Ice Hockey IIHF World Championships 2017

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UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Relegation Round Game 2

Latvia - Finland  1-4

 

 

 

 

 

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UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Relegation Round Game 2

Latvia - Finland  1-4

 

Finns finish off Latvia

Finland survives for 2018, Latvians go down

 

Finland booked its ticket to the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, New York with a 4-1 relegation win over Latvia in Game Two on Tuesday night.

 

The Finns won Game One of the best-of-three series 2-1 at the Bell Centre on Monday.

 

Assistant captain Villi Saarijarvi got the third-period winner for Finland and added an assist. Juuso Valimaki scored twice, and Eeli Tolvanen chipped in a goal and an assist, while Aapeli Rasanen had two helpers.

 

"We were finally able to score," said Finnish captain Olli Juolevi about the third period. "After we scored the first goal, they were probably a little bit frustrated after that and they took those bad penalties there. That helped us to secure the win. Still, it was not a good game, but that’s not the big thing right now. The big thing is we finished the series 2-0 and we are finally off."

 

Renards Krastenbergs replied for Latvia.

 

Finnish goalie Veini Vehvilainen won his final duel with Latvia's Mareks Mitens. Shots favoured Finland 42-23 in this choppy, penalty-ridden affair, and they had three power-play goals.

 

The Finns finish ninth, their worst placement in any IIHF competition since 1955. Last-place Latvia is demoted to the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group A.

"We’ll be back," said Krastenbergs. "We’ll go [to Division I] next year, we’ll win, and we’ll come back better."

 

The placement was a major disappointment for Finland after winning gold on home ice in Helsinki last year. The Finnish federation's decision to fire coach Jukka Rautakorpi and replace him with Jussi Ahokas mid-tournament was unexpected. But it worked out as well as it could under the circumstances.

 

Ahokas led Finland to 2016 U18 gold in Grand Forks, North Dakota in April. Rautakorpi had seen declining results at his previous three World Juniors, finishing fifth in 1999, sixth in 2008, and seventh in 2009.

Offensively cursed, the Finns totalled just 12 goals in six games. It was their second-worst World Junior output ever. In 2015, also in Montreal, they had eight goals in five games.

"There was pretty much zero confidence after those first three games," Juolevi said of losing to the Czechs, Danes, and Swedes. "It was tough. But we stayed together and we believed we had to be patient and we could score those goals, especially in the last two games. It was not easy when you can’t score that many goals."

 

Latvia, which has 13 roster members playing in North America this season, was participating in its sixth elite World Junior Championship. Only twice in history have the Baltic underdogs avoided relegation (2009, 2012).

 

Finland drew first blood. On an early 5-on-3, Tolvanen cruised into the high slot and winged one under the crossbar at 1:31.

 

The Latvians hung tough and tied it up on their second man advantage with 3:37 left in the first period. Krastenbergs dued up a wrister from the faceoff circle that zipped through Vehvilainen. It was the Oshawa Generals forward's third goal of the tournament.

 

Finnish defenceman Jesper Mattila went off with an apparent lower-body injury less than a minute later after Rihards Puide caught him with a knee on the forecheck. However, Mattila would return to the game.

"It’s been a tough ride for us," said Mattila.

 

The Finns struggled to put their Baltic rivals away. With under six minutes to play in the middle frame, Latvia got a two-man advantage for 1:38, but Vehvilainen held down the fort.

 

Ahokas’s troops couldn't capitalize with their subsequent power play before the second buzzer. Julius Nattinen had the best late chance, ringing one off the post.

Finally, at 1:28 of the third, Saarijarvi hammered a power play one-timer from the centre point to put Finland up 2-1. Mitens battled to stem the rising Finnish tide, but couldn't prevent Valimaki from whacking in a loose puck for a 3-1 lead just over a minute later.

The Latvians didn't give up, but their zeal only stalled their momentum. Martins Dzierkals was penalized for going hard to the net and bowling over Vehvilainen. Tempers flared late when Latvia's Valters Apfelbaums crushed Urho Vaakanainen with a high hit in the Finnish end.

It was a rough ending all around. Kristian Vesalainen skated off gingerly after taking a puck in the head area in front of the goal during the game-closing Finnish power play. Valimaki rounded out the scoring for Finland on a 5-on-3 with 2:34 left.

"We wanted to get two wins from these games and we got two wins," said Valimaki. "That’s all that matters."

The three best players of the tournament were named for each team. For Latvia, it was Mareks Mitens, Karlis Cukste, and Martins Dzierkals. For Finland, it was Veini Vehvilainen, Villi Saarijarvi, and Aapeli Rasanen.

"It’s our first year here," said Krastenbergs. "The other teams are more confident and have better players. They’re bigger countries with bigger opportunities."

