Top standouts from Canada vs. Czechia in quarterfinal World Junior Championship game
Canada came into their quarterfinal game as favorites to beat Czechia – but if we’ve learned anything in recent years, those matchups never come easy.
The two-time defending champions dominated the second half of the game, but Jakob Stancl’s second of the game with 11 seconds left put an end to Canada’s gold-medal reign with a 3-2 win.
Czechia will move on to the semifinal, with their win today being the first against Canada in a quarterfinal game.
It started off ugly for Canada, with Stancl and Tomas Cibulka put the Canadians in a tough hole in the worst period of Canada’s tournament. But that all changed in the second period. After playing just 52 seconds in the second period, Matthew Wood came up huge early in the second. Brayden Yager started the play with a good pass from his own zone, with Easton Cowan directing the quick pass up to Wood on the breakaway. The Nashville Predators prospect made no mistake with a perfectly placed wristed, going top shelf on Michael Hrabal to make it 2-1.
Then, late in the frame, San Jose’s Jake Furlong scored his first of the tournament when his point shot blasted past traffic and in to give Canada some momentum heading into the final frame of play. Canada controlled the third period, outshooting Czechia 9-3 once the third period hit the 15-minute mark.
Canada’s inability to finish on their scoring chances ended up biting them in the behind. With just 11 seconds left, Stancl’s shot bounced off Canadian defenseman Oliver Bonk and in to make it 3-2, eliminating Canada in the process.
Canada
#17 Macklin Celebrini, C (2024 NHL Draft): Usually, it’s Celebrini’s offense that gets him on this list. Today, it was his defensive game, especially with how he blocked shots all over the ice. He still generated chances and passed the puck as well as anyone, as expected, but Celebrini is playing a similar complete game that allowed Connor Bedard to play so dominant last year.
#18 Matthew Wood, RW (Nashville Predators): Wood didn’t play much, getting just one shift in the first period. But he was well-rested for his breakaway chance early in the second, sniping it past Hrabal to end his shutout. Wood led all Canadians with shots through the first 40 minutes while playing just four minutes total, making the most of his limited opportunities – just like he did against Latvia.
#27 Easton Cowan, LW (Toronto Maple Leafs): This was Cowan’s best game of the tournament – which wasn’t a huge bar to clear after the run he’s had. But the London Knights standout made a nice tap pass to Wood on the first Canadian goal and then looked as energized as ever, doing a great job of chasing guys down and even landing some hits. Maybe that empty-netter against Germany – his first point of the tournament – helped him find his confidence.
#9 Nate Danielson, RW (Detroit Red Wings): It won’t show up on the scoresheet, but Danielson was a big reason why the Canadians controlled the puck possession. Few players battled as hard on the boards as he did, he got in the way of the Czech rush and landed some hits, too. Danielson will never be flashy, but he plays a smart, simple game with very few noticeable flaws.
Czechia
#28 Eduard Sale, LW (Seattle Kraken): Sale was motivated to do whatever it took to beat Rousseau, sending five shots his way after 40 minutes. Sale has been one of Czechia’s most active shooters, even though he has had a more difficult time scoring since his hat-trick against Norway. For whatever reason, teams have had a difficult time tracking him around the net.
#21 Jakob Stancl, RW (St. Louis Blues): Hard to beat the guy with two goals. Even though the last one was a lucky bounce, Stancl made it happen with his best game of the tournament. He was engaged throughout, so it was only fitting he finished things off.
#23 Tomas Galvas, D (2024 NHL Draft): After initially missing the first game as an extra man on the roster, Galvas has gotten better with every single game. He just looks so confident on Czechia’s third-pairing, blocking shots and making some good heads-up passes. Once he adjusted to the pace, I felt like Galvas unlocked the ability to show what has made him so good against his own age group for years – calm, smart decision-making.
#30 Michael Hrabal, G (Arizona Coyotes): When the Czechs needed him to step up, he didn’t disappoint. He’s been prone to falling apart late in international games, but this was easily one of his best performances in an elimination scenario. He was especially good when Canada heightened the pressure early in the third period, looking sharp despite the onslaught.
#12 Dominik Rymon, LW (Undrafted): Rymond had an eventful first period, setting up Jakub Stancl for the opening goal and drawing a penalty shot on a breakaway a few minutes later. Despite an off-game against the Swiss, Rymon has been one of Czechia’s best set-up guys.
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