Ice Hockey IIHF World Championships 2017

[hckošice 16,623]

UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Finland - Sweden  1-3

 

Sweden clinches Group A

Three points for Nylander, Finns in dire straits

 

Finland’s dreams of repeating as champs are fading, while Sweden is dialed in so far. With a 3-1 win over Finland, the Swedes wrapped up first place in Group A.

 

If the Swiss beat Denmark on Friday, Finland will be eliminated from quarter-finals contention, which would be a truly shocking outcome.

"The good thing is Denmark has played so well here," said Finnish captain Olli Juolevi. "They have surprised everyone. But this is not the way we wanted to go."

Alexander Nylander scored twice and added an assist, and Lias Andersson added a single for Sweden, which rallied after trailing 1-0 for more than 32 minutes.

Of Nylander's star turn, Andersson said: "He’s been in the right spot every time. He steps up every night for us. He’s scoring big goals for us and making good plays."

 

Aapeli Rasanen had the lone goal for Finland.

 

Swedish starting goalie Felix Sandstrom won the Thursday night duel in Montreal with his Finnish counterpart Veini Vehvilainen as Finland outshot Sweden 29-20.

Sandstrom felt good about his performance after allowing two goals on 15 shots in a 4-2 win over Switzerland: "Yesterday’s game was a bit too bad from my side, so it was nice to come up big today and show the guys on the team that they can trust me."

 

The Swedes are seeking their first gold since 2012 and first medal of any shade since 2014. The Tomas Monten-coached squad entered this battle with a 10-3 goal differential, and have been full value since Day One.

"We’re feeling very good," Andersson said. "It was a big win for us to win the group."

 

This wasn’t just a grudge match between the two classic Nordic rivals. It was supposed to be desperation time for the Finns, mired in last place in the group. Even without firepower to match last year’s top line of Jesse Puljujarvi, Sebastian Aho, and Patrik Laine, nobody expected the defending champs to have zero points at this stage.

 

Under head coach Jukka Rautakorpi, Finland’s pop-gun offense has been a huge problem. Heading into this game, only Slovakia had scored fewer goals (two).

The Young Lions need to stop pussyfooting around. But it may already be too late.

"We lost to Sweden, Denmark, and the Czechs," said Finland's Eeli Tolvanen, who took seven shots on Sandstrom. "We can’t be happy."

On New Year’s Eve, the Finns will need a regulation win over Switzerland to move on -- and that's only if the Swiss lose to Denmark. Earlier that day, Sweden takes on the Czech Republic.

 

The Swedes had one little problem here: they spent too much time in the penalty box, taking eight PIM to Finland’s zero. But it didn't stop them from winning.

 

It was a tight-checking affair, and the Finns only got some momentum going on their first power play. Forward Otto Koivula drew the penalty when he got past Rasmus Dahlin at the Swedish blue line and the 16-year-old wunderkind tripped him up. Then, Tolvanen attempted a shot that defenceman Kristofer Gunnarsson blocked, and it deflected across to a wide-open Rasanen, who fired the puck into the gaping cage at 16:35.

Tolvanen and Rasanen, who play together with the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, were an effective duo for the gold-medal U18 team in April, but had been blanked in Montreal until now. It was Finland’s first power play goal of the tournament.

 

Midway through the second period, the Finns got a 5-on-3 for 1:55 with Dahlin off for interference and Carl Grundstrom for putting the puck over the glass in his own end. But it came to naught, despite lots of puck movement around Sandstrom’s cage.

 

Andersson got his second of the tournament to knot the score at 12:16. Nylander backhanded a sweet feed from the side boards, and Andersson surprised Vehvilainen with a low wrister from the high slot.

"There were two guys coming up in a screen, and I tried to shoot through the screen, and it went in," said Andersson. "So, perfect. Great pass from Alex, too."

At 1:24 of the third, Nylander put Sweden up 2-1 on a gorgeous passing play. He controlled the puck outside the Finnish blue line and sent it right to Grundstrom, who dished it cross-ice to Joel Eriksson Ek. The Swedish captain found Nylander cruising in the slot, and the ever-cool 19-year-old whizzed it into the top corner.

Finland pressed in the dying stages, and pulled Vehvilainen for the extra attacker. But it was futile. Nylander intercepted the puck in the Swedish zone and scored into the empty net with one minute remaining to seal the deal.

"We got scoring chances in the last period, but we couldn’t score," said Tolvanen. "That’s been our problem the whole tournament. We just can’t score."

Montreal has not been friendly to the Finns. At the 2015 World Juniors, they also played at the Bell Centre, and scored just five goals in four games en route to sixth place.

At the World Junior level, Sweden-Finland is historically one of international hockey’s most even rivalries. In fact, prior to this game, the two nations shared a record of 16 wins, two ties, and 16 losses apiece, dating back to 1976.

However, the Swedes came in seeking revenge here after Finland ended their hopes of gold last year with a 2-1 semi-final victory. Consider that mission accomplished.

"Our goal at this tournament is to win the gold," said Sandstrom. "I think our team is feeling stronger and stronger. I think we’ve played better and better."

 

[Finnator123 342]

I really hate the fact that our Ice hockey association selected once again some old school coach to defend U20 gold
2015, Finland as a defending champ went home after a quaterfinal loss to Sweden. Now in these 2017 championships, same thing is gonna happen again xd
Now we must hope , that Denmark beats Switzerland and we beat Switzerland to get qualified for quaterfinals.

