.

In a sharp contrast to last year’s team who went undefeated until a tough shutout loss to USA for the championship, Canada never trailed at any point during Group play. This was different. As if to confirm that it might come harder, some more sloppiness allowed the Czechs to take a two-goal lead.

After another turnover, Gut moved the puck over to Stanislav Svozil. He gained the Canadian zone and then made a great power move around a defender before beating Garand short side top shelf for a 3-1 lead at 12:23. Their last two goals coming 51 seconds apart.

At that point, Canada coach David Cameron had seen enough. No. He didn’t foolishly pull his goalie like Sergei Zubov did to Yaroslav Askarov in Russia’s 6-3 loss to Sweden earlier in the day. He used a timeout to help his team regroup. It worked.

As if a light switch went on, Canada replied back quickly. Only 23 seconds later thanks to relentless pressure down low, defenseman Owen Power let go of a shot that snuck through traffic past Jakub Malek at 12:46 to immediately cut the deficit to one. It was the start of a memorable World Junior debut for the Sabres’ recent top pick, who is having a big sophomore season for Michigan.

Demonstrating how crazy the period was, Canada nearly got caught again. This time, a good Malek outlet lead to a two-on-one rush. But a poor pass across quickly fueled the Canadian transition. Rather than potentially being down two again, instead they drew even when defenseman Donovan Sebrango scored his first of the tournament from Cole Perfetti and 16-year old phenom Connor Bedard with 29 seconds left.

Bedard is a player to highlight. Considered by many to be the projected top pick in 2023, he is already a good scorer producing at a point-per-game clip for Regina in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Only listed at 5-9, 181 pounds, the right shooting playmaking center started as the 13th forward yet quickly moved up last night. It’s because he was around the puck and made things happen. He was a lot more noticeable than projected 2022 top pick Shane Wright.

It fell apart quickly for Czech in the second. Despite some key stops from Malek to keep the game tied, they ran into penalty trouble. Right after what looked like a serious leg injury to top defenseman David Jiricek when he collided with Rangers’ prospect Will Cuylle while going for a hit, things unraveled.

Following a holding minor to defenseman Jakub Sedivy that put them down two D, a complete loss of discipline saw Jan Mysak trip the ever elusive Kent Johnson. While on the delayed call, Canada got a good shot on Malek, who made the save. But before they could announce the Mysak penalty, Michal Hradek gave Johnson a cross-check that had to be called after the whistle.

It resulted in a lengthy two-man advantage for Canada. Half a minute following the unnecessary Hradek minor, Power switched spots to get over to the right circle where the very smart Perfetti made a perfect feed for a one-time blast past Malek for his second of the game at 8:50 of the second. That gave Canada the lead back.

Still on the extended five-on-three, it was Perfetti who set up a McTavish shot that rebounded right to a pinching Power for the sweet finish for his first career hat trick. He admitted after the win that he’d never had one. In getting three goals in his WJC debut, Power made some history to become the first Canadian defenseman to record a hat trick in a World Junior game. Not a bad way to start.

In the third period, defenseman Olen Zellweger added yet another power play tally with 6:38 remaining from Lukas Cormier and Blues’ prospect Jake Neighbours. Astonishingly, that made it five of six goals scored by defensemen for Canada in the win. One which was highlighted by a Power-ful performance from their top new player.

It was a game in which Bedard showed why he’s been much discussed. He wound up with 14 shifts for 12:23 with an assist in his introduction to the WJC. Recent Coyotes’ first round pick Dylan Guenther saw his ice-time slashed. He only received 3:02 over five shifts. On one shift, his skate blade broke and wad returned to him. All he could do was smile. It wasn’t his night.

In another noteworthy game in Group B, Sweden defeated Russia 6-3. They beat Askarov three times on 16 shots in two periods before new Russia bench boss Sergei Zubov decided to replace him with backup Yegor Guskov for the third.

While the move did help get his team’s attention, it proved costly at a crucial moment. Following a pair of goals from Matvei Michkov 41 seconds apart in the third that made it a one-goal game, Guskov let in a soft goal to Theodor Niederbach that went five-hole from the circle with 8:23 left.

That goal took the wind out of Russia’s sails. They chased the game from the very start. Oskar Olausson opened the scoring at 5:24 from Alex Holtz and Helge Grans. Consecutive goals from Simon Edvinson and Emil Andrae with the latter a soft shot going underneath Askarov begged the question about if he can be the guy he’s supposed to be. He hasn’t played much in the KHL which probably hasn’t helped.

Even though two of the three Sweden goals came on the power play, Edvinson managed one shorthanded. So, special teams shined through for the Swedes.

Russia mounted a comeback thanks to a great effort from Fyodor Svechkov that allowed him to stuff a puck past recent first round pick Jesper Wallstedt at 16:28 of the second to end the shutout. Wallstedt played well even though he had some bad luck on the three goals. That included a controversial one from the gifted Michkov that was rewarded after a video review on a delayed penalty. It didn’t make any sense.

Michkov would then purposely throw a backhand from a sharp angle towards the Swedish net that took a strange carom off a player and past Wallstedt to cut it to 4-3 with still 14:34 remaining.

The pair of stunning goals from Michkov suddenly made a Holtz power play goal significant. It was a great play where William Eklund set up Holtz for his deadly one-timer in the slot over a minute before Michkov’s theatrics. Holtz had a goal and assist in the game. He is considered the Devils’ best scoring prospect.

Following the crushing blow from Niederbach, Zubov lifted Guskov with over two minutes left in regulation. An empty netter from Daniel Ljungman with 50 ticks left sealed the deal for Sweden. They’ll next face Slovakia today.

As for Russia, they’re very unpredictable. The talent is there. But which team will show up? They need Askarov to live up to his hype. It’s his third WJC. The good news for the Predators is they can patiently waited for him to develop with Juuse Saros the established starter on a surprising team thus far.

The Russians are in action today versus the Swiss. There will be pressure on them to respond. Not very different from USA last year after they were dealt an early loss by Russia. That proved to be the wake-up call for them.

In the other Group A game, Finland defeated Germany 3-1. Samuel Helenius scored twice. Top prospect Brad Lambert had two helpers. Joel Maata tallied for Suomi. Leevi Merilainen made 23 saves on 24 shots.

The word out of this game was how competitive Germany was. No longer having Tim Stutzle, they still bring back Florian Elias and a few other skaters. They outshot Finland 24-22. Keep an eye on them to see if they can remain competitive in Group A. Germany is up against Czech Republic today.

