๐จ๐ฆ Canada 5-0 Finland ๐ซ๐ฎ
World Junior Championship Semifinal
Ostravar Arรฉna, Ostrava ๐จ๐ฟ
Saturday, 04 January 2020
Canada defeated the team that beat it last year at the U20, and now it will face the team that handed it its worst loss in U20 history, a 6-0 pasting just last week. Will vengeance be theirs, or will Russia continue its roll this year?
The two great international rivals will play in their tenth Gold medal game at the U20 since 1995. Canada holds a slim 5-4 advantage, including the most recent meeting, a 5-4 win in 2015.
Tonight, Canada swarmed the Finns in the first period, scoring four goals and never looking back in advancing to the Gold medal game for the sixth time in the last decade with a 5-0 win. The last time Canada shut out the Finns at the U20 was eight years ago.
The Finns, so clinically perfect in beating the United States two nights ago, looked completely unprepared to start the game tonight, and although they came to life a little, there was no way they could overcome a four-goal deficit.
Joel Hofer stopped 25 shots for the shutout and Alexis Lafreniรจre led the offence with two goals.
Canada got things going just 1:47 into the game after controlling a faceoff in the Finland end. Connor McMichael finished the possession with a great shot to the top corner, over the glove of Justus Annonen. It wasnโt necessarily a weak goal, but it was a shot that would not have been called a sensational save had he made the catch.
Just 77 seconds later Canada went up by two. This came off a turnover at the Finland blue line when defenceman Kim Nousiainen flubbed the puck. Nolan Foote got control and passed to Alexis Lafreniรจre, who had a sensational backhand to the short side.
This forced coach Raimo Helminen to call a timeout, but it had little effect. Fifty seconds later, it was a 3-0 game. Jamie Drysdale came in off the point, faked quickly and then snapped a low shot to the stick side that fooled Annunen.
Later in the period, Canada made it four. Annunen appeared to have a shot covered, but Aidan Dudas poked it free before the whistle and Ty Dellandrea poked it into the open net to finish a dominating 20 minutes.
Canada played defensively in the second, perhaps too much so, but the Finns also were not about to give up and were much more aggressive in Canadaโs end. But try as they might, Suomi could not beat Joel Hofer, who made several fine stops. Perhaps the best came late in the period when he robbed Sampo Ranta from point-blank range.
Lafreniรจre made it 5-0 at 17:53 on a power play he created. While Antoni Honka was in the box for hauling him down, Lafreniรจre wired a short-side wrister that Annunen couldnโt see, dispiriting the Finns even more as they headed to the dressing room after 40 minutes.
BOXSCORE
1st Period
01:48 – ๐จ๐ฆ GOAL – McMichael (Dudas)
03:05 – ๐จ๐ฆ GOAL – Lafreniรจre (Foote, Hayton)
03:55 – ๐จ๐ฆ GOAL – Drysdale (Lavoie, Byfield)
10:26 – ๐ซ๐ฎ PEN – Ranta, unsportsmanlike conduct 10 min. misconduct
14:49 – ๐จ๐ฆ GOAL – Dellandrea (Dudas, McMichael)
18:41 – ๐จ๐ฆ PEN – Dellandrea, tripping
2nd Period
36:49 – ๐ซ๐ฎ PEN – Honka, holding
37:53 – ๐จ๐ฆ PP GOAL – Lafreniรจre (Addison, Hayton)
3rd Period
40:49 – ๐จ๐ฆ PEN – Hayton, high sticking
56:45 – ๐ซ๐ฎ PEN – Heinola, interference
GOALTENDERS
W: ๐จ๐ฆ Hofer (32-32)
L: ๐ซ๐ฎ Annunen (34-39)
SHOTS ON GOAL
๐จ๐ฆ 15+12+12 = 39
๐ซ๐ฎ 16+9+7 = 32
ROSTERS
๐จ๐ฆ Goaltenders: Nico Daws, Joel Hofer. Defence: Calen Addison, Kevin Bahl, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Bowen Byram, Jamie Drysdale, Jared McIsaac, Ty Smith. Forwards: Quinton Byfield, Dylan Cozens, Ty Dellandrea (A), Aidan Dudas, Nolan Foote, Liam Foudy, Barrett Hayton (C), Alexis Lafreniรจre, Raphaรซl Lavoie, Connor McMichael, Dawson Mercer, Akil Thomas, Joe Veleno (A).
๐ซ๐ฎ Goaltenders: Justus Annunen, Jesper Patrikainen. Defence: Santeri Hatakka, Ville Heinola, Anttoni Honka, Mikko Kokkonen, Kim Nousiainen, Peetro Seppรคlรค, Lassi Thomson (C), Toni Utunen (A). Forwards: Eemil Erholtz, Lenni Killinen, Matias Maccelli (A), Joonas Oden, Ville Petman, Patrik Puistola, Sampo Ranta, Aatu Rรคty, Aku Rรคty, Antti Saarela, Kristian Tanus.
๐จ๐ฆ CANADA |
vs. | FINLAND (C) ๐ซ๐ฎ |
new champion (previous 28 Dec 2019) |
Last Title | reign ends (since 02 Jan 2020) |
107 | All-Time Wins |
76 |
15 wins | Head-To-Head (+ 5 ties) |
9 wins |
First IHLC Meeting (CAN vs. FIN) ๐ซ๐ฎย FIN 5-0 CANย ๐จ๐ฆย โ 22 Dec 1978 โ EX โ Savonlinnaย ๐ซ๐ฎ |
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Previous IHLC Meeting (CAN vs. FIN) ๐ซ๐ฎย FIN 8-3 CANย ๐จ๐ฆย โ 31 Jul 2019 โ WJS โ Plymouthย ๐บ๐ธ |
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Last IHLC Game ๐ซ๐ฎย FIN 1-0 USAย ๐บ๐ธย โ 02 Jan 2020 โ WJC โ Tลinecย ๐จ๐ฟ |
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Next IHLC Game ๐จ๐ฆย CAN 4-3 RUSย ๐ท๐บย โ 05 Jan 2020 โ WJC โ Ostravaย ๐จ๐ฟย ๐ |
Article Credit: 2020 World Junior Championship
Photo Credit: 2020 World Junior Championship – IIHF – HHOF – IOC