Category: World Juniors

WJC19 Day Six: Kravtsov has goal and assist in Russia win, USA miracle comeback falls short to Sweden

Ryan Poehling scored a natural hat trick in a great comeback that USA lost to Sweden 5-4 in overtime at the WJC in Vancouver. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy IIHF

It’s officially Day Six of the World Junior Championship in Vancouver. On New Year’s Eve, there is a very good double header tonight for hockey fans to take in. Canada will renew their historic rivalry with Russia. One that dates way back to the infamous Summit Series. Paul Henderson remains a legendary name in Canadian folklore. So does Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux for his thrilling series clincher in Game Three of the Labatt Cup from Wayne Gretzky.

Russia and Canada are unique rivals, who seem to always square off in big match ups. This will be the latest installment at 8 EST and 5 local time tonight. Russia is undefeated like Canada, but hasn’t looked as impressive. They remained perfect last night with a wild and crazy 7-4 win over Switzerland. A game so insane, there were two consecutive penalty shots rewarded on the same play to the Swiss with the game tied at three. Had they scored on either, maybe it’s a different result. Full marks to Russian starter Daniil Tarasov for two clutch saves on a bizarre sequence that puzzled many.

Russia trailed 2-0 and 3-1 on two goals from Swiss forward Marco Lehmann. But before the unpredictable second period was out, consecutive goals from Dmitri Somorukov and Gregori Denisenko had tied it up. Then came the back-to-back saves from Tarasov to deny Lehmann and Philipp Kurashev of swinging the momentum.

Early goals in the third from Kirill Slepets and Alexander Alexeyev suddenly put Russia on top by a score of 5-3. But it wasn’t over. Less than a minute later, Yannick Bruschweiler took a nice seam pass from Valentin Nussbaumer and made a nice toe drag and wrist shot past Tarasov to cut it to 5-4 with 12:47 remaining.

That was as close as Switzerland came. Pavel Shen was able to squeak in a rebound through the wickets of Devils goalie prospect Akira Schmid for a two-goal Russian lead. After a close call by the Swiss at the opposite end, a great rush by Russia captain Klim Kostin resulted in Denisenko forcing Schmid into a difficult save that left a juicy rebound for Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov to pot for his second of the tournament. He had a goal and assist in the 7-4 win.

So, who is Russia? The team that didn’t impress in lowscoring wins over Denmark and Czech Republic. Or are they the one that erupted in a defense optional shootout against the Swiss? Canada should provide a more definitive answer later. Considering how deep and talented they are, Russia will have to be much better to have any chance.

Meanwhile, Team USA is the second part of the double dip when they battle another good opponent, Finland at the usual late show of 10:30 EST on NHL Network. The Finns only defeat came to undefeated Sweden. They should be a stiff challenge in place of traditional NYE rival Canada.

Can USA bounce back from a tough 5-4 defeat to Sweden in overtime? It’s still amazing that the resilient Americans forced the dramatic three-on-three chaos that ensued on Saturday night. How to explain what happened. In a word, miraculous comes to mind. They were so thoroughly dominated by the Swedes for 50 minutes that it looked like a total mismatch. So many ugly mistakes were made that put them in a 4-0 hole.

Sweden methodically took them apart for over two periods by totally outplaying them. The Swedes play a very effective style by using their skaters to take away time and space in the neutral zone. This caused plenty of problems for a undisciplined USA that looked impatient. Maybe the most defining moment came when top defenseman Quinn Hughes tried to skate through two Swedes in the neutral zone, turning over the puck. It resulted in David Gustafsson pushing the puck ahead for Emil Bemstrom, who beat USA starter Kyle Keyser for a goal that made it 3-0.

To that point, Sweden’s best players all showed up. Filip Westerlund, Rickard Hugg and Bemstrom (goal, assist) had factored into the scoring. Then came a jaw dropping highlight reel goal by very promising future Golden Knights defenseman Erik Brannstrom a couple of minutes into the third. He took a Gustafsson pass and undressed almost the entire American unit with a goal reminiscent of Brian Leetch, by skating through a maze, then cutting to the net and going backhand top shelf off the far goalpost. Even more impressive, he took a slash and still completed the scintillating move for his fourth goal. What a player.

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Trailing 4-0 with not even 15 shots up till that point, USA couldn’t even complete passes out of their end. It looked like they would be humiliated. I wondered if they could even muster a shot on goal to force Sweden starter Samuel Ersson into a save.

That’s why what they did in the final 10-plus minutes was unreal. Captain Mikey Anderson got the comeback started with a power play goal off a good set up from Alexander Chmelevski and Ryan Poehling with 10:26 left. The one -timer went through Ersson.

They took advantage of another Swedish penalty, when 22 seconds into a power play on a foolish Isac Lundestrom rough, Poehling parked in front and redirected a bullet feed from Islanders prospect Oliver Wahlstrom to suddenly cut the deficit to two with 6:35 remaining.

At that point, I was on the phone with my Vegas buddy John. Even though he’s not a hockey fan, I started giving him the play-by-play of what was going on. By the second goal, the excitement in my voice was palpable. I still told him I doubted they could pull it off against such a well schooled opponent that was aiming for 47 wins in a row in preliminary action.

Still trailing by two, a huge save by Keyser robbed Sweden of putting the game away. If not for his performance, it would’ve been long over. That’s how impressive he was despite giving up four goals on 33 shots. He gave his team a chance.

It still didn’t look too promising with a minute to go and Keyser on the bench for an extra attacker. They still were down two. Suddenly, Poehling scored again with 36.5 seconds left from Wahlstrom and Hughes to make it a one-goal game. By now, I was screaming with excitement to my friend, who must’ve thought I was crazy.

It took a critical mistake by Sweden for Team USA to tie the game. A failed clearing attempt allowed Joel Farabee to keep it in. He quickly passed to a open Poehling. I yelled, “Shoot it,” and went nuts when he scored far side to complete a natural hat trick with 24 seconds left. It was unbelievable!

They made one of the greatest comebacks this tournament has ever seen. Even if they wound up losing in overtime on a perfectly executed two-on-one that Adam Boqvist finished off from Lucas Elvenes with 1:09 left.

What a great game. Team USA showed so much heart coming back. They only wound up with four less shots than Sweden, who led 33-29 following a 19-12 edge after two. It was a tremendous comeback that allowed USA to get a point, which felt like a win. That doesn’t happen too often.

This was the kind of game that makes this tournament so special. What can Team USA do for an encore tonight against another quality opponent? We’ll see.

Jack Hughes is a game-time decision after sitting out a second consecutive game. I can’t say enough about Poehling, who’s been clutch in this WJC. You better believe USA will need a better effort to win later.

