Day 7 games
Canada 4, Slovakia 3 (OT) — Connor Bedard scored his second goal with 4:43 remaining in overtime, and Canada advanced to the semifinals with a win at Scotiabank Centre.
Bedard, projected to be the top pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, decked around two defenseman and beat goalie Adam Gajan in close for the winner.
Canada will next play the United States in the semifinals on Wednesday. Czechia will play Sweden in the other semifinal.
“The crowd was obviously pretty special,” Bedard said. “And even after the goal, I think we all could kind of barely even hear anything, or think ourselves. It was pretty nuts. I think that moment was special for all of us. It’s pretty cool, but it’s just the quarterfinals. We ‘ve still got a lot to go here.”
Bedard also had two assists. Dylan Guenther (Arizona Coyotes) and Zack Ostapchuk (Ottawa Senators) scored for Canada, the defending tournament champion. Thomas Milic (2023 draft eligible) made 24 saves.
Libor Nemec (2023 draft eligible) scored two goals and Robert Baco (2023 draft eligible) scored for Slovakia. Adam Gajan (2023 draft eligible) made 53 saves.
Bedard put Canada ahead 1-0 at 6:07 of the first period. Logan Stankoven (Dallas Stars) intercepted a clearing attempt and found Bedard alone in front.
The goal gave Bedard 19 points in the tournament, one more than Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011) for most by a Canadian player in a single tournament.
It was also his 15th goal in 14 World Junior games, one more than Jordan Eberle for most by a Canadian player, and his 32nd point, one more than Eric Lindros for most by a Canadian player at the WJC.
Guenther made it 2-0 at 5:02 of the second period with a power-play goal. Bedard had an assist, his 13th of the tournament, breaking the single-tournament record set by a Canadian player by Jason Allison at the 1995 WJC.
Libor Nemec redirected a point shot by Simon Nemec (New Jersey Devils) to make it 2-1 at 6:58.
Ostapchuk finished a 3-on-1 rush to put Canada ahead 3-1 at 9:00.
Baco made it 3-2 when he scored in the slot after Peter Repcik (2023 draft eligible) skated around the net.
Libor Nemec tied it 3-3 at 11:25 of the third when he scored from the slot.
“After my goal I think we took a new energy, the whole team, and a couple of times we were close to scoring and going up a goal,” Libor Nemec said. “So, it was a little bit unlucky, we could score and be up. But now we can do nothing [about] that.”
United States 11, Germany 1 — Logan Cooley (Arizona Coyotes) had three goals and an assist, and the United States advanced to the semifinal round with a win at Avenir Center.
It’s the second time in the past four tournaments that the US, which won an eighth straight game against Germany at the WJC (13-0-1-0), advanced to the semifinals.
Cutter Gauthier (Philadelphia Flyers) had two goals and an assist, Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues) had a goal and two assists, Redmond Savage (Detroit Red Wings) scored twice, and Ryan Ufko (Nashville Predators) had five primary assists. Trey Augustine (2023 eligible) made 14 saves for the United States in two periods and was relieved by Andrew Oke (2023 eligible) in the third period (seven saves).
“I thought we had good jump, good legs, played hard, and kept it simple,” US coach Rand Pecknold said. “Obviously, we got a couple goals early and then had a little lull at the end of the first, but I thought we reloaded really well for the second and third. It was a good effort tonight.”
Augustine is the sixth 17-year-old goalie to play for the US National Junior Team and the first to win three or more games (Oke, 2022; Jack Campbell, 2010; Alan Perry, 1984; Tom Barrasso, 1983; Mark Champ, 1980).
Luca Hauf (2023 eligible) scored a short-handed goal on a snap shot from the right face-off circle at 16:48 of the third period for Germany, and Nikita Quapp (Carolina Hurricanes) made 20 saves on 28 shots in two periods. He was replaced by Rihards Babulis (2023 eligible) in the third (10 saves).
Cooley extended his point streak to five games when he scored on a shot from the slot at 3:51 of the first. Snuggerud pushed it to 2-0 when his shot from the left circle deflected off a stick in the slot and into the net at 8:00, and Savage made it 3-0 on a snap shot at 8:39.
The US received goals in the second period from Jackson Blake (9:05), Cooley (11:03), Gauthier (11:21), Savage (short-handed, 15:25), and Gauthier at 17:24 to extend the lead to 8-0.
Kenny Connors (Los Angeles Kings) and Dylan Duke (Tampa Bay Lightning) each scored, Luke Mittelstadt (2023 eligible) had three assists and Chaz Lucius (Winnipeg Jets) and Jack Peart (Minnesota Wild) each had two assists.
“We wanted to stick to our game plan, grow and grow, especially in these medal rounds,” Gauthier said. “There’s no room for mistakes in the semis or final moving forward so just critiquing our game, perfecting as much as we can for these next couple of games, is going to be huge for us.”
Sweden 3, Finland 2 — Victor Stjernborg (Chicago Blackhawks) scored on a short-handed breakaway with 1:05 remaining in the third period in the quarterfinal round at Avenir Center.
“In the first period, we were so passive … we only had two shots,” Sweden coach Magnus Havelid said. “So, I asked the players, ‘How do we want to finish this game?’ I liked the response.”
