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WJC: Blowout Wins for USA, Sweden and Canada |
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WJC: Day 2 Filled with Blowout Games
Goals were plentiful and suspense was scarce on the second day of preliminary round play at the 2020-21 World Junior Championships in Edmonton. The most competitive of the three games played on Saturday, relatively speaking, was Team Sweden's 7-1 dismantling of the Czech Republic. Even in that game, the outcome was a foregone conclusion by the start of the third period.
Flyers 2020 second-round pick Emil Andrae dressed as the seventh defensemen for Team Sweden. He barely played in the first two periods, and sat on the bench for the remainder of the first period after a Czech power play goal for which Andrae was at least partially responsible (he took himself out of position over-aggressively going over to challenge the puck carrier).
With the game out of reach in the third period, the 18-year-old Andrae and other Swedish players who hadn't seen much ice time were used more frequently. Andrae did not get an assist on the play but he was part of the puck movemenet sequence that resulted in an Oscar Bjerselius goal that made it a 6-1 scleore. Later, Andrae landed a big hit in the neutral zone. Roughly five minutes of the 6:30 that Andrae played for the game came in the third period.
In the day's earliest game, Team Canada destroyed Germany to the tune of 16-2. The Germans fell victim not only to being overmatched but played with a severely depleted lineup, receiving poor goaltending, and the fatigue factor also made the herculean task of keeping the score respectable into something virtually impossible.
Day 2's final game saw Team USA batter a badly overmatched Team Austria, 11-0. Everett Silvertips goalie Dustin Wolf hardly broke a sweat in recording the shutout, as the puck was in the Austria end of the ice for the vast majority of the game.
Amid the carnage, Flyers 2019 first-round pick and Team USA captain Cam York recorded a power play assist on the seventh USA goal. He nearly scored his second goal of the tournament earlier in the game on a back-door play but he hit the post with his shot attempt.
Flyers 2019 second-round pick Bobby Brink was one of four Team USA position players who did not record a point in the Austria game (the others were Cole Caufield, Landon Slaggert and defenseman Henry Thrun). However, Brink was robbed twice by Austrian goalie Sabastian Wraneschitz, who actually played a pretty good game and took Player of the Game honors for his side despite giving up nine goals. Unfortunately, Wranerschitz got injured on the latter chance for Brink, stretching out with his pad as he moved laterally and either pulling a muscle or cramping up. The Austrian starter exited the game,
Team USA will have a rare two-day break now before playing the Czech Republic. Canada will play Slovakia later today (Sunday) while Sweden plays Austria on Monday.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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