photo: Tim Austen/IIHF
Canada scored four times in the third period en route to a 7-5 win over Czechia to end the first day of the World Junior Championship. The win avenges last year's 4-2 Czech win in the quarter-finals and snaps Czechia's mini, two-game winning streak againast Canada in U20 play.
Both teams play again tomorrow. Canada is back on ice in the afternoon against Latvia, followed by a Denmark-Czechia tilt in the evening.
Michael Hage and Ethan MacKenzie both had a goal and two assists for Canada, and 13 skaters had at least one point. The Canadians had leads of 1-0, 2-1, 4-3, and 5-4 while the Czechs led at one point 3-2. The last time these teams combined for as many goals was on January 1, 1983, a 7-7 tie.
"I think we can take a lot of positives out of the game," said winning goalie Carter George. "Scoring seven goals is always a positive, and then I think we made a lot of nice plays and didn't let the game get out of hand. Any time they scored, we had a good shift right after. And we were disciplined. We took only two penalties, three if you count the one at the end."
"What a game!" said Tomas Poletin, who scored twice for the Czechs. "Canada, first game of the tournament. It was a good game, but we just gave up too many goals. We have to keep our heads up and keep going. It was a tight game until the end."
After a cautious beginning, teams exchanged thrilling breakaway chances. Vaclav Nestrasil came out of the penalty box and claimed a loose puck at centre, but he fired a shot over the goal on the breakaway.
Moments later, Sam O’Reilly took a pass in the clear and fired wide with his chance. Nevertheless, Canada opened the scoring at 13:53 thanks to a crazy, spinning back pass from Gavin McKenna to Brady Martin in the slot. Martin's shot beat Michal Orsulak.
Three minutes later, however, the Czechs tied it on a nice tip in front by Poletin, who redirected Adam Benak’s long shot. And just 37 seconds later again, Canada re-took the lead. This time a long shot by Hage went all the way through heavy traffic in front, giving Canada a 2-1 lead after one period.
The Czechs took control in the second, however. They tied the game in the early going on a delayed penalty, when Vojtech Cihar tipped an Adam Benak shot at 4:02. Each shift thereafter was a little more impressive, and in no time the Czechs controlled play and all but shut down the Canadian offence.
Inevitably, they took the lead at 12:13 off a gorgeous three-way passing play deep in the Canada end. Vaclav Nestrasil from behind the net found Cihar in the slot, and he moved the puck to Petr Sikora, who made no mistake.
To their credit, though, Canada kept plugging away, and they were rewarded late in the period when Zayne Parekh’s shot, like Hage’s, found its way through traffic high over Orsulak’s glove.
The third started with a bang, Canada taking the lead on a power play, Czechia tying it up a minute and a half later, and Canada going ahead yet again. Parekh got his second straight goal on another high shot with a man in front dtstracting Orsulak, but then Poletin scored an odd goal. George made a save on his glove side, but the puck rebounded off the end boards and out the other side where Poletin snapped it in the empty net.
Just 71 seconds later, the Canadians went ahead again, 5-4, when Tij Iginla beat Poletin high to the glove side. Ethan MacKenzie then converted another high shot at 9:12 to make it 6-4, giving Canada a bit of breathing room with their first two-goal lead of the night.
But the Czechs weren't done yet. Tomas Galvas got them to within a goal at 15:25 off the rush to make it a 6-5 game. Canada, however, added an empty netter to seal the wild and thrilling win.
"I think we did a really good job after their fifth goal to shut things down," George added. "We knew we couldn't let them tie it this late in the game. We're still learning to play with each other, but I think as the tournament goes on we're just going to play better and better."
"I feel like we have a really good attitude as a team, playing together, staying together," Poletin noted. "I love the energy on our bench and we have to keep playing hard."
Both teams play again tomorrow. Canada is back on ice in the afternoon against Latvia, followed by a Denmark-Czechia tilt in the evening.
Michael Hage and Ethan MacKenzie both had a goal and two assists for Canada, and 13 skaters had at least one point. The Canadians had leads of 1-0, 2-1, 4-3, and 5-4 while the Czechs led at one point 3-2. The last time these teams combined for as many goals was on January 1, 1983, a 7-7 tie.
"I think we can take a lot of positives out of the game," said winning goalie Carter George. "Scoring seven goals is always a positive, and then I think we made a lot of nice plays and didn't let the game get out of hand. Any time they scored, we had a good shift right after. And we were disciplined. We took only two penalties, three if you count the one at the end."
"What a game!" said Tomas Poletin, who scored twice for the Czechs. "Canada, first game of the tournament. It was a good game, but we just gave up too many goals. We have to keep our heads up and keep going. It was a tight game until the end."
After a cautious beginning, teams exchanged thrilling breakaway chances. Vaclav Nestrasil came out of the penalty box and claimed a loose puck at centre, but he fired a shot over the goal on the breakaway.
Moments later, Sam O’Reilly took a pass in the clear and fired wide with his chance. Nevertheless, Canada opened the scoring at 13:53 thanks to a crazy, spinning back pass from Gavin McKenna to Brady Martin in the slot. Martin's shot beat Michal Orsulak.
Three minutes later, however, the Czechs tied it on a nice tip in front by Poletin, who redirected Adam Benak’s long shot. And just 37 seconds later again, Canada re-took the lead. This time a long shot by Hage went all the way through heavy traffic in front, giving Canada a 2-1 lead after one period.
The Czechs took control in the second, however. They tied the game in the early going on a delayed penalty, when Vojtech Cihar tipped an Adam Benak shot at 4:02. Each shift thereafter was a little more impressive, and in no time the Czechs controlled play and all but shut down the Canadian offence.
Inevitably, they took the lead at 12:13 off a gorgeous three-way passing play deep in the Canada end. Vaclav Nestrasil from behind the net found Cihar in the slot, and he moved the puck to Petr Sikora, who made no mistake.
To their credit, though, Canada kept plugging away, and they were rewarded late in the period when Zayne Parekh’s shot, like Hage’s, found its way through traffic high over Orsulak’s glove.
The third started with a bang, Canada taking the lead on a power play, Czechia tying it up a minute and a half later, and Canada going ahead yet again. Parekh got his second straight goal on another high shot with a man in front dtstracting Orsulak, but then Poletin scored an odd goal. George made a save on his glove side, but the puck rebounded off the end boards and out the other side where Poletin snapped it in the empty net.
Just 71 seconds later, the Canadians went ahead again, 5-4, when Tij Iginla beat Poletin high to the glove side. Ethan MacKenzie then converted another high shot at 9:12 to make it 6-4, giving Canada a bit of breathing room with their first two-goal lead of the night.
But the Czechs weren't done yet. Tomas Galvas got them to within a goal at 15:25 off the rush to make it a 6-5 game. Canada, however, added an empty netter to seal the wild and thrilling win.
"I think we did a really good job after their fifth goal to shut things down," George added. "We knew we couldn't let them tie it this late in the game. We're still learning to play with each other, but I think as the tournament goes on we're just going to play better and better."
"I feel like we have a really good attitude as a team, playing together, staying together," Poletin noted. "I love the energy on our bench and we have to keep playing hard."
Czechia vs Canada - 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship
OF