[hckošice 16,623]

UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Latvia - Canada  2-10

 

 

 

 

[hckošice 16,623]

UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Latvia - Canada  2-10

 

Canada routs Latvia, 10-2

Raddysh garnishes win with four goals

 

Canada moved into a tie atop Group B with the United States with a crushing 10-2 win over Latvia tonight at the Air Canada Centre.

 

Both teams remain a perfect 3-0. The result means that the winner of the New Year’s Eve classic between the two North American nations will earn first place moving into the quarter-finals matchups.

 

"We'll be ready," said Raddysh. "It doesn't matter who we play; we'll just stick to our system, get pucks low, play strong defensively. We have to limit their chances and play in the offensive zone as much as possible."

 

The loss leaves Latvia in a last-place tie with Slovakia. Both teams have yet to earn a point, but that will change tomorrow night when, in all likelihood, the winner will avoid the relegation round.

 

Taylor Raddysh led Canada's  attack with a Canadian record four goals and an assist. Dylan Strome had four assists.

 

"I have to be happy with what happened," Raddysh said. "I don't know if I'll ever get another four-goal game. It was a lot of fun."

 

Canada scored five of its goals in the second period and now has eleven goals in the middle period so far after three games, the most of any nation (USA has 7).

 

Despite sloppy play and poor decisions for the first half of the period, Canada took a big 3-0 lead to the dressing room after 20 minutes. All goals came courtesy of man-advantage situations. 

 

Matt Barzal opened the scoring short-handed. He came out of the penalty box with Ricards Bernhards, but a terrible line change by the Latvians allowed Barzal to scoop a loose puck at centre ice and go in alone. He made a nice deke and roofed a backhand over a sprawled Mareks Mitens.

 

A minute later, Canada made it 2-0 on a power play when a Thomas Chabot point shot was tipped in front by Nicolas Roy.

 

Then, with only 19.5 seconds left, Chabot drew half the Latvian team to him as he threatened to shoot, then fired a pass against the grain to a wide open Raddysh. He roofed a quick shot to make it 3-0.

 

Canada made it 4-0 at 9:11 of the second when Raddysh got his second of the night. Soon after, Latvian coach Rriks Miluns switched goalies, inserting Gustavs Grigals, who promptly allowed four goals in a span of 2:43, including Raddysh's hat trick marker.

 

The only bright note for Latvia in the period was a short-handed goal from Renars Krastenbergs, who beat Carter Hart with a weak shot to the far side off a rush down the left wing.

 

Raddysh got his fourth early in the third, tipping in another point shot.

 

Latvia got its second goal off a sensational burst of speed by Martins Dzierkals to create a breakaway and then deke Hart out of his equipment at 7:59.

 

Julien Gauthier got a late goal to make it an even ten and close out the scoring.

 

NOTE: Linesman Dmitri Golyak of Belarus took a puck to the chin midway through the first period and was forced to leave. He was replaced by Lukas Kohlmuller of Germany for the remainder of the period. Golyak was then so eager to get back out for the second period that he put on the wrong sweater, wearing 55 instead of his normal 53 for the remainder of the game (55 is usually worn by Canada's Nathan Vanoosten). In short, the game featured three linesmen wearing a total of four numbers!

 

[hckošice 16,623]

UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Russia - USA  2-3

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

[hckošice 16,623]

UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Finland - Sweden  1-3

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

[hckošice 16,623]

UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Latvia - Canada  2-10

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

[hckošice 16,623]

Under 20 Top Division World Championships in Canada

 

Day 5 Schedule (30th December 2016)

(GMT -5)

 

Group A (in Montreal)

17:00  Switzerland vs Denmark

- If Switzerland will win this match (doesn´t matter if in regulation time or after overtime/GWS) they will advance for the quarterfinals and Finland will have to play the relegation round.

 

Group B (in Toronto)

19:30  Slovakia vs Latvia

- In fact it´s a Direct match for the maintain in top division, winner of this game will avoid the relegation round (possibly against Finland ) the loser of the game will have to play the relegation round (possibly against Finland, which is most likely the biggest nightmare possible scenario) oh my god ! All heavens please stand with us tonight !, I don´t want to even imagine if we lost this game...this will be the end , just the end a total disaster for our hockey...

[Finnator123 342]

11 minutes ago, hckosice said:

Under 20 Top Division World Championships in Canada

 

Day 5 Schedule (30th December 2016)

(GMT -5)

 

Group A (in Montreal)

17:00  Switzerland vs Denmark

- If Switzerland will win this match (doesn´t matter if in regulation time or after overtime/GWS) they will advance for the quarterfinals and Finland will have to play the relegation round.

 

Group B (in Toronto)

19:30  Slovakia vs Latvia

- In fact it´s a Direct match for the maintain in top division, winner of this game will avoid the relegation round (possibly against Finland ) the loser of the game will have to play the relegation round (possibly against Finland, which is most likely the biggest nightmare possible scenario) oh my god ! All heavens please stand with us tonight !, I don´t want to even imagine if we lost this game...this will be the end , just the end a total disaster for our hockey...

I really hope that both Denmark and Slovakia wins tonight

[hckošice 16,623]

Spengler Cup,

 

Today we had both Semifinals of the Spengler Cup, Team Canada defeated Dynamo Minsk KHL team from Belarus 3-2 and in the Swiss derby HC Lugano eliminated the host team HC Davos 4-0.

 

For Davos and Dynamo Minsk the tournament is over, so traditionally the final of the Spengler cup is played the New Years Eve at 12:00 local time and this year it will be a match between Team Canada and HC Lugano from Switzerland.

 

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Friendly Matches

 

Men

Germany U18 - Finland U18  1-9

Switzerland U18 - Czech Republic U18  3-6