WJC19 Day 3: Joel Farabee gets hat trick in USA 8-2 win over Kazakhstan

In the second game of Group B play, USA defeated Kazakhstan by a score of 8-2 in Victoria. They improve to 2-0-0 in the IIHF 2019 World Junior Championship.

Facing a opponent that wasn’t as polished, Team USA had no trouble taking care of Kazakhstan. Full credit to Kazakhstan for continuing to compete hard all the way through. There was definitely no quit in those players.

Highlighting the American victory was Flyers prospect Joel Farabee recording a natural hat trick in a four-goal first period. Part of the Brayden Schenn trade with the Blues, the 2018 first round pick (14th overall) showed off his good hands in a first period that saw USA take a 4-1 lead to the locker room.

Islanders prospect Oliver Wahlstrom got the scoring started off a Ryan Poehling clean faceoff win. The scoring right wing went short side top on Kazakhstan goalie Vladislav Nurek. He got the start over workhorse Demid Yeremeyev. However, Yeremeyev would replace him halfway into the period. Both netminders had to deal with a ton of American shots and quality scoring chances. They each did a great job making big saves to keep it competitive.

At one point, it was a tie hockey game. Following Wahlstrom’s first of the tournament, Valeri Orekhov sprung Andrei Buyalskiy with a perfect stretch pass to send him in for a goal that tied it up only 18 seconds later to cheers from the partisan Canadians in the crowd. It was a nice play. USA defenseman Jack St. Ivany got beat on the play.

Farabee put USA back on top with his first of three. He finished off a nice pass from Jason Robertson in the slot to make it 2-1. Quinn Hughes helped set it up for the secondary assist. The Canucks prospect was all over the ice offensively. He isn’t shy about shooting the puck on the power play. A terrific skater, the older Hughes who Vancouver took seventh overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, is going to be a good one. He could probably help the Canucks defense now. In his sophomore year at Michigan, he has 20 points (3-17-20).

Farabee was able to bury another Robertson feed for a quick one-timer that increased the lead to 3-1. He completed the hat trick on a good pass down low from Robertson at 12:05. Farabee held the puck and then slipped in a forehand to record the natural hat trick for a three-goal USA lead. Robertson had four assists to earn Player of the Game honors.

After USA outshot Kazakhstan 21-5 in the opening stanza, they continued to pepper Yeremeyev, who came back in to replace Nurek. Shots were 26-4 for a two shot total of 47-9. They outscored Kazakhstan 3-0 in the second.

Following a goal from Alexander Chmelevski, Canadiens prospect Ryan Poehling scored a unassisted shorthanded goal to make it 6-1. The 2017 Montreal first round pick, who assisted on Chmelevski’s goal, made a strong move to the net and beat Yeremeyev for a sweet finish. Poehling had a good night finishing with three points (1-2-3).

Less than two minutes later, Tyler Madden took a K’Andre Miller pass and skated around the Kazakhstan net and scored on a nice wraparound short side top to increase the lead to 7-1. Madden is the son of former Devil John Madden. He is another Canucks property, who has a bright future. He’s in his first year at Northeastern. The 2018 third round pick taken number 68, has six goals and nine assists in his freshman year.

Nurek returned to the net to give Yeremeyev the rest of the night off. To his credit, he came up with several sparkling saves in a entertaining third that got a little chippy.

Josh Norris made it 8-1 on another helper from Robertson. His fourth of the game. The Stars 2017 second round pick has split time with Kingston and Niagara in the OHL. He’s totaled 31 goals and 29 assists for 60 points in 32 combined games.

On one USA power play, it was a shooting gallery for Hughes and company. Even minus younger brother Jack Hughes (lower body injury), Quinn was firing away from the point. So did Wahlstrom, who was more on his game than the other day. A good sign for Islanders fans.

Kazakhstan cut the deficit to 8-2 with 10:04 remaining. Dmitri Mitenkov was able to chip a backhand rebound past American goalie Cayden Primeau. It was a good effort that resulted in a reward for Kazakhstan to more cheers with Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” playing. Orekhov picked up his second point with the primary helper. Artur Gatiyatov added an assist.

It could’ve been higher scoring. But Nurek made some excellent stops including a highlight reel glove save. USA outshot Kazakhstan 66-13. That means Nurek and Yeremeyev combined for 58 saves. A crazy amount compared to the 11 required of Primeau.

USA defenseman Mattias Samuelsson leveled Ivan Vereshagin with a huge hit against the glass. It was clean for the much bigger American on the smaller kid from Kazakhstan, who stayed down for a couple of minutes. Fortunately, Vereshagin got up and skated back to the bench to an ovation.

The way Kazakhstan competed towards the end was admirable. They battled USA till the final buzzer. Defenseman Samat Daniyar earned Player of the Game honors for Kazakhstan by logging 24:27 with two shots and going plus-one.

Next up for Team USA is Sweden on Saturday evening. Same bat time. Same bat channel. Set your clocks for 10:30 EST. A much friendlier 7:30 local time in Vancouver.

In Group A action, Russia edged Slovakia 2-1. All three goals came via special teams. Both Russian tallies were shorthanded on goals from Artyom Galimov and Nikolai Kovalenko. Slovakia got a power play goal from Jachym Kondelik.

Russia held on for the one-goal victory barely. After Red Wings prospect Filip Zadina made a diving save with a empty net, Hurricanes prospect Martin Necas had a great last second rush with his shot just missing. Russian goalie Pyotr Kochetkov just got a piece of it to keep it out.

Slovakia faces Finland tomorrow in Group B play. Denmark battles Switzerland in Group A play. At 8 EST, Canada will take on Czech Republic. Then comes the late show with Team USA and Sweden. Can they stop Sweden’s ridiculous win streak in the preliminary round? It’s approaching 50 games. It’ll be a huge step up in competition.

WJC19 Day Two: Kravtsov and Romanov lead Russia to 4-0 win over Denmark

Russian players celebrate a goal in their 4-0 shutout over Denmark at the 2019 WJC. AP Photo Copyright Getty Images via Russia Hockey.

In Day Two action at the 2019 World Junior Championship, Russia defeated Denmark 4-0. It was their first game of group play. It showed. They didn’t play too well, or dominate like Canada did the night before.

Credit the Danes for a stronger showing. Even though they didn’t score, the Danes played with more spirit. Believe it or not, Denmark skated well and drew seven penalties on a very undisciplined Russia. Lucky for them, their opponent wasn’t able to take advantage. It could’ve been a different game, particularly in the second period. Denmark outshot Russia 9-2 to go past them in shots. Overall, they held a 20-18 edge.

Russia capitalized on their chances. In the first period, they converted a power play goal to take the lead. Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov finished off a nice passing play from Grigori Denisenko (Panthers) and Klim Kostin (Blues) at 6:28. That was the only goal of the first.