The lasting images of USA’s epic win over Canada

All images by Derek Felix courtesy NHL Network via IIHFHOCKEY.

It’s already been a few days since USA defeated Canada 2-0 in another memorable showdown to capture the gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships in Edmonton. Their fourth win against Canada in the WJC Final and fifth championship overall, remains special for any Team USA hockey fan.

The images of that upset still are fresh. From Tournament MVP Trevor Zegras backing up his words by scoring the huge second goal on a sneaky backhand stuff in 32 seconds into the second period, to Alex Turcotte neatly redirecting Drew Helleson’s point shot to give them the lead in a interesting first, there is much to digest.

Not only due to beating their great North American rival. But how they responded to adversity in the closing moments of the WJC semifinal against surging Finland. The Finns had rallied from two goals back to even up the game during a strong third period. They had all the momentum.

It didn’t stop the USA top line from creating the magical game-winner when Jake Sanderson sent a shot wide behind the Finland net. Then Turcotte picked up the loose puck, came out and found an open Arthur Kaliyev for a quick laser top cheese to give them a 4-3 lead with 1:16 remaining. A great story for the local kid from Staten Island playing the hero.

How about goalscorer Matthew Boldy diving to block a Ville Heinola shot with just over 13 seconds left? It was that kind of effort that allowed USA to dream big and deliver the fifth gold medal in the prestigious IIHF signature hockey prospects event. They proved it countless times when Canada applied the pressure during the second half of the final.

American players came back hard to defend with captain Cam York making two key defensive plays to break up Canadian scoring chances. You had a hustling Helleson apply enough back pressure on a rushing Connor McMichael to force him into a tough backhand on a breakaway with an aggressive Spencer Knight wisely coming out and challenging to easily push the shot aside.

Knight was a human brick wall in goal turning aside every dangerous shot from Canada. He stopped 34 overall with nearly half coming in a wild third. The Panthers prospect proved himself by repelling everything including a reflex kick out of a good Dylan Holloway shot which he never saw. Then, he followed it up by stoning a frustrated Connor Zary, who took out his anger on the ref behind the net. They weren’t having it.

When you re-watch a game you just saw on Tuesday thanks to NHL Network replaying it, it speaks to how good the gold medal match was. But also how much it meant to see USA get the better of Canada in such a game. Given all of their remarkable talent that featured 19 first round picks including leading scorer Dylan Cozens, McMichael, Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, Peyton Krebs, Jakob Pelletier, Philip Tomasino and captain Bowen Byram, it was all the more impressive.

As an excited Zegras beamed to Turcotte afterwards, “We did it!” It’s no small feat. They beat the best. It was a great opponent who had outscored opponents 41-4 and never trailed. Something Zegras alluded to in his pregame interview with Jill Savage that proved prophetic. When he stated that Devon Levi hadn’t been tested at even strength, he was telling the truth. He even felt they hadn’t played a real opponent. Although I feel both Slovakia and the Czech Republic would disagree based on their efforts to hold Canada to three goals.

The truth is USA was on a different level than what Canada faced. Maybe playing in a weaker group hurt them. They never had any adversity until they trailed after the first period due to Turcotte’s huge goal. Maybe they squeezed their sticks tightly. Nothing went in. You could feel the disbelief in the facial expressions of Canada throughout the game. Never more so than when coach Andre Tourigny put his hands over his head following the Knight three save sequence which included his strong denials on Holloway and Zary with over three minutes left. That summed it up.

Some nights, the goalie has your number. For Knight, it had to feel really good following a disappointing start to preliminary play when he was chased by Russia for four goals in a disjointed performance on Dec. 26. He even got a game off before taking the net from solid backup Dustin Wolf. His three shutouts are the most ever by an American netminder in the WJC.

It wasn’t only the first line of Zegras, Turcotte and Kaliyev that came up big. You had a good second line centered by ’21 Draft Eligible Matthew Beniers, who did a good job boosting his stock alongside ’19 first round picks Boldy and Cole Caufield. Their line helped give USA momentum in the first with two strong offensive shifts that resulted in chances.

There was the hustle and grit of a third line comprised of center John Farinacci with Bobby Brink and Brett Berard. The trio really were effective on the cycle and drove the net. Coach Nate Leaman trusted his players enough to roll four lines which included Patrick Moynihan, Landon Slaggert and mostly Brendan Brisson with Sam Colangelo plugged in for a few shifts.

York and partner Sanderson got a lot of ice time as the top pair. But so did Helleson, Ryan Johnson and Henry Thrun. He worked in Brock Faber and Jackson Lancome into the D rotation effectively.

They had trust from the coaching staff. That kind of belief translated into their performance which improved as the tournament went on. Even if the quarterfinal win over a determined Slovakia was a little spotty until a Farinacci backhand wraparound put it away.

While a few players like Turcotte, Zegras and Kaliyev see if they can nail down NHL roster spots with the Kings and Ducks, most have returned to their schools to continue playing college hockey. A vital part of their development.

When the final story is written about the 2021 World Junior Championship gold medalists, it’ll include the word belief. They believed in each other and the team staff that they could get it done.

It’ll be exciting to keep track of these young players to see where they wind up on the path to the NHL. I can’t wait for Zegras and Turcotte to do battle for the Ducks and Kings in a great Battle of California rivalry. Both should be factors in the Calder race.

The fun is just beginning.

USA stuns Canada to win World Junior gold behind the brilliance of Spencer Knight

They said it couldn’t be done. Even most observers including myself didn’t think it would happen. Don’t tell that to Trevor Zegras or any of the victorious Team USA after their stunning 2-0 upset over Canada to capture gold at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton last night.

To their credit, they believed. When interviewed by NHL Network reporter Jill Savage prior to the big gold medal game, Zegras didn’t mince words. Feeling that superb Canadian starting goalie Devon Levi “hadn’t been tested at even strength,” he felt his team could win. This was a bit cocky and showed a lot of swag. But that’s the approach and attitude the Americans needed to pull it off against a great opponent that still boasted 19 first round picks.

When it was all over, there was no doubt who the best team was in the well orchestrated U20 IIHF WJC ’21. USA won their first gold at the prestigious tournament since 2017 when Troy Terry beat Canada in a wild shootout. Astonishingly, they have won all four meetings versus their number one rival since the turn of the century. There were remarkable victories in ’04, ’10 and the aforementioned ’17. They improved to 4-1 all-time against Canada in World Junior Championship Finals. It was the fifth time they’ve won gold also doing so in ’13 over Sweden. All five victories have come on foreign soil.

