FRIDAY ROUNDUP: FLYERS AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Thursday's Results
* Team Canada (4-0-1) had little difficulty dispatching Team Sweden (3-2-0) by a 3-0 score in front of a disappointed audience at Stockholm's Globe Arena. A first-period power play blast by Steven Stamkos was supplemented by second period even strength goals by Flyers defenseman
Luke Schenn and Jordan Staal. Flyers forward
Matt Read directly set up the Schenn goal and earned the secondary helper on the Staal goal. Mike Smith earned the shutout win for Canada.
The Schenn goal came off a perfect setup pass by Read. With the Swedish defense overloaded to one side of the ice, Read made a cross-ice feed to Schenn. The wide-open Flyers defenseman had time and space to wind up and fire a slap shot past Enroth.
Neither
Claude Giroux nor
Wayne Simmonds figured in the scoring for the Canadians.
Erik Gustafsson once again led Team Sweden in ice time and was not out on the ice for either of Canada's even-strength goals (he has yet to receive a minus in the tourney).
Gustafsson was out for the Stamkos power play goal, as Canada moved the puck at will against a very passive PK box. Stamkos ripped a shot past Jhonas Enroth before Gustafsson arrived to challenge the shot.
Smith's toughest save of the game was a first-period breakaway stop on Joel Lundqvist. The sequence was set up by Lundqvist accepting a headman pass from Gustafsson and getting past the Canadian defense.
* In one of the biggest upsets in modern World Championship history, lightly regarded Team France (2-2-0) defeated defending gold medalist Russia (3-1-0) by a 2-1 score in regulation. KHL goalie Vasili Koshechkin got the start over Semyon Varlamov and
Ilya Bryzgalov, with Bryzgalov being scratched as the third goaltender. Södertälje SK forward Damien Fleury, who was Matt Read's linemate while playing in Sweden during the NHL lockout, scored the first Canadian goal on a line-rush slapper high to the short side. Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel netted the game-winner on a backhander from in front of the net. The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for Russia in World Championship play.
* Team Czech Republic (2-2-0) needed a shootout to beat pesky Denmark (1-2-1) by a 2-1 final. Flyers forward
Jakub Voracek (2 shots, minus-one) was held off the scoresheet. Danish defenseman
Oliver Lauridsen played over 23 minutes.
FRIDAY'S GAMES (Times in EDT)
* 10:15 A.M.: Voracek and the rest of Team Czech Republic will look to have a more energetic showing against winless Slovenia (0-3-1) than they against Denmark.
* 1:15 P.M.:Coming off the shocking loss to France, Russia takes on Finland (3-1-0) at Helsinki's Hartwall Arena. No word on whether Bryzgalov or Varlamov will get the start in net.
* 2:15 P.M.: Fresh off the convincing win over the Swedes, Canada will need to avoid a letdown against Belarus. The game will be televised on TSN.
********
Kindle users: Please sign up for Flyers Buzz. For more information
click here.
Click below to follow me on Twitter:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»