In the second, undisciplined play from Alexander Alexeyev and Nikolai Kovalenko forced Russia to kill consecutive Denmark power plays. While he Danes didn’t get much set up, Russian goalie Daniil Tarasov (Blue Jackets) was good when called upon. Especially late in the stanza. He stopped all 20 shots for the shutout.

Late in the period, Kravtsov and Kostin combined to set up a goal from Canadiens D prospect Alexander Romanov with 2:11 remaining for a key insurance marker. Romanov assisted on two more goals in the third to finish with a goal and two helpers. That earned him Player Of The Game.

Still clinging to a two-goal lead with less than seven minutes left, the Russians put the game away. A Romanov shot banked in off Pavel Shen (Bruins) for a 3-0 score at 53:54. A Ivan Morozov empty netter from Kirill Slepets and Romanov put the final nail in the coffin.

There weren’t many positives Russia could take aside from the victory. But 17-year old Vasili Podkolzin impressed with some hard working shifts on the penalty kill. He’ll be going in the first round of next year’s draft. He’s played one game for KHL power St. Petersburg SKA. He won’t turn 18 until next June 24.

In other Group B play, Sweden upped their record to 2-0-0 by defeating Slovakia (0-2-0) 5-2. Blue Jackets prospect Emil Bemstrom tallied twice and Vegas D prospect Erik Brannstrom registered his third goal of the tournament. He’s 4-16-20 in his first AHL season with the Chicago Wolves. Only 19, he will be up with the Golden Knights before too long.

Ducks prospect Isac Lundestrom also had a goal, and Rangers D prospect Nils Lundkvist tallied an assist in the win. Adam Liska scored again for Slovakia, giving him three points so far. The 19-year old forward is undrafted and playing for Bratislava Slovan in the KHL. He has two goals and five assists in 38 games. Undrafted 19-year old forward Milos Fafrak notched the second goal for Slovakia in the loss.

In Group A play, Canada got a lot more competition from the always gritty Swiss. In fact, the tournament host held on for a 3-2 win over Switzerland. It’s not surprising that they gave the uber talented Canadians a game. Canada had such an easy time of it in the blowout of Denmark that it was actually a big step up. The Swiss are excellent skaters who are well schooled fundamentally.

After Golden Knights prospect Cody Glass got the Canadians on the board quickly with a nice goal 36 seconds in from Nick Suzuki (Canadiens) and Ducks prospect Max Comtois, the Swiss scored on the power play with Blackhawks prospect Philipp Kurashev connecting off a good pass from Nicolas Muller at 46 seconds of the second period. Nando Eggenberger helped set it up. He had a good game tallying two assists as did Muller.

Both Eggenberger and Muller are each 19 and undrafted. Eggenberger has a goal and two assists so far. He looks like he should be in a NHL organization. Standing 6-2, 202, he is good on the puck and can shoot and pass. He plays for the Oshawa Generals this season. Keep an eye on him.

Canada responded with a dominant shift a few minutes later to go back ahead. On a sustained forecheck, Shane Bowers (Senators) centered for MacKenzie Entwistle (Coyotes), whose one-timer beat Swiss netminder Akira Schmid (Devils). Edmonton D prospect increased the lead to 3-1 on a pass from Coyotes prospect Barrett Hayton.

But with just 1:49 left in regulation, Eggenberger and Muller combined to set up Kurashev for his second of the game. That’s as close as they got. Schmid finished with 29 saves. Canada outshot Switzerland 32-17.

Making a impression was 2020 Draft prospect Alexis Lafreniere. The 17-year old played on Canada’s fourth line. Even though he only received 6:49 of ice-time while playing with Jared McIsaac and Joe Veleno, he made some good plays with the puck. There were a couple of near misses off Lafreniere passes. He finished plus-one.

In the only uncompetitive game, Finland rebounded with a 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan. They outshot their opponent 56-18. Kaapo Kakko scored one of the five goals, totaling eight shots by himself. Devils prospect Aarne Talvitie scored for the second consecutive game.

Tomorrow, USA is back in action against Kazakhstan. It isn’t until 10:30 EST on NHL Network. That could be bad for Kazakhstan. The potential best game pits Czech Republic versus Russia at 8 PM. Those are the only pair of games for Day Three.

WJC19: USA comes back to beat Slovakia 2-1

The 2019 World Junior Championship is finally underway. Day One of group play featured four games in Vancouver. That included both Canada and USA kicking off their respective groups with wins.

While Canada ran it up against poor Denmark by a ridiculous count of 14-0, Team USA had to rally from a one goal deficit in the third period before prevailing 2-1 over Slovakia. They outshot the Slovaks 34-14. But despite a territorial edge in play, the Americans didn’t find the range until the third.

USA captain Mikey Anderson (Kings) was finally able to beat brilliant Slovakian starting goalie Samuel Hlavaj (32 saves) at 1:10 of the third period, tying the score. Projected 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes made the play along the wall. After recovering the puck, he made a quick pass for an open Anderson at the point. The younger brother of last year’s captain Joey Anderson (Devils) fired a perfect shot through a screen for his first of the tournament.

With renewed confidence after getting the game tied, USA continued to apply forecheck pressure on Slovakia. Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller had a good drop pass for a shot and a near miss on a well executed pinch down low. It was during another extended shift that the Americans got the game-winner.

Off some sustained pressure down low, Blackhawks prospect Evan Barratt took a feed from Tyler Madden (Canucks) and skated into the high slot and flipped a backhand past Hlavjav for a 2-1 USA lead with 14:18 remaining. Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg) factored in on the play to add a secondary assist.

Even though they didn’t get many chances, Slovakia was rewarded a dubious penalty shot with under seven minutes left. Islanders prospect Oliver Wahlstrom was called for hooking Slovakian forward Adam Liska (2019 Draft Eligible) from behind. Having set up Marek Korencik’s (2019 Draft Eligible) goal in the second, it gave Liska a great opportunity to tie it up. He made his move on Kyle Keyser and tried to go five-hole. But a patient Keyser shut it down to preserve the lead with his biggest save.

The undrafted starter for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL is 19. He’ll turn 20 next March 8. Keyser is from Coral Springs, Florida. He’s posted a 16-5-0 record with a 2.37 goals-against-average (GAA), .931 save percentage and two shutouts.

The United States next faces Kazakhstan on Friday in Group B play. The game can be seen on NHL Network at 10:30 EST (7:30 PST).

In other action, Sweden held on for a 2-1 victory over rival Finland. Vegas Golden Knights D prospect Erik Brannstrom scored a pair of power play goals for the Swedes. Adam Boqvist (Blackhawks) assisted on both. Projected 2019 second overall pick Kaapo Kakko set up Devils prospect Aarne Talvitie for Finland’s only goal that cut it to 2-1 with 3:34 remaining. But that’s as close as they came.

