Canada Walks Away with Gold at World Juniors

TORONTO, CANADA – JANUARY 5: Canada’s Anthony Duclair #10 celebrates a first period goal with Shea Theodore #6 and Darnell Nurse #25 during gold medal game action against Russia at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

The 2015 IIHF World Juniors headed into it’s final day with two big games slated. In an early matchup Sweden took on the surprise team of Slovakia for the bronze medal. While the unbeaten Canada team took on the hard hitting Russia team in the gold medal game.

Slovakia 4, Sweden 2

In a game that looked to be a redeeming one for Sweden, it didn’t start off that way. Slovakia started the scoring first on a David Soltes goal. A minute later Mike Payton added the second goal for the Slovaks and the team that was beaten by Canada 5-1 was now up on a once favored Swedish team 2-0.

Yet midway through the first period William Nylander netted his first goal since the preliminary round cutting the Slovakian lead in half. Detroit Red Wings prospect Axel Holmstrom recorded the assist along with Sebastian Aho. With four minutes left in the first an unassisted goal by Jens Looke tied the game up.

The second period saw no scoring. This was due in big part to 13 saves by Slovak goalie Denis Godla. Swedish goalie Linus Soderstrom who has been spectacular throughout tournament play was 6 for 6 on saves in the period. Two teams who looked fully different at the start of World Juniors, looked almost equal in this game through two periods.

In the third Slovakia started the period on a power play after Julius Bergman was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for putting his stick into the face of Slovakia’s Patrik Koys. This gave the Slovaks a big opportunity and they capitalized on it. A Pavol Skalicky goal gave the Slovaks a 3-2 lead early in the third period.

The Slovaks continued to keep the Swedes scoreless, again Godla made big saves to keep the one goal lead safe. With a minute left, an empty Swedish net and a bad turn over by the Sweden team, Patrik Koys registered a goal to make the game complete as the Slovaks win 4-2.

This is Slovakia’s first medal since their first in 1999 when they won bronze in Winnipeg. Watching the Slovakian team win the bronze medal is the reason why you have to love sports. This team was an underdog team that no one probably looked twice at. However they came back after losing to Canada, to beat Finland 2-1 and get into the tournament round. Watching them celebrate is also very fun.

Canada 5, Russia 4

Frankly this game was played and won in the second period. Canada got out to a 2 goal lead after Anthony Duclair and Nick Paul both netted goals. Russia got one back on a power play goal by Dmitri Yudin. Heading into the second, Russia seemed to have the momentum.

The second period started and it was a wild one to say the least. Canada fired up and got goals from Connor McDavid, Max Domi and Samson Reinhart to make it 5-1 Canada. Those three goals were all scored within three minutes of one another.

However, something clicked for the Russians and they came back to make things interesting. On the power play Ivan Barbashyov scored for Russia and a little less than ten seconds later the Russians inched closer on Sergei Tolchinski goal making it 5-3.

Again on the power play Russia silenced not only the stadium at the ACC but the entire country of Canada as Nikolai Goldobin scored to make it 5-4 with a whole period left to play of hockey. Those three goals scored by Russia, also all scored within three minutes. The numbers for the second period were something else.

Yet the Reinhart goal in the second period was all the Canadians needed as they held the Russians scoreless in the third. Canada finished the tournament undefeated with a record of 7-0. They will take home the gold while Russia takes home the silver.