Matched up against a very talented roster that had outscored opponents 41-4 and never trailed coming in, USA came out slow. Looking tight due to the speed and tenacity of the Canada forecheck, they turned pucks over which lead to some early scoring chances against starting goalie Spencer Knight. In a tournament he started slowly in getting the hook versus Russia on Dec. 26, even backing up Dustin Wolf in the second preliminary match, the Florida Panthers 2019 first round pick got stronger as the WJC went on. It showed in the game’s first few minutes.

With USA failing to clear the zone, Knight stood tall in net. He thwarted the early push from Canada and gave his team a chance to get the nerves out. Eventually, they settled down. A turning point in the first period was a key shift from the second line of Matthew Beniers, Cole Caufield and Matthew Boldy. Able to finally get the puck in deep, the cohesive trio cycled effectively to generate some quality chances against Levi. He was forced into some tough saves. There was also a close call. With Levi and the pinned in Canadian defense losing track of a wide open Caufield, he was all set up for the game’s first goal. However, he fanned on it. The 2019 Canadiens first round pick had at least four opportunities to score, but didn’t.

Even though they didn’t score, that enormous shift helped tilt the ice in the opposite direction. Finally able to sustain an attack, the USA top line went to work again. The first line of Zegras, Alex Turcotte and semifinal hero Arthur Kaliyev won the battles. After a shot was fired wide, Zegras recovered the loose puck behind the net, came out and passed up top for a good right point shot from Drew Helleson (Avalanche). His low shot took a funny dip down going perfectly to Turcotte, who was able to neatly deflect it past Levi for the game’s first goal at 13:25.

The reaction from the skaters and the American bench said it all. To get that all important first goal on Canada, who hadn’t trailed, was huge. They finally faced some adversity. Something Zegras hinted at in his pregame interview. The other interesting thing he told Savage was that maybe they could get a couple past Levi. It’s uncanny how prophetic he proved to be. He was the Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring a goal and assist to tie the American record for most points ever in the WJC with 27. No small feat since he joined Jeremy Roenick and Jordan Schroeder.

Following the Turcotte tally, USA was more aggressive. They did a better job in the neutral zone and using their skating to pressure the Canadian defense. In particular, they were able to work pucks from low to high to create good shots on goal that Levi handled. An over aggressive Bobby Brink took an ill advised tripping minor penalty in the offensive zone with 3:22 left in the period to hand Canada a power play.

On it, they certainly moved the puck well enough. They created a few good chances. Only two shots got through which a sharp Knight stopped to keep USA ahead by a goal after one. The opportunities that didn’t reach him were defended well by his penalty killers, who sold out to block shots and get in lanes to force attempts wide. A theme throughout the successful World Junior Championship for Team USA. It was that attention to detail that came through.

Following intermission, head coach Nate Leaman opted to put out his best scoring line to start the second. It was a wise decision that paid off immediately. With the five man unit applying early pressure, Kaliyev threw a shot wide behind the net. With no Canadian skater able to locate the loose puck, Zegras quickly retrieved it and surprised an unsuspecting Levi with a sneaky backhand wraparound to score USA’s second goal just 32 seconds into the period. It was shocking. Just like that, the underdog Americans led 2-0 and 21 minutes hadn’t even been played.

There were more high fives and a loud bench when Zegras and his teammates returned. You could tell how much it meant to go up two on heavy favorite Canada. To think that less than 24 hours prior, they blew a two-goal lead to Finland before Turcotte fed Kaliyev for the stirring game-winner with 1:16 left in a wild third period. That both goals came at five-on-five proved Zegras right. Maybe he channeled his inner Mark Messier. He is from Bedford, New York. The Ducks should be extremely excited about Zegras. What a player.

For a while, the goal seemed to shake Canada’s confidence. USA continued to carry the play due to their aggressive forecheck. They also had fewer problems getting out of their zone. Was it going to be that easy? There was still half the game left. At one point, shots favored USA 19-9. They even had a rare power play midway through which almost proved costly.

With Jakob Pelletier off for hooking, the Americans got a little sloppy. Following two good chances for Kaliyev which Levi stopped by closing the door, a bad turnover at the USA blueline fueled a Canadian transition. It was one-on-one between Canada captain Bowen Byram and Knight. All alone on Knight, the number one defenseman faked and sent a backhand off the goalpost. He was that close to scoring a shorthanded goal which could’ve changed the complexion. Even though he didn’t score, the great chance seemed to finally wake up his team.

The rest of the period was mostly Canada finishing every check and spending a lot of time in the USA defensive zone. You had Rangers first round pick Braden Schneider jumping into the rush and getting some good looks on Knight including a pointblank one in which Knight challenged and got enough of to push it wide. He also swallowed up a couple of more Schneider offerings. This was the most active the future Ranger looked for Canada.

When they weren’t forcing Knight into clutch stops like the one he had on Connor Zary (Flames) and Cole Perfetti (Jets), the hitting was fierce. Especially when recent second pick Quinton Byfield dropped the hammer on a rush. He is a big boy. The physicality was fun to watch as was the frenetic pace. Even though they only could muster two more shots on Levi the rest of the way, USA didn’t sit back. They used a few counters to create chances. But Caufield missed the net and Brett Berard sent a dangerous shot from the slot wide. The dangerous Zegras had another good opportunity that didn’t make its mark.

By the end of the second, it was clearly obvious that Knight was in Canada’s heads. He was tracking everything. Canada went from 19-9 down in shots to within 20-19 entering the third period. When asked between periods what they needed to do to win, Turcotte told Savage that they had to keep moving forward and play their game.

As so often happens when you have a two-goal lead, USA sat back more than they should have. It wasn’t by design. They were simply outgunned by a very desperate and talented Canadian team searching for anything. Even if that meant delivering a couple of ferocious checks with one in particular illegal (Play On), they came out with a sense of urgency. Ironically, the whole third was played at even strength. Only two penalties were called by the officials.

The further the period went on, the more it looked like it was a matter if time before Canada found a goal. It never came. Oh. They sure dominated by sending 15 shots Knight’s way. It’s just that he was in the zone. He took away everything down low and when he didn’t make key stops, it was due to his defense. Team USA still defended the house well with both defensemen and forwards doing whatever it took to keep Canada off the scoreboard. American captain Cam York had a stellar defensive game making some superb reads to break up Canadian scoring chances. He struggled mightily versus Finland.

