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WJC Gold medal game: Canada wins gold in overtime |
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First period notes:
Team Canada grabbed a quick 1-0 lead over Sweden in the gold medal game of the World Junior Championships.
On the line rush, Kyle Turris got around Victor Hedman and centered the puck to Brad Marchand. Jhonas Enroth made the initial stop but Marchand knocked the puck in from the air at 1:27.
Steve Mason made a point blank stop on Oscar Eklund as the defenseman pinched in and collected a long rebound of a Mario Kempe wraparound try.
After receiving only about 12 total shifts (with a goal and an assist) through the first five games of the tournament, 16-year-old Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi is getting regular shifts and powerplay time so far. Luke Schenn made a nice play to stickhandle around him and clear the zone on the kill.
Josh Godfrey may have a rocket of a shot, but he still has some work to do in his own end of the ice. Patrik Berglund just made him look bad.
Kempe used his speed to go past a Canadian defenseman but overskated the puck and put himself offside.
Excellent forechecking work by Boychuk and Simmonds kept the Swedes pinned in deep for about 30 seconds from roughly the 13:00 to 13:30 mark.
Luke Schenn sprung Steven Stamkos on a breakaway. Johan Motin takes a holding penalty as Enroth stops Stamkos on the backhand. On the ensuing powerplay, at the 17:01 mark, Turris kept the puck alive near the crease as Enroth attempted to cover it. Marchand claimed it, went behind the net and fed a wide open Claude Giroux near the left post. Giroux tapped it in to make it a 2-0 lead for Canada.
Victor Hedman is having a rough first period. He got taken off the puck by Tavares, and then collared the Oshawa Generals star for a roughing penalty.
Second period notes:
No scoring-- Canada missed several opportunities to put the game away, but they have been in control of the game. The one thing Canada can't afford to do is lay back-- a two-goal lead is dangerous.
Shots are 17-11 in favor of Canada after the first 40 minutes.
Stefan Legein will not return after suffering a shoulder injury on a check by Patrik Berglund in the first period.
Third period notes:
Turris collects an Eric Moe turnover and hits the crossbar about one minute into the third period.
Mikael Backlund demonstrates his stickhandling ability and strength to draw a hooking penalty on Shawn Matthias. Immediately off the next faceoff, Sweden wins the draw, works the puck behind the net to Johan Alcén. Alcén fed a pinching Jonathan Karlsson in the slot. Karlsson buried the puck upstairs over Mason to make it a 2-1 deficit.
Sweden generated pressure on the next two shifts after the Karlsson goal.
Note to TSN announcers: the name Joakim is NOT pronounced "Yo-kum".
It's more like "Yo-ah-keem".
Sweden nearly ties the game at 8:45. Joakim Andersson springs Robin Figren after Thomas Hickey drifted to the wrong side. Figren's shot from the right circle hits Mason in the shoulder.
Marchand nabbed for charging at 13:07. He left his feet to check Figren. Giroux stripped the much bigger Victor Hedman of the puck and killed off several seconds behind the net. Later on the advantage, Backlund skated around a pair of Canadian defenders at will and fed a pinching Hedman, who missed the net from point blank range.
Amazing rush by Patrik Berglund, who sped around Logan Pyett and got off a tricky backhand shot from the slot at 17:07. Mason made the save.
Nice glove save by Mason on a shot from the high slot by Backlund. Sweden calls timeout.
Tie game! After a Canadian icing (which wouldn't have been icing in a touch-up format), Sweden wins the draw. With 38 seconds left in regulation, Tomas Larsson follows up his own rebound and jams the puck into the net.
Sweden outshot Canada 14-3 in the third period, and ended up outshooting the Canadians 25-20 for regulation.
Overtime notes:
Mason prevents a rebound on a dangerous Andersson shot.
Both teams got away with penalties in the 4-on-4.
Some nice moves by Backlund and Magnus Svensson-Pääjärvi but Canada holds the fort.
Victor Hedman gets away with a turnover in the neutral zone at about 2:35. He's had a brutal game after playing well all tournament long.
It's over-- Canada wins the gold medal! Hedman attempted to send the puck around the boards to Andersson but Andersson couldn't get the handle.Halischuk crashes the net and scores at 3:36.
***
Here are the all-tournament selections:
Media-chosen All-star team
Goaltender: Steve Mason (CAN)
Defense: Victor Hedman (SWE)
Defense: Drew Doughty (CAN)
Forward: Patrik Berglund (SWE)
Forward: Viktor Tikhonov (RUS)
Forward: James vanRiemsdyk (USA)
IIHF Directorate Selections
Goaltender: Mason
Defense: Doughty
Forward: Tikhonov
Tournament MVP: Mason
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