CanucksArmy World Junior Recap: Canada 3 – 1 Sweden
6 years ago
In the final game of the 2018 World Junior Championship, two hockey powerhouse nations would battle for gold with Sweden matched up against Canada for the first time in the tournament. It was a win-win for Canucks nation as the game matched up a potential future franchise player in Elias Pettersson against the promising Jonah Gadjovich. Let’s take a closer look.
The Rundown
Here’s a large portion of Colorado Avalanche prospect Cale Makar’s total playing time from tonight in .gif form. He would eventually be awarded a spot on the tournament all-star team, so it wasn’t just the Canucks Army who noticed his standout performance. Coast to coast early in a critical game, who needs that? Take a seat, Cale.
The first would end in a scoreless draw but not without a little controversy. St. Louis prospect Jordan Kyrou would smack a loose puck in, but that whistle had already blown — no goal.
Colorado Avalanche second-rounder Connor Timmins was the best player on the ice tonight. He played 20:50, had one assist and two shots on goal. If he wasn’t contributing offensively, he was winning puck battles, breaking up plays, or moving the puck out of the zone. Timmins did it all. Take a second to appreciate that cut to the middle of the ice which sets up an easy exit leading to a coast to coast rush made possible because of his combination of vision and ability.
Canada would open the scoring with the ever so important first goal of the night in this winner take all game. For me, Kyrou was the best Canadian at gaining the offensive zone this tournament, and this entry was a beauty. Kyrou gains the zone with speed, slight change of pace which creates a little more time and space and proceeds to slide the puck under the stick of Rasmus Dahlin, hitting the streaking, left-handed Dillon Dube in stride. Dube makes no mistake with a player draped all over him, roofing the puck over the top goalie of the tournament, Filip Gustavsson. 1-0 Canada!
Canada would sit back on the lead for over ten minutes until Tim Soderlund would score this beauty as the Swede’s were shorthanded. Post and in, no chance for Flyers prospect, Carter Hart. 1-1!
It was a back and forth third period as the teams trading occasional chances as this game seems destined for overtime. The Swedish leader in ice-time wired this one of the post first.
Followed by Canadian speedster Boris Katchouk hitting Gustavsson in the mask with this wrister.
And then, for me, this was the memorable moment of the tournament, this pass! Timmins! With the gold medal on the line, the pump-fake, the vision, the poise, the pass. Right on the money to the previously goalless Tyler Steenbergen who would guide the puck into the net for the eventual gold medal-clinching goal. 2-1 Canada!
Ottawa Senators prospect, speedster and J.D. Burke favourite, Alex Formenton would put the game away with an empty-netter for the dagger, 3-1 goal.
Notes
- With limited power-play opportunities, Canucks blue-chipper, Elias Pettersson was limited to 15:06, and two shots on goal during a quiet game based on his standards. As dynamic as Pettersson is, this tournament was a good reminder to Canucks nation that Pettersson has plenty of work to do on his even strength game. I’ve only watched four Pettersson games this year, and they were all in this tournament, but I definitely picked up on the trend of Pettersson dialling it up a notch or four with the man advantage. On the bright side of this observation, he’s explosive offensively on the PP. Whether he’s identifying complex passing lanes with ease, blasting one-timers, or dissecting the goaltender to execute a lethal snipe, he can do it all.
- Jonah Gadjovich was awarded the goal medal but was rarely spotted in the crucial game, playing only 4:21 in the game with only 44 seconds in the third period. After taking a penalty in the first, he fell out of favour with Canadian head coach, Dominique Ducharme.
- Both goaltenders played solid games today, Swedish goalie, Filip Gustavsson made 25 saves on 27 shots and Canadian Goaltender Carter Hart made 35 saves on 36 shots.
- Montreal Canadiens prospect Victor Mete stood out today during his 21:57 of ice-time, putting up an assist and a shot on goal. He was flying today with this active feet, skating the puck out of the zone and closing gaps with ease. Watching Mete closely all tournament, it was easy to see the benefits of Mete’s time in the NHL had on his development. The game looked easy to him, to play and to process.
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