If it wasn’t the defense or Knight standing on his head, you had the forwards coming back to make big plays. That included a gritty Brink diving in front of a shot attempt to block it and get the puck out. It was that kind of yeoman effort that epitomized USA on Tuesday night at Rogers Place. They played like a T-E-A-M. Despite getting outshot 15-1 by Canada, the scrappy Americans never broke. They bent, but didn’t break.

Having a hot goalie helps. In crunch time, Knight was special. On one sequence, he instinctively kicked out his legs to deny a great chance when he didn’t see the shot. His best save came when he absolutely stoned Zary on the doorstep with over two minutes left in regulation. After letting out a rebound, Knight did a full stretch to stack the pads on a Zary try from in tight. The puck stuck to him enough to get a whistle. Another ridiculous save saw him go down on his back and put together his pads to keep a puck from leaking out. He also denied Connor McMichael on a mini-break by challenging to force a backhand off his pads and wide to the exasperation of McMichael. He felt back pressure from Helleson.

It was a brilliant performance. For the game, Knight finished with 34 saves including stopping all 15 to pitch a Team USA tournament record third shutout.

His great goaltending was the story. Even the brilliant Dylan Cozens (8-8-16) couldn’t find a way to get a puck by him. Cozens was the best Canadian forward finishing the WJC with a team best 16 points. Only Zegras had more with his goal and helper giving him 18 (7-11-18).

With Levi pulled, Canada couldn’t find a goal. They sure gave it their best effort. It just wasn’t their night. As the clock wound down, Team USA poured off the bench to celebrate a hard earned victory. It’s one they won’t ever forget. As Canadian players stood in shock with some tears shed, a determined American team went nuts showing the pure joy only teenagers can show after such a significant win. They deserved it. They beat the best.

For the game, Canada finished with a 34-21 edge in shots. They outshot USA 25-1 after trailing in shots 19-9. Despite that, it never materialized. There was no dramatic ending like the previous three gold medal match-ups. It felt strange. To think a game of that magnitude wasn’t decided by a goal is hard to believe. It speaks to how well Knight played. He won the game’s Best Player for USA while they awarded Byram Best Player for Canada. I didn’t agree. I felt it was Schneider, who had a superb game. Byram had a couple of uncharacteristic turnovers. He will be a great defenseman. It’s scary to think one day soon, Byram could join Cale Makar with possibly Helleson down the line. Yikes.

The best part that I always love is the award ceremony. They do an outstanding job. As hard as it was seeing the heartbroken Canadian kids presented their silver medals by captain Byram and a tournament official, it was still special. Even without fans, you had even the equipment managers, video coordinators and trainers being recognized. There’s so much hard work that goes into it.

As part of the final ceremony, Devon Levi was named Top Goalie with Finland’s Topi Niemela tabbed Top Defenseman. As expected Germany’s Tim Stutzle was named Top Forward. An honor he deserved. They nearly beat Russia even if it wasn’t the strongest Russian team. Stutzle will surely make the Senators out of camp and be in the Calder conversation. Something I expect both Turcotte and Zegras to be part of along with Cozens. Keep an eye on Kirill Kaprizov of the Wild. A 23-year old Minnesota fifth round pick who dominated the KHL the past two seasons.

The All Tournament Team was revealed by the writers. It didn’t miss the mark. Even though I felt there could’ve been a place for Knight as the goalie, Levi was selected alongside defensemen Bowen Byram and Ville Heinola. The three forwards were as expected with Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras and Stutzle getting the nod.

When they were presented their gold medals by captain York along with a tournament official, there were a lot of hugs and high fives. This meant a lot to these players. Many of which were on the U18 team that lost to Canada in crushing fashion at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup semifinals. A game that Cozens tied in controversial fashion with his goal coming as the buzzer expired. Replays showed that the puck crossed the line after the clock was at zero. They counted it and Canada won 6-5 in overtime on a Josh Williams goal.

https://twitter.com/usahockey/status/1346688753297838080?s=19

A few USA players alluded to that loss prior to last night’s big game. A lot of players still were on the two rosters. But not Jack Hughes or Alexis Lafreniere. You wonder if that defeat served as extra motivation. Who knows. At the end of the day, they were victorious due to the clutch performances of Knight, Kaliyev, Turcotte and Tournament MVP Zegras.

But more than that, everyone contributed. That includes underrated third line John Farinacci, Brink and Berard. The fourth line featured Patrick Moynihan, John Slaggert and Brendan Brisson with Sam Colangelo taking four shifts. You had solid play from defensemen Ryan Johnson, Henry Thrun and Brock Faber. While they leaned a lot on York, Jake Sanderson and Helleson, it was a total team effort.

Congratulations to Team USA on winning gold. It was unexpected. They are the champions.

Finland comes back to win the bronze medal over Russia 4-1

In the bronze medal game, it was Finland who prevailed over Russia 4-1 to take home the bronze. In doing so, they snapped Russia’s perfect record of 8-0 in such games.

The Finns did it by again showing their resiliency. Speaking to the true character of a persistent team that played very well during the two week U20 World Junior Championship tournament, they dug out of an early 1-0 deficit to score four unanswered goals en route to the big win.

After getting outshot 8-0 to start off the game, Finland came back strong by outshooting Russia 32-21 the rest of the way. Overall, they held a 32-29 edge in shots. It speaks to the nature of how hard they worked. Their second and third effort was better than their opponent, who were devastated not to medal. There were plenty of emotions following a tough loss.

It didn’t start off that way for Russia. With Finland flat at the outset likely due to the heartbreaking defeat to Team USA last night, the Russians took advantage early. Ilya Safonov converted a rebound off a Maxim Groshev low backhand that Finland starting goalie Kari Piiroinen couldn’t handle. The goal came at 6:03 of the first period.

Once they got engaged, it was the pesky Finns who took over in the second period. Skating with more urgency and playing with better determination, they evened the game up thanks to some hard work from team captain Anton Lundell. On a good point shot from Topi Niemela, Lundell redirected the puck past Yaroslav Askarov at 5:05 of the second. Matias Mantykivi added the secondary assist.

Although Finland had the edge in play, Askarov was able to hold his team in with some key saves. There was no carryover from a spotty performance in a tough 5-0 defeat to heavy favorite Canada on Monday. He allowed four goals in that one. Two which he lost his goal stick on. That didn’t happen tonight. He used his quick reflexes to slide across and deny a pointblank chance. Askarov took the low part of the net away and was technically sound. The two shots that beat him were deflections.

There wasn’t much happening in the final several minutes of the second. A lot of neutral zone play and little chances. Russia did create a two-on-one rush on a turnover. But it took too long to develop. The end result was a shot block by Finnish defenseman Ville Heinola. He was splendid the whole tournament and looks like a big part of Winnipeg’s future.

