In the end, Grigo, nor any of his teammates could create magical memories in overtime and the shootout.
Grigorenko, Yakupov, and Kucherov missed their shootout opportunities.
Sweden will play USA for the gold medal on Saturday.
Russia will play Canada for bronze medal on Saturday.
More to come...
**
How’d that taste, all of you Mikhail Grigorenko haters?
The guy that you unfairly branded as a soft European who doesn’t like the spotlight has elevated his game, and his mother Russia, right before your very eyes. You called him soft. You said he wasn't capable of playing with composure while under pressure. You said he wasn't capable of playing better than the #1 overall pick (Edmonton) Nail Yakupov.
Something happened in Ufa, Russia.
Grigorenko transformed before our very eyes.
Gone are the sneers and jeers about his toughness and his will to win. This kid has become a stone cold killer, on the world stage. He's used his big body, vision, skating, hands, and mind
to dominate oppoenents in all three zones.
On Wednesday, Grigo scored the go ahead goal against the Swiss, only to have have his opponent tie the score then take the lead. With 1:39 remaining in the quarter finals match, Grigo drew the penalty, then, set-up Nikita Kucherov for the game tying goal to force OT. Grigo would go on to score in the shootout. Russia lived to play another day. On Thursday, Grigorenko picked his team up by scoring the game tying goal midway through the third period, his second goal of the World Junior tournament.
Talk about clutch. Grigo scores goals in successive days to help keep his team's gold medal dreams alive.
Frankly, I'm shocked to learn that Russia head coach, Mikhail Varnakov, has opted to start
Andrei Vasilevski over Sabres prospect Andrey Makarov in goal in today's semifinal game versus Sweden.
Vasilevski won the Swiss game in a shootout, but it wasn't exactly a virtuoso performance.
Varnakov has been rotating his goalers everyother game in this WJC tourney. The facts told me that Varnakov would start Makarov over Vasilevski in that Makarov has made 45 and 41 saves, respectively, in his last 2 starts in this tournament. @Makki1993 was brilliant is Russia's 2-1 win over Canada. He was equally as exceptional in the loss to USA. Whats more, it was Makarov who started the gold medal game vs. Sweden in Calgary last January. The game was decided by one goal, on Mika Zibanejad's OT GWG. Sweden won the gold medal by a score of 1-0, however, Makarov was brilliant in Russia's net.
According to the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, it was decided after a morning session on the ice led by Vladimir Myshkin and coach Eugene Koreshkova, in which Vasilevski, Igor Ustinskiy and forwards Eugene Moser, Maxim Shalunov and Valery Nichushkin participated Vasilevski will play in goal in the semifinal match against Sweden.
Makarov will be ready to backup Vasilevski if and when called upon to do so,
Postgame comments from Jake McCabe, after USA defeated Canada, 5-1, to advance to the WJC gold medal game:
"We played just how we needed to play," McCabe noted. "We kept the puck in their end. We got ahead and stayed out of the box. We used our speed to our advantage."
"They (Team Canada) really didn't know what hit them in the first," McCace added. "You get tell. They were throwing the puck away. We kept them on their heels."
McCabe was voted team USA MVP.
Honorable mention went to goalie John Gibson, who made 33 saves on 34 shots.
Johnny Gaudreau scored twice and added an assist for USA.
Captain America Defeats Canada!
Thanks Kris Baker at sabresprospects.com for the video montage.
**
Leaders lead. Followers follow.
Sabres D prospects and USA team captain, Jake McCabe, is on a three game scoring tear.
In Tuesday's quarter final romp over the Czechs, McCabe assisted on a goal in the 7-0 butt kicking.
On New Year's Eve vs. the Slovaks, McCabe scored this beauty.
Soft hands, great feet, and excellent vision. McCabe is coming of age at the 2013 WJCs.
Today, McCabe opened the scoring in the semis with a nifty play that saw him join the rush, and show great patience before he unleashed a clapper through the screen in front of Malcolm subban. Looked like the population of Niagara- On-The Lake was in Subban's face on the McCabe goal. The replay showed tha tthere were eight men in Subban's ffice when McCabe scored. Thats's unacceptable defensive zone coverage by the Canada D and forwards. Subban can't save what he can't see.
Later in the period, USA gained control of a puck and rushed down on Subban. McCabe sent a charge into another open shot, and he beat Subban clean for his second goal of the game.
I can live with McCabe's swashbuckling style. The kid loves to join the rush. He knows where the net is. Canada, the better rested team, are very passive on their breakout. USA denying Canada entry into the middle of the ice. This has to change. Housley is rolling all four lines with great success right now. Spott has to break their momentum.
McCabe has only two goals this season at the University of Wisconsin. He lready has two goals already today.
USA playing their 6th game in 8 days. They have the decided edge in jump and in energy in the first period.
Housley's blue line has now accounted for 10 goals in 6 games in the WJCs. Seth Jones, Jake McCabe, and Jacob Trouba lead the tourney in D scoring.
It was all USA in period one. Canada will have to puch back early and often in the second period.
There were no penalties by either team in the first period.
***
2nd Period:
3-0 USA
Huberdeau fires high and wide on a 3 on 2, the, Gaiudrea scores off the miss 3-0 USA. McCabe head-manned puck to Gaudreau, who toe-dragged Ryan Murphy in the Canada zone. Hypnotized the Canada Dman. Gaudreau beats Subban. The official scorer gave McCabe an assist on USA's third goal.
Subban has been beaten 3x already tonight on his glove.
4-0 USA
Malcolm Subban is pulled after allowing Vesey ice-level dagger to beat him
Jordan Binnington came in to spell Subban. Binnington hasn't played in a game in two weeks since the Canada pre-tourney game vs. Finland.
**
Binnington maskes a monster save on McCabe as the USA D man jumoed down the chute with a puck on his stick. Binnington calmy made the save to keep his team's chances alive. Great effort by McCabe to join the rush. Great effort by Binnington as well.
Stat of the day: Team USA has outscored opponents 14-0 in the second periods of this tournament, including 2-0 today.
***
3rd Period:
Sabres fans will be entertained by great D like McNabb, Brennan, Pysyk, McCabe in the near future. Great drafting by Regier and his scouts.
4-1 USA
Killing a penalty, Ty Rattie bangs cross bar. Whistle? Rebound goes in open net. Goal?
After a review, the referee called it a good goal.
Merry Christams, Canada. That goal is a gift. USA's Phil Housley was seen screaming at the officials that the whistle had clearly sounded before the puck had gone into the USA net. Nyet!
Plenty of meat left on the bone for Canada to come back in this game
***
5-1 USA
Johnny Gaudreau beats Binnington for his seventh goal in the past three WJC games.
Join the Discussion:
»