In Group A action, Czech Republic defeated Switzerland 2-1 in overtime. Undrafted defenseman David Kvasnicka scored the OT winner at 52 seconds from Martin Kaut (Avalanche) and Jakub Lauko (Bruins). Kaut finished with a goal and assist. Nando Eggenberger had the Swiss goal. The 19-year old forward has 13 goals and 13 helpers for Oshawa after spending the past three seasons back home with Davos HC. He’s eligible for next year’s draft.

In Canada’s 14-0 dismantling of Denmark, Ducks prospect Max Comtois recorded four goals. Too bad Anaheim played him in 10 games to burn the first year off his entry-level contract. Flyers prospect Morgan Frost had a hat trick with two assists. He was part of the Brayden Schenn trade with St. Louis. Joel Farabee was taken in the first round of last year’s draft. He’s playing for USA. Looks like a better trade for the Flyers given what’s happening in St. Louis.

Day Two has four more games. Russia makes its debut against Denmark. Slovakia takes on Sweden. Canada battles Switzerland. Finland takes on Kazakhstan.

A Reintroduction of sorts

Greetings hockey fans around the world. It’s been a while. I’m back for good 🙂. Since my last post which covered Team USA’s thrilling 5-4 shootout win over Canada to take gold at the 2017 IIHF Under20 World Junior Championship, a lot has happened. Canada reclaimed the throne as the best Junior hockey program by defeating Sweden at the 2018 WJC.

The most recent NHL Draft saw a deep crop of talented defensemen get taken early in a busy first round, headlined by Swedish prize prospect Rasmus Dahlin, who went number one overall to the Sabres. A smooth skating left defenseman capable of transitioning from defense to offense like the wind, he could be the best D prospect since Nick Lidstrom. That’s a lofty comparison, which shouldn’t be used. I hate comps altogether. They’re so often used by the TSN panel during the Draft. I’m more interested in seeing what Dahlin can bring to help improve Buffalo. They’ve cornered the market on young defensemen with the name Rasmus; with established offensive dynamo Rasmus Ristolainen a key piece to the club’s future. A potential top pair of Dahlin-Ristolainen could be a puck possession magnet that gives opponents fits in their end. If not at even strength, the Euro tandem could at least see time together on the top Sabres power play unit with Jack Eichel and recently acquired top wing Jeff Skinner. Finally, there’s reason for excitement in Western New York.

In regards to last June’s Entry Draft, four of the first 10 picks were defensemen including American prospect Quinn Hughes, who went seventh overall to the Canucks. While he might not start in Vancouver right away, the skilled left shooting 18-year old from Orlando put up 29 points in his freshman year at Michigan. He will be a big part of the Canucks moving forward.

A total of 14 blueliners were selected out of 31 picks in the first round. That included highly rated Adam Boqvist, Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson and Ty Smith, who all went in the top 20. Boqvist was taken by the Blackhawks at number eight with Bouchard falling to number 10 with the Oilers. Dobson went 12th overall to the Islanders and Smith went number 17 to the Devils.

With three picks in Round One, the Rangers took two defensemen. The first was American K’Andre Miller at number 22. A prospect well liked by scouts with potential. They also took Swede Nils Lundkvist at 28th overall. While not flashy, the young defenseman is a good skater who could develop into a solid player that can play in the top six. Having reloaded the farm system by committing to a full rebuild, Rangers GM Jeff Gorton added prospects in deadline deals with Boston and Tampa. How well they pan out could determine how quickly the team turns it around. With Henrik Lundqvist getting up there, the transition will eventually be made to Russian goalie prospect Igor Shestyorkin. A 22-year old who’s fared well playing for Russian power St. Petersburg SKA in the KHL. He has one year remaining on his contract, and should finally come over to North America next year.

A pair of teenagers who will play for the Rangers this upcoming season are 2017 first rounders Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. Both are expected to compete for roster spots and make the team. Chytil has more offensive skill, which means the young Czech could have a higher ceiling than the more well rounded Andersson, who gave a good showing at the 2018 WJC as Sweden’s captain. Even though he showed frustration by chucking the silver medal presented to him, they eventually retrieved it. It’s obvious that Andersson values winning. A good quality to have even if hypocritical media can’t understand that.

In terms of who to expect to play this year after getting drafted, two locks are Dahlin with Buffalo and gifted Russian scorer Andrei Svechnikov, who Carolina took with the second pick. The top two picks should generate excitement for the 2018 class. Might we see Filip Zadina debut in Detroit? It all depends how they view him in training camp and preseason. The Red Wings normally don’t rush prospects, opting to be patient and develop them. But with not high expectations this season with captain Henrik Zetterberg possibly out for the season due to a bad back, perhaps they’ll see what Zadina can do.

With camps opening in less than a month, there’s plenty of reasons to get excited for top prospects. Who’s ready to break the ice? I can’t wait to find out.

WJC2017: USA wins gold in a 5-4 shootout win over Canada

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American Glory: Team USA takes the championship photo after edging Canada in a memorable final prevailing 5-4 in a shootout at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship in Montreal. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy USA Hockey.

What makes the IIHF U20 World Junior Championship so special is what we witnessed tonight in Montreal. Even if it was on NHL Network, it was the kind of championship caliber hockey that makes this tournament so special. There were no losers on the ice at Bell Centre. Only winners.

Just American and Canadian hockey players who gave it everything in another memorable WJC Final. There was plenty of heart shown by both sides. However, there was one gold medal handed out and a silver medal too. The gold went to USA after a gut wrenching 5-4 shootout win over Canada before over 20,000 screaming fans up north.

They did it in come from behind fashion. USA never led at any point. They did it the hard way to earn the country’s fourth ever gold medal at the prestigious tournament comprised of hockey’s best junior hockey players. Many of whom are drafted and have competed against each other before. Whether it be at the U17 Worlds or college hockey where some even become teammates, most of these guys know each other. The mutual respect shown was great sportsmanship following an emotional ending. Between the handshakes and hugs, it was top notch.

Canada came out on fire. They totally outplayed a flat USA in a one-sided first period outscoring them 2-0 and out-shooting their American foes 10-6. Buoyed on by a fully supportive home crowd, they were the faster skating and more aggressive team. They possessed the puck most of the period.

The home town Canadians got the start they wanted thanks to tournament MVP Thomas Chabot, who finished off a great feed from Islanders prospect Matt Barzal after he danced around a couple of USA defenders. Mathieu Joseph started the transition getting it to the smooth skating Barzal, who drew attention against some poor checking from guys in USA sweaters. That allowed Sens’ D prospect Chabot an easy finish past Tyler Parsons.