In the deciding third, it didn’t take long for Finland to strike. On a sustained forecheck, Sam Helenius worked the puck over to Eemil Viro at the left point. He let go of a low wrist shot that changed direction twice with the latter tip in front coming from Mikko Petman at 41:13 of the contest. That hard work paid off with Russian defenseman Danil Chaika unable to tie Petman up.

If there was a difference, it was in style. The Finns play a more straightaway game while the Russians prefer to utilize their shifty skating to create plays. That might explain why Finland won the bronze. They were the better overall team.

A double minor for hi-sticking on Russia captain Vasily Podkolzin with less than seven minutes left in regulation hurt the cause. Frustrated with the penalty after nearly scoring earlier on a strong move, Podkolzin had his head face down in the penalty box. That’s how upset he was. He couldn’t look. Fortunately, his teammates were able to get the job done to kill off the four-minute penalty. They still had life.

With less than two minutes remaining, coach Igor Larionov lifted Askarov for an extra skater to go six-on-five. They won a couple of offensive draws and created some late scoring opportunities. None bigger than a rebound chance in front that Piiroinen got just enough of to get a whistle. Astonishingly, the puck rolled to his right and stayed on the goal line. That close.

Following a turnover he forced in the neutral zone, Lundell potted the first of two empty netters with 1:28 left. The celebration was on for Finland. They blocked Russian shots in the final minute to prevent any comeback hopes. Juuso Parssinen came out with the puck and scored one more empty to put the exclamation point on the victory with just 13 seconds remaining.

While the excited Finland bench celebrated, it was complete dejection for Russia. When the final buzzer sounded, some players shed tears. That’s how much the game meant. At the end of the day, these are kids. Teenagers who put a lot on the line to try to win these big games we watch. There are no losers.

Congrats to the Finns on winning bronze. They could easily be facing Canada for gold tonight. They were a very good team. The third best at the WJC ’21.

Canada steamrolls Russia 5-0, USA stuns Finland 4-3 to set up a classic USA vs Canada WJC Final

Photo by Derek Felix courtesy NHL Network via IIHFHockey

There were two games played in Monday’s semifinals at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The first saw heavily favored Canada steamroll Russia 5-0 in a game that was never close.

The U20 World Junior Championship hosts got to Predators’ first round pick Yaroslav Askarov early in a three goal first period. In the game’s opening minute, Alex Newhook took a Braden Schneider feed and came out in front where he fired a good wrist shot high glove side inside the bar on Askarov. His defense was out of position and it was way too easy for Newhook. The puck went in so quickly, they used video review to confirm it.

Connor McMichael continued his good tournament when he got loose at the side of Askarov’s net to put away a nice centering feed from Jakob Pelletier for a 2-0 Canadian lead at 10:33. Leading scorer Dylan Cozens picked up a secondary assist on the nice scoring play.

An undisciplined Vasily Podkolzin took a hi-sticking double minor to hand Canada a four-minute power play. With the Russian captain in the penalty box, they made him pay when Cole Perfetti scored on Askarov in the second half of the man-advantage for a 3-0 lead with 4:55 left in the first period. On the play, the Winnipeg Jets first round pick took advantage of a scrambling Askarov, who dropped his goal stick to finish off a pass from Avalanche prospect Bowen Byram. Once again, it was set up by Cozens. The Sabres prospect has had a wonderful WJC. His empty net goal and two helpers gave him a tournament best 16 points. He was named one of Canada’s three Best Players along with Byram and Panthers’ goalie prospect Devon Levi.

The nightmare continued for Russia. Askarov lost his goal stick again on Canada’s fourth goal. With the 18-year old clearly having issues, Schneider took full advantage by firing a quick wrist shot past Askarov at 4:09 of the second. The play was set up by Ryan Suzuki (Hurricanes) and Dawson Mercer (Devils).

At that point, Hall of Fame coach Igor Larionov could’ve pulled his goalie. Instead, he stuck with him. Maybe he knew that it wasn’t all the kid’s fault. The shots by then favored Canada, 18-7. They are a great team that have dominated throughout outscoring opponents 41-4 and never trailed. It says a lot about the Czech Republic and Slovakia that they held an explosive Canadian team to three goals. The Czechs even outshot them in the quarters and played as well as you can.

Russia simply did not. They struggled defensively, were undisciplined and didn’t start competing until it was too late. They even had an apparent goal wiped out by a successful coach’s challenge. That’s how it went. At least Askarov stopped Cozens on a penalty shot. That was the only highlight for them.

Levi finished with 28 saves to earn another shutout. He was never under serious pressure. For him to face adversity, it would have to be a closer game. At least the Czechs put up a fight. We’ll see if Team USA can threaten Canada. They were lucky to win 4-3 over Finland in a memorable semifinal.

They set up a classic USA versus Canada WJC Final by sticking with it. A late goal from Staten Island native Arthur Kaliyev with 1:16 left in regulation was the difference in a wild third period. It was the Kings’ prospect that fell to the second round in the 2019 NHL Draft who rescued his team after they blew a two-goal lead to the relentless Finns.

It was a stunning scene reminiscent of what Finland did to Sweden in the quarters. In that one, they rallied from a two-goal deficit to score three straight goals including the stirring game-winner by Roni Hirvonen with 23.3 seconds remaining. One where the devastated Swedes could only drop to their knees in heartbroken fashion. Simply put, this was a role reversal.

Life can be cruel sometimes. Tell that to Finland, who worked so hard to come back and tie USA up in an inspired third period. Goals off the sticks of Kasper Simontaival and Hirvonen less than five minutes apart had the Americans reeling. They had been shaky trying to protect the two-goal lead they built thanks to second period goals from John Farinacci (breakaway) and Matthew Boldy (power play).

Back in the first period, it was top center Alex Turcotte breaking a scoreless tie by steering home a Kaliyev shot in front at 12:39. The Kings’ prospect has anchored a potent top line featuring top point getter Trevor Zegras (assist) and Kaliyev. Turcotte has been mostly a playmaker who is effective along the boards at creating offense off the forecheck. That would play a big part in what happened later. He went fifth overall in the same draft as future teammate Kaliyev. It’s ironic that they are forever linked.

Less than a minute later, a Sam Colangelo slashing minor resulted in Simontaival finishing off a beautiful passing play started from Jets’ prospect Ville Heinola and Kasper Puutio for a power play goal at 14:06. Just tremendous teamwork by the combination of Heinola and Puutio to get the puck to an open Simontaival for the easy finish past Spencer Knight.