Besides 2016, the Finns have three previous World Junior gold medals (1987, 1998, 2014). With nine players eligible to return for Buffalo, they will aspire to better things next year.

 

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UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Relegation Round Game 2

Latvia - Finland  1-4

HIGHLIGHTS

 

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Under 20 Top Division World Championships in Canada

 

Day 9 Schedule (4th January 2017)

(GMT -5)

 

Semifinals (in Montreal)

15:00  Q1 vs Q3 - Russia vs USA

19:30  Q2 vs Q4 - Sweden vs Canada

 

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Semifinal

Russia - USA  3-4 after GWS

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Semifinal

Russia - USA  3-4 after GWS

 

Americans going for gold

Terry's shootout feat ends U.S. jinx vs. Russia

 

Troy Terry scored three shootout goals to give the U.S. a 4-3 semi-final win over Russia. It's the first U.S. playoff win over Russia in World Junior history.

 

In the best-of-five shootout, which had 14 shots in total, Terry's hat trick feat equalled that of Jonathan Toews in the 2007 semi-final when Canada beat the United States 2-1.

"He has great skill, great hands," U.S. defenceman Charlie McAvoy said of Terry, who plays for the University of Denver. "He's got ice in his veins, and he proved that tonight."

 

The Americans will face the winner of Sweden-Canada in Thursday’s gold medal game at the Bell Centre, while Russia goes for bronze.

"I've never been a part of something like this," said U.S. scoring leader Clayton Keller. "It's crazy. It's unbelievable to get the win and go for the gold medal tomorrow.

 

This was one of the most exciting games of the 2017 World Juniors, a fitting showdown between these two old adversaries in Montreal.

 

In regulation, Colin White scored twice and captain Luke Kunin added a single for the Americans. Keller had two assists. For Russia, Denis Guryanov scored twice and Kirill Kaprizov had the other goal. Guryanov also put two pucks in during the shootout.

 

Russian goalie Ilya Samsonov let in a couple of shaky goals, but like his U.S. counterpart Tyler Parsons, he was excellent overall. Shots on goal favored the U.S. 44-36.

"Obviously it’s super-tough," Russian defenceman Mikhail Sergyachov said of losing. "We wanted to win that game. We did everything we could to win. We lost in the shootout. I just want to say thanks to the boys for a great effort."

 

The Americans, who earned bronze last year, are seeking their first World Junior gold since beating Sweden in the 2013 final. The previous two U.S. titles came in 2004 and 2010. The Russians, who haven't won gold since 2011, will look to take their seventh straight World Junior medal.

 

For the U.S., it was a wonderful end to a longstanding jinx. Russia defeated the U.S. 5-3 in the 2014 quarter-finals, 3-2 in the 2015 quarter-finals, and 2-1 in the 2016 semi-finals.

"It’s unbelievable, especially to do it in that fashion," Keller said.

 

The game unfolded with a high tempo and few whistles. True to form, the Americans had the edge in overall play, but the Russians were opportunistic. Both teams’ leaders came to play.

 

Kaprizov scored his tournament-leading eighth goal at 11:54 to open the scoring. Behind the net, the Russian captain grabbed the puck, exploded between Terry and Joe Cecconi, and caught Parsons looking the wrong way as he completed the wrap-around. In the KHL, Kaprizov plays for Ufa, the site of the 2013 World Juniors, where the U.S. won its last gold medal.

 

With 55 seconds left in the first, Keller fired a bad-angle shot from the corner that bounced off White and past a surprised Samsonov. Keller was named MVP at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship in April when the Americans won bronze.

"He put it off my butt there," said White. "I was a little bit lucky there."

 

At 1:17 of the second period, Russia jumped into a 2-1 lead. Parsons kicked out Vadim Kudako’s drive from the top of the left faceoff circle, but Guryanov was there to bang in the rebound.

 

The U.S. got the game’s first power play at 4:52 when Danil Yurtaikin cross-checked U.S. defenceman Adam Fox from behind into the boards, but the acrobatic Samsonov kept them at bay.

 

At the other end, Kaprizov came within a heartbeat of scoring again on a goalmouth chance, and Alexander Polunin knocked Parsons’ helmet off when the U.S. starter stretched to block the rebound. There was a long delay while trainers checked Parsons out, but he carried on.

"He’s a great goaltender," Keller said of Parsons. "He’s hard to score on in practice. He’s chill back there. He’s not nervous. He’s not going to let them score an easy one."

 

At 10:23, the U.S. tied it up on a great play with their second man advantage. Kunin went hard to the net to tip Jordan Greenway’s feed past Samsonov’s left pad.

 

White gave the Americans a 3-2 lead with his sixth goal of the tournament at 16:21. His shot from the left faceoff circle tipped off Sergyachov and fluttered past Samsonov’s blocker side.