There wasn’t much the Flames’ 2016 second round pick could do on Canada’s first two goals. His team was on its heels. They panicked with the puck and hurt themselves with poor decisions. One of those came on a strong Canadian cycle when an American’s bad clear deflected to Mitchell Stephens. He was able to get the puck to defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, whose hard wrist shot quickly beat Parsons inside the goalpost. It was a perfect shot by the Bruins’ prospect which put USA down a pair at 9:02.

Given how poorly they handled the puck and dealt with Canada’s speed, it looked like it would be a blowout. If not for some brilliant play from Parsons (46 saves), it easily could’ve gotten out of hand. Even a USA power play on a Pierre-Luc Dubois boarding minor in which he nailed Bruins prospect Charlie McAvoy from behind, was ineffective. It ended prematurely due to a Colin White hook which gave Canada their first power play. If not for a huge kill and a couple of key Parsons stops, the game might’ve been over. Instead, USA survived.

The game was back on when the Americans came out much better in the middle stanza. Finally skating with purpose, they got back in it thanks to a McAvoy rocket past Carter Hart at 23:04. The play was set up by superb Wild forward prospect Jordan Greenway. He had a really good tournament. Calgary prospect Adam Fox started the play off what up to that point was Team USA’s best forecheck. They were able to find the trailer McAvoy catching Canada in a change and he unleashed a bomb that Flyers’ prospect Hart had no chance on to cut it to 2-1.

Following a missed call, the IIHF officials nabbed Canada for a bench minor for too many men. USA was only too glad to take advantage with Islanders’ prospect Kieffer Bellows able to redirect a Tage Thompson (Blues) shot that also deflected off Fox in front. Bellows had had a quiet tournament. But in the gold medal North American showdown, he came up big scoring twice. That’s why the Islanders selected him with the 19th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

Just like that, the game was tied. Before they could get too much momentum, a very questionable call on defenseman Caleb Jones (Oilers) for a cross check on what looked like a clean hit on smaller Canadian forward Anthony Cirelli (Lightning) sent the home side to the power play. Honestly, it’s one of the worst calls I’ve seen. To most observers, it was just a good shoulder from the bigger Jones on Cirelli.

Fortunately, USA was able to kill the penalty off. But before they could get too comfortable, a bad tripping minor on Erik Foley sent Canada right back to the man-advantage late in the period. With such potent weapons like Chabot, Dylan Strome (Coyotes), Barzal and Julien Gauthier (Hurricanes), Canada’s power play was scary. They came in with the best power play in the tournament clicking at 31.0 percent.

The game remained tied at two entering a unpredictable and wild third. In it, Canada seized control early. Thanks to a undisciplined Bellows trip, they finally converted a power play goal when Nicolas Roy (Hurricanes) was given way too much time and space to fire a laser past Parsons short side at 41:52. He’s just too big and strong. Roy has 16 goals in 25 games with 38 points for Chicoutimi of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Jake Bean (Hurricanes) and Tyson Jost (Avalanche) drew the assists.

A couple of minutes later, USA came unglued on a highlight reel goal by Lightning prospect Joseph. Following a very sloppy turnover inside Canada’s blue line, they puck watched as the speedy and skilled Joseph maneuvered around for a jaw dropping goal in which he went to a forehand deke beating Parsons for a 4-2 lead with 15:55 left.

At that point, it looked over. It felt eerily similar to the lifeless first period. But this time, USA fought back valiantly scoring twice within a 2:23 span. Shocking would be one way to describe it. On the very next shift following what could’ve been a crushing goal by Joseph, Bellows got open in the slot for a wonderful backhand feed from McAvoy and one-timed it past Hart only 39 seconds later cutting the deficit to 4-3. White got the secondary helper. That play was all McAvoy, who skated around and drew Canadian players before finding the seam to Bellows for his second of the game. A terrific play by a superb hockey player. Boston must be glad they selected him.

With the building still recovering, White made his presence felt on an extended shift. After nearly scoring earlier in the shift before he ran out of real estate, the future Senator parked himself to the side of the net. It was there that he neatly deflected home a superb Fox shot pass to tie the game with 12:53 remaining. Coyotes’ prospect Clayton Keller drew the secondary assist. He led all American players with 11 points (3-8-11) in the tournament. But was mostly held in check.

Another bad USA penalty almost resulted in disaster. At an inopportune time, Casey Fitzgerald cleared the puck directly into the stands for a delay of game minor with 8:41 left in regulation. If Canada connects there, it’s probably game over. Instead, Parsons made some big saves and his teammates killed it off.

By that critical juncture, no penalties were being handed out to Canadian players. There were a couple of missed calls. But don’t forget they had the home ice advantage. So, USA was going to have to overcome that as well as the crowd and most importantly, their very skilled opponent.

The game was destined for overtime. A 20-minute period of five-on-five between close North American rivals would decide it. Or not. In sudden death, Canada came out determined to end it. They had so many quality chances, you kept waiting for the goal light to come on. But a very focused Parsons wouldn’t allow it. Even following an awful bench minor that all but handed Canada the game, he made some spectacular saves.

There were a couple of nerve racking moments where you thought Canada had scored. One glorious chance went by the wayside when a Barzal centering feed to Dubois just missed. There was another one where a Canadian player had the puck on his stick in the slot but fired wide. If he hits the net, it’s lights out. The shots were lopsided during the first half with Canada holding an 11-2 edge at one point.

But as the overtime continued, USA gained some traction. They too created some opportunities to win it and nearly did. On one such chance, the puck was dangerously close to the goal with a couple of our players in position. But the Canadian D did a good job clearing it out of trouble. Hart also made some good saves.

If there was one sticking point, it was USA players tending to ice the puck which created problems. They iced it with 61 seconds left in the extra session but escaped trouble. There was one final scary moment when they fell asleep with eight seconds left and it nearly cost them the game. Parsons actually had to make a couple of more big saves just to get it to a shootout.

Like many, I’m no fan of deciding such a well played game in a skill competition. At that point, I would’ve been happy to have each side share the gold. But the IIHF rules are what they are. So, onto the shootout it was.

A day earlier, USA needed one to edge Russia thanks to shootout hero Troy Terry. The Ducks prospect scored three times to stun Russia pulling a T.J. Oshie. Leafs unsigned prospect Jeremy Bracco got the other one. Of course, NHL Network made sure to replay all three Terry goals. Each different. They also showed the flashback to John Carlson’s golden goal in 2010 prior to OT.

I guess you got to pull out all the stops when it comes to USA Hockey. We don’t win as often as Canada. That’s what makes it so special. They’re such a great rival. I’m not even going to comment on some of the chants a few of their fans did during the game. Ugly. The bottom line here is it’s hockey. A sport we all love. It’s about those kids who laid it all on the line. This was another special game between these two countries.