For the most part, USA has been very disciplined during the WJC ’21. However, they weren’t as sharp in this match and it almost cost them. Finland went two-for-five on the power play. If the Americans hand the potent Canadians that many opportunities, they won’t have any shot of winning gold. Forget the last three meetings this century. That’s history.

After successive penalty kills helped their cause, Jackson Lacombe was able to lead Farinacci for a breakaway goal. The heady two-way center out of Harvard University was able to wrist a shot by Finland netminder Kari Piiroinen for a 2-1 USA lead with 4:07 remaining in the second period.

An Aku Raty double minor for hi-sticking got Finland in further trouble. It didn’t take long for Cole Caufield and Zegras to set up Boldy in front for a power play tally that increased the USA lead to two at exactly the 37-minute mark of the game. The goal took only 39 seconds to materialize. What isn’t noticed is the hit Kaliyev took against the boards to make the play. He didn’t get a point. But that kind of commitment is what wins these games.

Nursing a two-goal lead, USA started to sit back. A resilient Finland started carrying the play. They buzzed around Knight’s net forcing the Florida first round pick into some difficult stops. You could feel the momentum shift towards the pesky Finns. They’re never out of a game. Sure enough, their persistence paid off when Simontaival buried a perfect Puutio feed that Knight had no chance on to slice the deficit to one with still 8:22 left in the third. Defenseman Sam Helenius got the other helper on a well executed scoring play.

They continued to look dangerous. With some jittery play creeping into the Americans that included a few turnovers and a pair of delay of game minors, it was destined to get tied. Prior to Henry Thrun taking a costly minor penalty with 4:42 left, an on-rushing Farinacci was hauled down right in front of the referee. Play on. He was tackled. The ref simply didn’t want to call it. Then a silly delay of game minor happens right after. That’s the IIHF for you. I don’t like the inconsistency. If a player is taken down, there should be a call.

You knew once they determined that Thrun backhanded the puck out of play, Finland was going to capitalize. They sure did. Fifty-nine seconds later, it was Hirvonen able to beat Knight on a weird one started by Heinola. The leading Finnish defenseman got the puck to Anton Lundell (Panthers). He wisely threw a sharp angle shot on Knight that he mishandled. The rebound came back out to Lundell, who put it in front for an innocent looking Hirvonen rebound attempt that went through Knight to tie the game at 56:17. It happened that fast.

The question was would there be sudden death overtime, or would the Finns do to Team USA what they did to Sweden? Following some puck pressure from Finland, USA Hockey coach Nate Leaman got his best line out with time winding down in regulation. It was the right move by the Providence College coach.

On a good Jake Sanderson pinch, the defenseman worked the puck down low to Turcotte. He was able to locate Kaliyev tapping his stick in the high slot area. The local kid did the rest. What a great snapshot he fired over the glove of Piiroinen with 1:16 to go in the game. Here’s how it sounded on NHL Network.

It was a goalscorer’s goal. That release was lightning quick. Kaliyev had enough room between two Finnish defenders to get it off. He put it top shelf. Where Mama hides the cookies. To quote Sabres play-by-play legend Rick Jeanneret.

With Finland pulling Piiroinen for an extra attacker, it came down to Heinola looking to force overtime with less than 14 seconds left. But a diving Boldy blocked his shot out of play. A gritty play by a hardworking player, who the Wild should be excited to have. After one last defensive draw and clear, a screaming USA bench exploded over the boards to celebrate the great win over the team that eliminated them a year ago.

Now, they draw one of the most dominant teams the World Juniors have seen in quite some time. Canada is looking to repeat. They’re loaded. Team USA knows what a gold medal game means against their North American rival.

It will all be at stake on Tuesday night at 9:30 EST/7:30 local time. Finland will play Russia for the bronze medal at 5:30 PM. Both games can be seen on NHL Network. They’ve done a great job covering the prestigious tournament. Maybe it’s not quite TSN because nothing is. But I’ll take the hard work they’ve put in. A thanks to everyone involved. Especially Jill Savage for being in the bubble doing the interviews.

With it all up for grabs, we’ll see if Team USA has one more miracle in them against powerful Canada. I hope it’s a good game and fun. It’s a great rivalry. One that should be enjoyed by all fans from each side. Don’t forget these are kids. See you later.

WJC Quarterfinals: Finland stuns Sweden 3-2, Canada blanks feisty Czech Republic 3-0

In the second and third games of today’s quarterfinals of the WJC ’21, there was one little surprise and one expected result. While Canada handled their business in a tight checking 3-0 win over a scrappy Czech Republic tonight in Edmonton, Finland came back from a two-goal deficit to stun Sweden 3-2 this afternoon.

A unique rivalry between the Finns and Swedes continued in the latest installment at the big U20 signature IIHF event. For at least a period, Sweden was in control. They took the lead thanks to Red Wings prospect Lucas Raymond. He was able to use Albert Johansson as a decoy and go short side at 14:28 of the first period. Raymond had a good game finishing with a goal and assist.

Following a holding minor from Finland’s Samuel Helenius, Raymond set up Elmer Soderblom for a power play goal with 3:55 remaining. That increased their lead to 2-0. Both goals involved Red Wings prospects. That was the good news for Sweden. The bad was they did little else the rest of the game.

Instead of taking advantage of some more undisciplined penalties including a Helenius check to the head and misconduct early in period two, they allowed the pesky Finns back in it. Gaining confidence from successful penalty kills along with creating some dangerous scoring chances on Swedish netminder Hugo Alnefelt, who made some good saves, Finland finally broke through on Alnefelt when Henri Niskkanen took a smart wrist shot through traffic that went far side to cut the deficit to one at 5:32 of the second period. Brad Lambert and Eemil Viro set the goal up.

For whatever reason, Sweden didn’t respond well. The Finns always play a very gritty hardworking style that can wear on opponents. They are relentless when it comes to their tenacity. Even while handing their archenemy more power plays, they controlled play throughout the last two periods. Sweden didn’t get many shots on Suomi goalie Kari Piiroinen. They were outshot 31-24 overall. But it was the Finns who took over and turned it around.

Aku Raty had an apparent tying goal from Heinola overturned due to a successful Sweden coach’s challenge for offside. Otherwise, the game would’ve been tied up sooner. Heinola was superb throughout finishing with an assist and a game high 27:58. He really looks poised for a good second NHL year with the Jets. Don’t forget how they got him. In the Jacob Trouba trade with the Rangers.