 

In the third period, Sergei Zborovski hauled down the fleet-footed Keller on a partial breakaway at 5:14, and a penalty shot was awarded. Keller approached slowly, and Samsonov made a great slove save on his high backhand attempt.

 

Just 50 seconds later, Guryanov got loose on a breakaway and went to the forehand to slip the disc through Parsons's legs. A wild celebration broke out at the Russian bench.

 

In the 4-on-4 overtime, exciting chances abounded at both ends. In particular, Samsonov dazzled when Joey Anderson hit the crossbar, followed up by a close-range save on Caleb Jones, and a stunning grab when Anderson tried to slide it in.

"It was a super-fast and emotional game," said Sergyachov. "A lot of penalties for us. Our goalie made some crazy saves. Our forwards played their best game in the tournament. We executed well. We made some mistakes in the D zone."

Of the shootout, Keller said: "When I was watching, they’d score, and then when I wasn’t watching, we’d get the save or whatever. So I thought I’d just not watch the last couple of shooters and it worked out."

 

America's long wait for this first playoff win makes it that much more satisfying.

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2017

 

 

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Semifinal

Sweden - Canada  2-5

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Semifinal

Sweden - Canada  2-5

 

Fired up Canada wins

5-2 win vs. Sweden sets up North American final

 

Canada rallied from a shaky start and deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to defeat Sweden, 5-2.

 

The win earns the hosts a spot in tomorrow night's gold-medal game with arch-rivals United States.

 

Julien Gauthier had two goals for Canada while Anthony Cirelli and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist.

 

"We had a game plan and we stuck to it: getting in on the forecheck, playing physical, not giving them too much time to move, because they’re a skilled team," Cirelli said.

 

"We just played harder," Gauthier added. "We’ve done a lot of things differently. I think we have better chemistry between all the guys, and that’s why we’re here."

 

Goalie Carter Hart was perfect in relief of Connor Ingram who struggled and was replaced after giving up two early goals on three shots. 

 

Canada outshot the Swedes 43-31 in a hard-hitting, sometimes chippy game that was the most emotional both sides have played all tournament.

 

"We had a great start," said coach Tomas Monten, "but we had several chances for a third goal and didn't get it. Our speed and skill weren't good enough to get away from their forecheck."

 

"We played Canadian hockey tonight," offered coach Dominique Ducharme. "We used our speed to take away their space and time, and we played a physical game."

 

Fans were treated to a wild first period punctuated by several great scoring chances, four goals, one goalie change, and plenty of big-time hits.

 

The Swedes opened the scoring at 6:05 when captain Joel Eriksson Ek beat Ingram with a long shot. It was the kind of shot a goalie must stop every time.

 

Less than two minutes later, though, the fired-up Canadians tied the game thanks to some nice work by Cirelli. He got a loose puck behind the net and tried a wraparound. Goalie Felix Sandstrom blocked the shot but the puck bounced over defenceman Gabriel Carlsson’s stick and Mitchell Stephens banged it in.

 

We weren’t done yet. Carl Grundstrom came in on goal on a partial breakaway and fanned on his shot, but it still dribbled through Ingram’s pads. Coach Ducharme had no choice but to insert Hart.

 

Hart was perfect the rest of the period, but the Swedes missed the net on some nice chances or drilled a few other good chances into Hart’s body for easy saves. Nonetheless, it was a steadying influence.

 

Cirelli tied the game at 18:49 when his hard shot beat Sandstrom over the shoulder, another goal that had a bit of an odour to it.

 

The tide began to turn midway through the second period. Quickly Canada upped the tempo and the Swedes couldn’t respond. Then wave after wave of Canadians forechecked, attacked, created scoring chances.

 

Cirelli rang a shot off the crossbar, and moments later Canada finally got the well-deserved go-ahead goal. Gauthier jammed a puck in at 12:02, and Canada continued its attack.

 

Sandstrom deserves full credit for keeping the score close. He made two unbelievable saves off Tyson Jost on the back side, first with a pad, then with the glove.

 

Sweden’s only decent chance came late when Hart flubbed a shot that trickled to the goal line.

 

"It was a rolling puck, so I went to catch it, and it bounced out of my glove," Hart said. "I saw it pop up, and I reached back and got my glove on it. Luckily it didn’t go in."

 

Captain Dylan Strome made it 4-2 at 7:38 of the third while teams were four-on-four. His screen shot fooled Sandstrom.

 

Gauthier closed out the scoring with an empty netter with 1:58 remaining.

 

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UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Semifinal

Russia - USA  3-4 after GWS

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 

 

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UNDER 20 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

2017

 

 

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Semifinal

Sweden - Canada  2-5

HIGHLIGHTS