H-E-A-R-T. D-E-S-I-R-E. D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. P-A-S-S-I-O-N.

Those words describe why I love this rivalry. In the shootout, it really boiled down to which goalie would blink first. That’s how incredible both Hart and Parsons were. It was five rounds of anxiety driven one on one between the skaters and the two brilliant netminders.

Round 1 started with Hart denying White. Then Parsons shut the door on Strome. Round 2 saw Hart easily glove Keller’s attempt as if he were Brodeur. Barzal then predictable tried a deke and backhand which missed wide. Bellows tried to go top shelf as well but Hart cut the angle down for another glove save. In the bottom of the third, it looked like Jost had Parsons but he was able to get a piece of it.

In the top of the fourth, that man Terry came out. He decided to try something different. It worked with him coming in at high speed and going five-hole on Hart for a 1-0 USA lead. The pressure was now on the Canadian shooters. First, Cirelli came out but a patient Parsons stayed right with him to uphold a one-goal lead entering the final round. With a chance to win it, Bracco got too cute and was denied by Hart.

That left it up to one final Canadian shooter. Who would it be? I would’ve gone with Chabot. He was their best player and deservedly won tournament MVP. Instead, they went with Roy. He had beaten Parsons on the power play with a lethal shot. But he didn’t go for it. I was left puzzled as he tried one too many moves not even getting off an attempt against an aggressive Parsons who poked it harmlessly away.

His excited teammates came out and mobbed the winning goalie. It was another magic moment for American hockey. Sure. It would’ve been nice to have such a wonderfully played game decided on a goal. But against Canada in their building, it will do.

As I watched the players on one side congratulate each other, I also noticed an emotionally spent opposition in tears with some laying motionless on the ice. On one side, jubilation. On the other, disappointment. When the two sides finally came together for the handshake, that was cool. You saw the true respect between players who know each other. This was what it’s all about.

It was a great triumph for sure. Seeing USA winning coach Bob Motzko excited and high fiving with his assistants was every bit as enjoyable. They worked hard to prepare these guys. There was some adversity. As expected with Canada out for revenge to win gold, they had USA on the brink. But they showed true determination and so much heart and resolve to come out on top.

In the end, there are no losers. Only winners. Let’s remember that. Congratulations to both sides. A job well done. Kudos also to Russia who took bronze over Sweden winning 2-1 in overtime on Dennis Guryanov’s unassisted tally.

It was another memorable WJC. One which we’ll remember. The players, parents and coaches will cherish it forever. The All-Star team consisted of Caps’ prospect Ilya Samsonov as the goalie, Chabot and McAvoy as the defense with forwards Keller, Alex Nylander (Sabres) and leading goalscorer Kirill Kaprizov (Wild). Individual awards included best goalkeeper going to Sweden’s Felix Sandstrom. Best defenseman went to Chabot (4-6-10) and best forward to Kaprizov (9-3-12).

GIF: USA hero Troy Terry beats Canadian goalie Carter Hart in Round 4 of the shootout for the gold medal winner.

The Rivalry: USA versus Canada for gold tonight

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Team USA celebrates an unreal 4-3 shootout win in the semifinals over Russia setting the stage for another great final against North American rival Canada at the 2017 IIHF U20 World Junior Championship in Montreal. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy From The Faceoff.

There are rivalries in every sport which give each a uniqueness about them. In baseball, Red Sox/Yankees and Cardinals/Cubs rank right up there. In hockey, you have classic rivalries such as Canadiens/Maple Leafs, Montreal/Boston, Rangers/Islanders and Flames/Oilers. There are many which make hockey such a great sport.

When it comes down to international play, none are better than USA/Canada. Though some Canadians might prefer their long standing rivalry with Russia which dates back to the infamous 1972 Summit Series. A series well documented for one of Canada’s greatest triumphs.

Every great rivalry has heroes. Canada remains the pinnacle of the sport winning the gold medal at the World Cup of Hockey. Along with back-to-back Olympic golds in Vancouver and Sochi, they are the dominant country. They also have gotten the better of Team USA taking Olympic gold in a stirring final at Salt Lake City in 2002 and in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games on Sidney Crosby’s golden goal. A moment that still sinks American hearts. It still hurts.

However, like every great rivalry there has been a moment where our country got the better of Canada. It happened the first time the Americans won the U20 World Junior Championship in Helsinki, Finland. The year was 2004. Team USA prevailed 4-3 in wild fashion on the flukiest goal you’ll ever see. A play that won’t get replayed much up north. Patrick O’Sullivan was credited with the tournament winner when Marc-Andre Fleury’s clearing attempt banked off defenseman Braydon Coburn and in.

Alright. So, it took a lucky bounce for that team to win gold over Canada. But they sure deserved to win. And win they did for the first time in our country’s history. That team featured future NHL star Zach Parise along with Ryan Kesler, Drew Stafford, Patrick Eaves, James Wisniewski, Ryan Suter, Matt Carle and Mark Stuart. The winning goalie was former Rangers’ first round draft pick Al Montoya. He had a outstanding tournament and was named the best goalie. Too bad he never panned out as a number one starter. But he has carved out a nice career as a steady backup.

It’s not always the most talented roster that wins. That Canadian team was loaded with talent. It featured future first overall pick Sidney Crosby as a 16-year old who didn’t play a ton. Maybe that’s where they went wrong. But still, they had Jeff Carter, Ryan Getzlaf and Mike Richards up front along with Dion Phaneuf, Brent Seabrook and Kevin Klein on the blue line. There also was this forward Brent Burns who would become one of league’s highest scoring defensemen. Plus a goalie tandem of Fleury and Josh Harding. There were other NHL players including former Ranger Nigel Dawes, who actually tied tournament MVP Parise for the lead in points with 11. He didn’t have the same success in the NHL but eventually wound up being one of the better scorers in the KHL where he still plays.

In such tournaments, it’s about chemistry. Either you have it or you don’t. The USA team the following year featured Phil Kessel and Ryan Callahan along with Alex Goligoski along with returnees O’Sullivan, Suter, Stafford, Dan Fritsche and Matt Hunwick. But Montoya wasn’t the same in net and they were blown out by Russia in the semifinals 7-2 by a roster featuring future stars Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin. Alex Radulov and antagonist Alexei Emelin also played for them. Plus showboat Sergei Shirokov, who didn’t have much to celebrate when they lost to Canada in a memorable final.