With less than nine minutes left in regulation, Anton Lundell (Panthers) tied the game up on a nice setup from Ville Heinola (Winnipeg). It was Lundell’s fourth of the tournament. Their best player delivered in the clutch when it mattered most. After going 1-3-4 in a smaller role last year, he’s up to four goals with three helpers for seven points so far. A terrific skater who has good offensive instincts, you can see why many loved Florida getting him with the 12th pick in the ’20 NHL Draft. If USA wins over Slovakia, the Finns will face the Americans in the semifinals, which would mean a classic Russia versus Canada match-up.

With the game looking destined for sudden death overtime, Finland applied enough pressure for the knockout blow to Sweden. On just a great shift where they buzzed around Alnefelt’s net, where he made a couple of big stops, Roni Hirvonen finally came out from behind the net and beat the Swedish goalie with a wraparound. Mikko Petman picked up the lone assist on the crushing game-winner that came with 23.3 seconds to go.

All five exhausted Swedish skaters stood around and then a couple dropped to their knees in devastation. It was a heartbreaking way to lose a big game against their top rival. They were worn out. Don’t forget they were missing four players and had to replace the coaching staff due to COVID-19. Perhaps that was a factor in how they concluded the tournament after a promising start.

Sweden went from having a remarkable 54-game win streak in preliminary play to a guy wrenching overtime defeat to Russia and a 4-0 shutout to USA. They lost three in a row. A shocking turn. Top defender Philip Broberg also played through pain and still logged 23:57. Only Victor Soderstrom had more with 25:03.

In the third game, Canada used first period tallies from leading scorer Dylan Cozens (breakaway) and top defenseman Bowen Byram (Avalanche) to shutout a determined Czech Republic 3-0. As usual, Cozens led the way with a goal and helper, giving him a tournament best 15 points. In two WJC, he has 22 points. Very impressive for the future Sabre, who could challenge for the Calder Trophy. His line was dominant.

Taking a cool lob pass from linemate Connor McMichael, Cozens got behind the Czech defense and was able to beat Nick Malik just through the five-hole at 8:22. Malik got the start over Lukas Parik. The undrafted 18-year old son of former NHLer Marek Malik was good in making 22 saves. However, he did get beat twice through the wickets including on a long Byram point shot with traffic that squeezed in. He probably should’ve had it.

Despite falling behind by two, the Czechs never gave up. Like they had in their upset over Russia, they hung around. Canada didn’t dominate play offensively. Instead, it was their strong defense anchored by Byram and Jamie Drysdale that got it done. Rangers first round pick Braden Schneider was part of it. He had one solid hit that was clean and jumped into the rush for a scoring chance that missed the net wide.

The Canadian forwards applied forecheck pressure when they could with Cozens, McMichael and Peyton Krebs (2 assists) dominant throughout along with the lethal tandem of Byram/Drysdale. To their credit, the Czechs kept most of Canada’s shots to the outside and blocked several attempts. When they didn’t, Malik was there to keep them in it. It was a very good effort. The Czech coaching staff deserves a ton of credit for how they played.

They even pulled Malik twice for an extra attacker to create a six-on-five when they had offensive draws. That even started with over five minutes left in regulation. They did execute two perfect face-off wins that resulted in good chances. But Canadian starter Devon Levi was equal to the task by turning the shots aside. He finished with an uncanny 29 saves for the shutout. Canada isn’t used to allowing that many shots. They were outshot 29-25. There were some rebounds, but the Canadian defense cleared the pucks before any trouble arose.

Eventually, McMichael made a good read in the neutral zone to steal the puck and skate in alone for the empty netter with 2:49 remaining. Krebs and defenseman Kaiden Kuhle picked up assists. Kuhle has had a solid WJC. When it comes down to it, even without ailing captain Kirby Dach, who sent out a message on Instagram encouraging the boys, they’re a handful. They played without Alex Newhook. Another Avalanche prospect in a deep pool for a team that should be expected to compete for the Cup.

In the late game, USA leads Slovakia 1-0. Arthur Kaliyev has the only goal back in the first period. Matthew Boldy and Trevor Zegras have the assists. John Farinacci just increased it to 2-0. Shots are 12-5 USA. If they prevail, it’ll be a semifinal against Finland, who eliminated them last year.

I’ll have more later.

WJC Quarterfinals: Russia defeats Germany 2-1 to advance

It didn’t come easy for Russia. After finishing second in the ultra competitive Group B that saw USA overtake them for first by shutting out Sweden 4-0, they drew Germany in the first of four quarterfinal games at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Given how improved Germany was due to Senators third pick Tim Stutzle along with Sabres second round pick John Peterka, it figured to be an interesting match-up. Deutschland also had gotten good goaltending from Florian Bugl and strong tournaments from center Florian Elias along with defenseman Mario Zimmerman. The latter three all undrafted.

It wasn’t a surprise that Russia got a game from the upstart Germans. Making their first ever appearance in the knockout stage, they gave the favorite Russians all they could handle. However, Predators future netminder Yaroslav Askarov made two goals from Vasily Ponomaryov (Hurricanes) and Danil Bashkirov stand up. Despite a strong push in the third period, Russia defeated Germany 2-1 to advance to the semifinals at the World Junior Championship. Finland and Sweden face-off next. The semifinals reseed depending on the results.

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Russia didn’t play a perfect game. They took too many undisciplined penalties. At one point, they handed Germany five straight power plays. But it was the second ranked Russian penalty kill that got the job done on the match. They went five-for-five and even got a shorthanded goal from Ponomaryov. Following a clean face-off win in the defensive zone, Zakhar Bardakov and Semyon Chistyakov combined to get the puck to a wide open Ponomaryov at center ice. Behind the five man German power play unit, the Canes prospect opened the scoring at 9:06 by scoring on a beautiful forehand deke move to beat Bugl on a breakaway.

The game remained 1-0 after the ever dangerous Stutzle fired a low sinking shot under the arm of Askarov off the goalpost. He has a quick release. Even though he didn’t hit the score sheet in his final game of the WJC, it wasn’t due to lack of chances. The soon to be Ottawa Senator finished the tournament with five goals and five assists for 10 points. He was named one of Germany’s three best players along with Bugl and Zimmerman.

After successfully killing off a pair of penalties, Russia went to work to get the all important second goal. On a good forecheck that started behind the net, Arseni Gritsyuk worked the puck down low to Yegor Afanasiev. He had enough time to center for Bashkirov, who beat Bugl through a small hole. The puck hopped off him and in for a 2-0 Russia lead at 8:27 of the second period.