Stjernborg stole the puck from Finland defenseman Aleksi Heimosalmi (Carolina Hurricanes) at center ice and skated down his left wing before moving to the middle and scoring on a snap shot through the five hole.
“Probably one of the most important goals I’ve scored,” Stjernborg said. “I mean, I’m not the guy that’s going to go into a tournament and score 500 goals, but it feels good to do it and help the team.”
Leo Carlsson, a projected top-10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored two goals and Carl Lindbom (Vegas Golden Knights) made 33 saves for Sweden, which rebounded from a 5-1 loss to Canada in its final preliminary round game Saturday.
Lindbom’s best save came when he waved his glove high in the air to deny a one-timer ticketed to the long side by a shot from the left circle. Joakim Kemmell (Nashville Predators) during a Finland power play with 46 seconds remaining in the third.
“I knew [Kemell] would be shooting the puck,” Lindbom said. “Obviously, we scouted him before the game and he has an unreal, real hard shot. I actually thought he was going blocker, because he usually goes blocker, but I had my glove there and got it.”
Jani Lampinen made 17 saves for Finland, which lost two straight to end its tournament, including 6-2 to the United States on Saturday.
“I think this was our best game of the tournament,” Finland coach Tomi Lamsa said. “Like, almost the whole game it was in their end and then the last 3 1/2 minutes, a few mistakes and some unlucky bounces too, and just like that, your tournament is done.”
Oliver Kapanen (Montreal Canadiens) gave Finland a 1-0 lead when he knocked in a puck at the right post at 3:10 of the first.
Carlsson made it 1-1 on Sweden’s second shot of the game when he converted a rebound from the slot at 16:55 of the first.
Niko Hühtanen (Tampa Bay Lightning) scored from the right circle at 4:03 of the third to give Finland a 2-1 lead.
Carlsson scored his second of the game for Sweden on a rebound just outside the left post for a 2-2 tie at 16:33.
“Carlsson is one of my key players and in these kinds of games, he has to step up,” Havelid said. “If he does, we can win, so I’m very happy for him.”
Czechia 9, Switzerland 1 — Jiri Kulich (Buffalo Sabres) had two goals and two assists and Czechia advanced to the semifinals with a win at Scotiabank Center in Halifax.
Marcel Marcel (2023 draft eligible) had two goals and an assist and Gabriel Szturc (2023 eligible) scored two goals for Czechia. David Jiricek (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Eduard Sale (2023 eligible) each had a goal and an assist. Tomas Suchanek made 17 saves and had his fourth assist of the tournament.
Czechia is in the semifinals for the second straight tournament. It finished fourth at the 2022 WJC, losing to Sweden in the bronze-medal game.
“We just play our game and play like one guy,” Kulich said. “That’s our key. We don’t like thinking about playing for a medal. We just play the game.”
Louis Robin scored for Switzerland. Alessio Beglieri made 12 saves on 17 shots after replacing Kevin Pasche, who was removed in the second period after allowing four goals on 11 shots.
Robin gave Switzerland a 1-0 lead 22 seconds into the game when he won a puck race in the Czechia end and beat Suchanek.
Kulich’s one-timer from the slot tied it 1-1 at 2:41, and Marcel scored on a short-handed breakaway to give the Czech Republic a 2-1 lead at 7:09.
Hauser had a puck go off his skate and in to make it 3-1 at 9:37.
Jiricek pushed the lead 4-1 28 seconds into the second period. Kulich scored his second from the slot at 5:42 to make it 5-1, Szturc made it 6-1 at 13:10, and Sale increased the lead to 7-1 at 18:54.
Marcel redirected a shot by Ales Cech to make it 8-1 at 3:18 of the third period. Szturc completed the scoring at 4:22.
“We tried to come out at the beginning of the second period with a good mindset,” Switzerland coach Marco Bayer said. “We went back to basics, but on the first shift, first goal against and that was the turning point. So after that, it was really tough for us to get back against that team.”
Latvia 5, Austria 2 — Emils Veckaktins (2023 draft eligible) scored two goals, including the game-winner, to help Latvia take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 relegation round.
Dans Locmelis (Boston Bruins) and Sandis Vilmanis (Florida Panthers) also scored for Latvia. Patriks Berzins (2023 eligible) made 11 saves. Latvia outshot Austria 22-1 in the third period.
Luca Auer (2023 draft eligible) and Vincenzo Rohrer (Montreal Canadiens) scored for Austria. Thomas Pfarrmaier (2023 eligible) made 41 saves.
Veckaktins finished a cycle play with Rihards Simanovics (2023 eligible) with a shot from the left face-off dot to put Latvia ahead 3-2 at 8:50 of the third.
Vilmanis made it 4-2 at 11:22 with a power-play goal and Bogdans Hodass (2023 eligible) scored an empty-net goal at 18:54 for the final.
Auer put Austria ahead 1-0 at 5:20 of the first. Locmelis tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 16:16.
Rohrer gave Austria a 2-1 lead at 17:53. Veckaktins tied it 2-2 for Latvia at 17:01 of the second.
The winner of the best-of-3 series will return for the 2024 World Juniors in Sweden. The losing team will play in the 2024 WJC Division I Group A tournament.
Norway will play in the 2024 WJC after winning the Division I Group A tournament Dec. 17.
NHL deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman and staff writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
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