Over a decade later, tonight USA can again make history when they take on Canada in enemy territory at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Their second championship also went through Canada in memorable fashion prevailing 6-5 in overtime on John Carlson’s golden winner. A two on one odd man rush following a Jack Campbell huge save with Carlson faking pass to Derek Stepan before wiring one upstairs on Canadian replacement Martin Jones for the emotional game-winner. It remains one of the craziest finals ever played. A game where both starters were pulled. One in which Canada rallied from a 5-3 deficit on two clutch Jordan Eberle goals to force sudden death. It’s one of the greatest games in recent memory between North American rivals.

So, what do these two countries have in store for tonight? Considering how USA was able to pull out a hard fought emotional 4-3 shootout victory with it going seven rounds before shootout hero Troy Terry tied and won it on an array of moves to stun Ilya Samsonov and Russia, it should be another chapter in an unreal rivalry between the United States and Canada.

They’re both here because they have proven to be the best teams in the IIHF 2017 U20 WJC. Canada got the better of tournament favorite Sweden prevailing 5-2. If it’s anything like previous two championships, look out. Canada is 1-2 against USA in WJC Finals. The lone win came back in 1997. So, these match-ups don’t happen too often. That’s why we should enjoy it.

No matter what side you’re on, it shouldn’t be about smack talk and booing the opposition. But rather enjoying what should be a great game between two prominent countries.

American hockey isn’t ever gonna produce as many stars as Canada. However, with recent graduates Jack Eichel and Auston Matthews, they’re heading in the right direction. So, who will be the next great USA hockey player? Jordan Greenway? Colin White? Clayton Keller? Tyler Parsons? Luke Kunin? There are a lot of good candidates. Will they make history again? It’s a coin flip.

Whenever you face Canada, you know it’s gonna be hard fought. Don’t forget they would love nothing better to avenge a New Year’s Eve loss by capturing gold and celebrating in Montreal. That means shutting down Dylan Strome, Matt Barzal and the dangerous Thomas Chabot. It also means getting to Canadian semifinal hero Carter Hart. It is gonna be a heck of a night for hockey.

The action can be seen live on NHL Network at 8 PM. Don’t miss it. 😉

WJC 2017: USA set to face Russia in semis

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Team USA enters its semifinal match-up against Russia looking to make the gold medal game at the U20 World Junior Championships in Montreal. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy USA Hockey.

The U20 World Junior Championships continue tomorrow up in Montreal at the Bell Centre. It’ll feature two semifinals that have the potential to be great. The first pits Team USA against Russia, renewing a classic rivalry that dates back to The Miracle On Ice.

USA has gotten to this point by winning all five of its contests. After going a perfect 4-for-4 to win Group B, they held off pesky Switzerland in a tricky quarterfinal Monday 3-2. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t easy against a fast skating Swiss that also did a great job limiting USA to 17 shots. They’ve always been a tough group in elimination play. Just ask the Russians a few years ago after being done in by Nino Niederreiter.

The Swiss showed plenty of scrap and fight yesterday clawing back from a two-goal deficit to tie the contest thanks to the brilliant play of 2017 Draft Eligible Nico Hischier. A tremendous talent with superb speed and scoring instincts, the soon to be 18-year old Swiss prospect who’s lighting up the QMJHL with Halifax scored both goals for his country.

That included a slick game-tying goal at 46:00 of the third period when during a wild scrum, he sneaked around the net and stuck a backhand wrap around in off a USA player to cheers from the mostly Canadian crowd pulling for the upset of their North American rival. It was a smart play by an instinctive player whose star has shown brightly on the national stage. Even though the Swiss won’t play for a medal, Hischier has four goals and three assists. He was selected as one of the three top stars during the post game presentation.

Even though they led by two early on goals by Jeremy Bracco (Leafs) and captain Luke Kunin (Wild), USA didn’t play well. They weren’t able to shake the resilient Swiss who capitalized on two undisciplined American penalties. Hischier brought them within one 13 seconds into a power play midway thru the contest with a sweet move and finish that beat goalie Tyler Parsons. The Flames’ 2016 second round pick came up huge.

Following Hischier’s second of the night, Team USA responded just 18 seconds later when Jordan Greenway (Wild) converted on the power play when he got to a Charlie McAvoy (Bruins) point shot in front and beat Joren van Pottelberghe. Coyotes’ prospect Clayton Keller helped set it up.

The story though was the brilliant play of Parsons, who finished with 19 saves. Even though he didn’t see a lot of shots, he made some crucial stops including a game changing glove save on Hischier point blank moments later to preserve the lead. Parsons made timely stops which proved to be the difference.

USA advanced to the semifinals for a showdown with Russia. Russia shutout Denmark 4-0 in their quarter. Ilya Samsonov (Capitals) stopped all 14 Dane shots en route to the shutout.

Wild prospect Kirill Kaprizov tallied twice for the Russians and Mikhail Vorobyov (Flyers) registered two assists. Undrafted 19-year old left wing Alexander Polunin also scored a goal and assist in the win. He has three goals and three helpers for Russia and currently plays for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL. In 35 contests, he has seven goals and six helpers.

Kaprizov ranks second in scoring for the tournament with 10 points. His seven markers lead everyone. Sabres’ prospect Alex Nylander paces all skaters with 11 points (5-6-11). USA’s leading scorer is Keller, whose eight points (3-5-8) tie him with fellow Coyote prospect Dylan Strome (2-6-8 and Vorobyov.

Speaking of Canada, they also withstood a tough challenge from Czech Republic advancing with a hard fought 5-3 win.  It was the Czechs surprisingly who took a 1-0 lead on a David Kase (Flyers) goal off a favorable bounce from a referee to the locker room in Montreal. They didn’t get many shots but a strong penalty kill and a nice hop allowed them to get in front causing boos from Canadian fans. That they would jeer kids who are 17, 18, 19 and 20 is sad.

Devils prospect Blake Speers turned the jeers to cheers when he finished home a Mitchell Stephens pass to tie the score at 23:45 of the second. It was a nice birthday gift for the 2015 third round pick who turned 20 yesterday. He plays an aggressive game and is always involved. A quality Jersey fans should love once he becomes a regular. Lightning prospect Stephens had a big second scoring a go-ahead goal and then factoring in on Thomas Chabot’s go-ahead tally for three points in the stanza.

To the their credit, the Czechs didn’t go away quietly. Tomas Soustal scored unassisted due to a bad pinch, beating Canadian starter Connor Ingram (Lightning) to tie it at two. But on a very close play which was just onside, Canada went ahead for good on Chabot’s tally at 33:32. A beautifully conducted passing play started by Anthony Cirelli (Lightning) with Stephens making the sweet dish for Chabot. Canada’s best defenseman. He’s probably the tournament’s most dangerous boasting a potent shot. The future Senator should fit in well with Erik Karlsson.

