Canada into semifinals at world junior championship with 4-2 win over Finns

Turbo · #1 01-02-2008, 12:13 PM

Canada into semifinals at world junior championship with 4-2 win over Finns

Quote:

PARDUBICE, Czech Republic - Canada defeated Finland 4-2 on Wednesday to advance to the semifinal round at the world junior hockey championship.
The defending champions will meet the United States on Friday. Brad Marchand of the Halifax Mooseheads scored the go-ahead goal at 10:32 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie. Stefan Legein of the Niagara IceDogs cemented the victory with an empty-net goal.
John Tavares of the Oshawa Generals and Steve Stamkos of the Sarnia Sting also scored while Guelph Storm defenceman Drew Doughty contributed two assists for Canada.
Jan-Mikael Juutilainen and Kamloops Blazers forward Juuso Puustinen replied for Finland.
Steve Mason picked up the win, stopping 21 shots while Finnish counterpart Harri Sateri made 28 saves.
The Canadians had finished second in Pool A with a 3-1 record while the Finns were third in Pool B at 2-1-1.
Russia and the host Czech Republic were to meet in a later quarter-final Wednesday. The U.S. and Sweden had earned byes to Friday's semifinals.
Canada had beaten Finland 4-2 in an exhibition game three days prior to the start of the tournament. Canada was outshot 33-21 in the game, with Mason making 31 saves.
Marchand put Canada ahead in the third as his shot deflected off a Finnish defender and past Harri Sateri on the far side.
Juutilainen's shot from behind the goal-line deflected off Mason as he was turning and into the net at 5:42 to tie the game 2-2. That came less than four minutes after Stamkos had given Canada a 2-1 lead.
Doughty drove in from the wing and was hauled down behind the net. As the referee raised his arm to call the penalty, Stamkos banged the loose puck in on Sateri's stick side at 2:20.
Tavares tied the game 1-1 on the power play at 7:23 of the second with his fourth goal of the tournament. The 17-year-old took three strides past the faceoff circle to Sateri's left and beat him with a high wrist shot.
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Stamkos, Canada's other 17-year-old, had an assist on that goal as head coach Craig Hartsburg sent the two youngsters out for a rare even-strength shift together.
The Canadians' nerves in the first two periods were evident in their inability to keep the puck on their sticks as they often overskated it, or it bobbled away just out of reach.
Puustinen's high off-speed shot from just inside the blue-line fooled Mason at 7:23 of the first.
Canada outshot Finland 11-6 in the period, but couldn't get their sticks on the puck often wobbling and spinning between Finnish legs in the goal crease.

I was actually up to watch this game. Finland looked solid but Canada came back strong. The Canadian goalie looked bad though, he lets up the easy shots which is why this was a close game.

Babe_Ruth · #2 01-02-2008, 01:49 PM

Great win for Canada after losing a heartbreaker against Sweden in the last few seconds of the game, if Canada didn't win this game then it would be a major disapointment. They were the favorite coming into the tournament, so not making it to the semis would be an embarassement, hopefully we can keep it up and win the gold.

Turbo · #3 01-02-2008, 01:54 PM

gotta love that this year is a rematch of last year. USA vs. Canada again in the semi's. should be a killer game.

juha82 · #4 01-03-2008, 06:14 AM

nice game by Finland, but it wasn't just enough.

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