Follow the match between Canada and Czechia live on RDS and RDS.ca.
Canada 1 – Czechia 1 (1st period)
Canada beat the Czech Republic in a preparatory match in December and the Czechs clearly had this setback on their hearts. After just 43 seconds of play, Petr Sikora redirected a beautiful pass from Vojtech Hradec behind Carter George to open the scoring.
This goal was the first allowed by Canada in a tie in the tournament.
Since the loss against the United States in the group stage, the members of Canada have insisted that they must be more disciplined and they have not followed the slogan. Calum Ricthie first received a penalty four seconds after the start of a power play, then Cole Beaudoin received a five-minute penalty for sticking his knee out on Sikora midway through the period.
Looking for a spark plug, Canada was able to count on Tanner Howe from the first moments of the penalty kill. Brayden Yager initially missed a great chance on a breakaway, but he recovered the puck and quickly put it in front of the net to Howe, who was supporting him offensively. Howe tied the game with his first goal of the tournament.
Czechia, however, found a way to make Canada pay for their indiscipline, hopefully. A shot from Jakub Stancl missed the target, but the puck returned to the mouth of the net after an ugly bounce. Sam Dickinson tried to push the puck behind the net, but instead pushed it into the back of the net and the Czech Republic regained the lead down the stretch.
Pre-match notes
Canada will face Czechia today in the quarter-finals of the World Junior Hockey Championship.
This is the second year in a row that these two nations have faced each other in the quarterfinals. Last year, the Czechs had the upper hand 3-2 to everyone’s surprise.
If they want to change the scenario, the members of the Canadian selection will have to demonstrate more discipline than their last outing.
At the end of the preliminary round, Junior Team Canada received 22 penalty minutes, opening the door to three goals for the Americans, who ultimately won 4-1.
Canada is the only team in the tournament not to have allowed a goal at 5-on-5. Five goals were allowed shorthanded, and one goal was scored into an empty net.
This victory for the United States allowed them to conclude the group stage at the top of the Group A standings.
Forward Carson Rehkopf will likely be left out and replaced by Porter Martone, TSN reporter Mark Masters reports.
Canada head coach Dave Cameron confirmed Wednesday that Martone, Rehkopf’s teammate with the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL, would return to the lineup after missing the last two games.
Rehkopf didn’t have a point in two games at this year’s World Juniors, but he scored 21 goals and 33 assists in 26 games in the OHL this season.
Defeated by Sweden in its last match of the preliminary phase, the Czechia concluded it in second place in group B.
Canada and Czechia met in a preseason match, with the Canadians winning 3-2 on December 23. Their duel tonight will be the last of four quarterfinal matches scheduled for Thursday.