In the third, following a Julien Gauthier (Canes) tally that put Canada up two, the pesky Czechs crawled within one on a Simon Stransky backhand in front with the Canadian D scrambling. A play set up by 2017 draft eligible Martin Necas and Bruins prospect Jakub Zboril. Gauthier’s second of the game put it away with 13:23 remaining.

For their trouble, Canada will draw unbeaten Sweden. The Swedes are also perfect going 5-for-5 thus far. Led by Nylander (goal, assist) and a host of other returnees from last year’s squad, they easily dispatched Slovakia 8-3.

 

Sixteen different Sweden skaters registered points with Sabres prospect Rasmus Asplund’s four assists leading the way. Wild prospect Joel Eriksson-Ek tallied twice. Flames defense prospect Oliver Kylington tallied two assists. Undrafted forward Tim Soderlund also notched two goals.

With Felix Sandstrom (Flyers) in net and other players such as defensemen Gabriel Carlsson (Blue Jackets) and Jacob Larsson (Ducks), they boast a lot of quality depth and experience. Some pundits believe Sweden is the gold medal favorite. However, they did benefit from playing in a weaker group with defending champ Finland struggling badly finishing 1-3 to wind up in the relegation against Latvia.

When they face Canada at the Molson Centre tomorrow night, the crowd will be revved up. It should present an interesting challenge. Sweden looks to be more complete. But Canada is explosive and can feed off the crowd’s energy.

Both games can be seen on NHL Network. USA and Russia will face off first followed by Canada and Sweden. The winners play for gold while the losers play for bronze. It’s all on the line.

WJC2017: USA stifles Canada 3-1

 

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USA teammates John Woll and Colin White celebrate their well earned 3-1 victory over Canada to win Group B at the Under 20 World Junior Championships in Toronto. AP Photo via Getty Images courtesy USA Hockey.

The Under 20 World Junior Championships are a highlight of the winter. This year is no exception. Thus far, Sweden dominated Group A going a perfect 4-0. Defending champion Finland will not repeat struggling offensively to make the relegation round. There will be a couple of surprises from Group A with Switzerland already advancing to the quarterfinals. Despite falling to Finland 2-0, they finished fourth in the group.

Czech Republic lost to Sweden 5-2 to finish 1-1-2 with five points. Switzerland’s has two overtime wins including a sensational comeback from 4-1 down to stun Denmark 5-4. The Danes also advanced with six points.

As for Group B, USA finished off a perfect 4-0 by stifling Canada 3-1 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. They were impressive from start to finish playing superb defensively while getting timely scoring from Colin White (Senators), Jordan Greenway (Wild) and Jeremy Bracco (Maple Leafs).

Joseph Woll (Maple Leafs) was strong in net for the Americans making 25 saves to pick up the win. He got the start over Tyler Parsons (Flames). Woll was a brick wall for most of the traditional New Year’s Eve classic rivalry between USA and Canada.

Even when a very iffy major call for interference on American captain Luke Kunin (Wild) gave Canada a golden opportunity early in period two, it wasn’t until they got a five-on-three with Charlie McAvoy (Bruins) off for a trip that they were able to solve Woll. That came on a broken play when Canadian defenseman Thomas Chabot (Senators) got to a loose puck and fired one home at 28:12 of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1. Islanders prospect Mathew Barzal picked up a primary assist and Coyotes top prospect Dylan Strome got the secondary.

Up till that point, Canada’s power play didn’t get a ton of good looks due to USA’s stellar penalty kill which really did a great job keeping them to the outside. They also sold out making key blocks and critical clears. The Canadians had a pair of two-man advantages but could only cash in on one.

In the first period, USA had no problem converting twice on two power plays. The first coming from team leader White on a tic-tac-toe passing play from Greenway and Clayton Keller (Coyotes). Tyson Jost (Avalanche) was off for goaltender interference. Nobody marked White in the slot as he had all day to fire home his fourth. He really impressed in both ends and looks like a gem for Ottawa.

Canada lost their discipline again when Phillippe Myers went off for kneeing. With the Flyers’ property who was signed as an undrafted free agent in the sin bin, it was Greenway who pounced on a bad rebound left by Canadian goalie Connor Ingram (Lightning). Keller and McAvoy drew the assists. Both USA power play goals came 1:34 apart and put tournament host Canada in a quick hole.

The Canadians got their first big chance with a two-man advantage halfway through the period. But they were unable to capitalize.

With the long change in the second, they pressured more. But it wasn’t until Kunin delivered a big hit on Myers behind the Canadian net that they were able to get back in the game. The IIHF officials conferred before deciding to kick Kunin out for an interference major. It was a lousy call. At worst, it was a two-minute minor penalty. The hit wasn’t vicious. However, it was late and knocked down the bigger Myers, who didn’t return for the third. He played just 11 shifts for 9:20 including 2:56 in the second before exiting.

The key to USA’s victory was their resiliency. Once Canada scored, they applied pressure and searched for the equalizer. But the Americans bent but never broke. They got big stops from Woll and one gigantic save from White, who blocked a Strome shot from going in. That is the kind of two-way effort that Americans appreciate. Defenseman Jake Bean (Hurricanes) in particular sacrificed for the cause and was rewarded Star of the Game.

If there was a turning point, it was when Bracco got the only goal at even strength. It was a huge silencer that came less than five minutes following Chabot’s tally. He finished off a nice passing play from teammates Ryan Lindgren (Bruins) and Greenway. Greenway was in on all three USA goals finishing with a team-leading three points (1-2-3) including the game-winner on the power play.

In the third, USA made a tactical decision not to engage Canada in a run and gun. They clogged up the neutral zone and slowed down their skilled players. It was not overly exciting but effective. They weren’t as aggressive on the forecheck. But played solid defensively.

Even when Canada’s talented forwards led by Strome and Barzal created chances, they were kept at bay by a sturdy American defense and Woll. The dangerous Taylor Raddysh (Lightning) was kept off the score sheet. In a lopsided 10-2 win over Latvia, Raddysh was the story scoring four goals and assisting on another.

Columbus 2016 first round pick Pierre-Luc Dubois took a unnecessary minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct for foolishly shooting the puck into the USA net after play was whistled down. It was one of the dumbest penalties a player can take and basically ended Canada’s comeback hopes. The penalty came with 3:41 left.

In a rare oddity, both teams were nabbed for bench minors with over a minute left. By then, Canadian fans had pretty much resigned themselves to the fact their team wouldn’t win the big match-up between North American rivals.

For American hockey fans, it was nice to see. Now comes the big challenge ahead. The knockout stage. USA will draw pesky Switzerland in the quarters. It won’t be easy. The Swiss play hard and should put up a fight. Canada will face the Czech Republic. The other match-ups depend upon what happens with the final game tonight between Russia and Slovakia. The winner and loser will determine who Sweden faces along with Denmark.

It should be fun to follow.