The Russians continued to get into penalty trouble. But their strong kill kept bailing them out. Germany only totaled one shot on five power plays. That has been a team strength coming in. However, they lost the battle of special teams. It proved to be the difference. Even with Bugl doing his best to keep his team in the game, they could only beat Askarov once.

In particular, Elias had chances. He was stopped by Askarov on one opportunity and had another one off a redirection go off the crossbar. Stutzle was also thwarted twice. It wasn’t until a broken play that Elias finally beat Askarov with 16:36 left in the third. After losing control of the puck, he regained it and fired a quick wrist shot that surprised Askarov to cut the deficit to 2-1. He had a great tournament and surely opened some eyes. Maybe an NHL team calls his name next draft. He doesn’t turn 19 until August 7. Elias finished with nine points (4-5-9).

With the Germans pressing the action, they came close to tying it twice. First, a good cycle nearly drew a penalty shot. But Yegor Spiridonov closed his hand on the puck outside the crease for a German power play. They were unable to do anything. Following a Russian clear, Peterka took an offensive zone minor for interference to even it up. It was four-on-four before an abbreviated Russian power play.

Still trailing by one, it was a rushing Elias who retrieved a puck and was one-on-one with Askarov. But the cool Russian starter gloved his backhand with over three minutes left. That was the final chance Germany had. Russia did a good job protecting the lead with an aggressive cycle and smart defensive play in the neutral zone.

After one final draw in the German zone, they celebrated a hard fought victory.

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The third game is at 7 EST/5 Edmonton time between heavily favored Canada against the Czech Republic. USA doesn’t play until 10:30 EST in the fourth and final quarter against Slovakia.

Quinton Byfield’s six points highlight a lopsided Day Five, Trevor Zegras stays hot

If one were to choose up sides depicting Tuesday’s action at Rogers Place in Edmonton, they were far from even. Some might even call these three games unfair. That’s how lopsided they were on Day Five of the World Junior Championship.

Not even the upset minded Czechs could challenge Team USA. They were beaten methodically and soundly 7-0 in the first game. Following a scoreless first period, the Americans scored three times over a 10:23 span to lead 3-0 after two. Bobby Brink scored the first of two goals when he got to a Brett Berard rebound to open the scoring. Following the first of a pair from a red hot Trevor Zegras, Brink got his second of the period 2:26 later.

While goalie Spencer Knight returned to the net where he responded by stopping all 22 Czech Republic shots for the shutout, Zegras factored in on all four USA goals in the third. He notched his second and then combined with defenseman Cam York to set up Arthur Kaliyev for his first of the tournament on the power play. A bullet of a wrist shot high short side on Lukas Parik. He was chased from the net following goals from Cole Caufield (PPG) and Matthew Boldy (PPG).

The win improved USA to 2-1-0 with a big game on New Year’s Eve against Sweden. Will their streak still be intact? They go for 55 straight in preliminary action later today. Zegras finished with five points (2-3-5) to pace the Americans. York added three assists as he continues to produce from the back end. Sadly, the Czechs had 24 penalty minutes. That’s way too many. That’s the IIHF for you. They call everything.

As expected, Canada rolled past Switzerland 10-0. They outshot the Swiss 52-15 in another blowout. Switzerland totaled 22 penalty minutes to Canada’s 12. You want it to be competitive. The Swiss do compete hard. So, this was the end result. Ugly hockey unless you wave the Canadian pompoms.

Given all the blowouts, I’d like to know when is enough enough. Should there be a Mercy rule? Or perhaps an adjustment to the Groups so it isn’t so uncompetitive. Food for thought.

The highlight of the day was second pick Quinton Byfield erupting for six points (2-4-6). He was due for a big game. The future of the Kings used his size and speed to impact the game. The center set up the game’s first goal from Phillip Tomasino at 1:30. Sabres ’20 first round pick Jack Quinn picked up an assist. He’s quietly had a good WJC. Buffalo fans should be quite excited about Dylan Cozens and Quinn. Cozens looks ready to crack the Opening Night roster. He can slot in on the third line due to veteran Eric Staal, who should take off the pressure. So too should Taylor Hall.

Following a one goal first period marred by penalties, Cozens used his size and skill to convert on a Cole Perfetti pass on the power play. In a four goal period, Byfield assisted on the next three goals including off the sticks of Jakob Pelletier and Ryan Suzuki (PPG). He got the lone assist on a Connor McMichael tally that made it 6-0.

Byfield continued the onslaught by getting his first goal at 5:16 on a power play deflection and then burying a one-timer from Quinn and Pelletier at 8:07 of period three to make it a Lucky Seven for Canada. He also picked up a helper on Pelletier’s second to wrap up the scoring.

Kaiden Kuhle also scored and Perfetti notched his second. It all was in support of starter Devon Levi, who stopped 15 for the shutout. Alex Newhook and Peyton Krebs each added two apples while Cozens went 1-1-2.

Canada next faces Finland tomorrow in a pivotal Group A match-up that can decide seeding.

In the nightcap, it was Russia handling Austria by a count of 7-1. At least Austria scored a goal. Kudos to them for continuing to battle hard despite the obvious difference in skill level.

After allowing Russia to put up a four spot in the first period highlighted by a penalty shot goal from Rodion Amirov to open the scoring, Senna Peeters scored for Austria from Marco Kasper 7:38 into the second. But in a period where Russia didn’t score with Ilya Safonov losing discipline with a misconduct for a boarding minor that could’ve made things interesting, Austria couldn’t draw any closer.

Third period tallies from Artemi Knyazev, Yegor Afanasiev and Arseni Gritsyuk put it out of reach. Backup goalie Artur Akhtyamov got his first win making 17 saves to give Yaroslav Askarov a night off. They play Sweden next. Captain Vasili Podkolzin finally lifted his game by recording two goals and an assist in the first period of the win. Marat Khusnutdinov picked up a goal and a helper as did Amirov.

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Shots favored Russia 50-18. Austrian goalie Jakob Brandner made 43 saves in the defeat. Day Six features three games with Russia challenging undefeated Sweden and their impressive preliminary win streak of 54 straight at 9:30 EST (7:30 Edmonton). That’ll be worth watching. There’s also a big game between Switzerland and Germany at 6 PM (4 local) to determine who advances to the knockout stage. The pressure is squarely on the Swiss with Germany featuring top prospect Tim Stutzle.

In the early game at 2 Eastern (12 noon), Finland tries to stay unbeaten versus the pesky Slovakia. All games can be seen on NHL Network.