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With only two games on Day 3 at the world juniors, the matchups produced some entertaining results with big implications on the standings.
The draw on the schedule was an excellent game between the Americans and Slovaks before the Canadians sought redemption against Germany after their opening game defeat to Czechia.
Slovakia came into the tournament as a feisty underdog, while many picked the Americans as medallists. However, the American loss threw the standings into a blender. Canada getting the much-needed win will make Group A a bit of a mess as well.
It really is the most wonderful time of year.
The Americans Disappoint as Slovakia Pulls Off the Upset
Right from the hop, there was a buzz from the Slovak group that the Americans struggled to match. They were pushing the pace and playing with speed. Slovakia scored just two minutes into the game on a great play by Libor Nemec, following up his own shot and banging in the rebound.
Tyler Boucher scored from in tight on the power play just a few minutes later, falling onto the Slovak netminder as he poked the puck around him. Gavin Brindley tipped in a shot from Lane Hutson to give the Americans a lead. Even though the Americans got more chances and had a lead at the end of 20 minutes, the Slovaks didn’t panic.
That showed in the second period, where they continued to push the pace. Slovakia put three unanswered goals on the board in the frame. The 2023 draft-eligible Dalibor Dvorsky started it off with a power-play snipe from high in the zone. Less than two minutes later, Robert Baco took advantage of the Americans aggressively overplaying, getting behind the defenders and scoring on the rush. About a minute later, the Slovaks scored again as Filip Mesar’s pass to the net front was deflected by a U.S. defender past the American goalie.
In three minutes and 19 seconds, the Americans went from being up 2-1 to being down 4-2. It was a quick turn that wasn’t what the Americans expected after controlling the play for chunks of the first 30 minutes. Clearly elated, Slovakia had control of the game from that point forward. The Americans let their frustrations show throughout the game, including toward the end of the second period when Kenny Connors was assessed a five-minute major for boarding.
The third period featured a push by the Americans, but a goal halfway through the period by Slovakia took much of the wind out of their sails. A power-play goal with the goalie pulled with under five minutes to play by the Americans was answered by the Slovak squad as they scored an empty netter a few minutes later, sealing the win for Slovakia.
Canada Thumps Germany to Get Back on Track
After a loss to Czechia on opening night, the Canadians were ready to roll against Germany.
The Canadians opened the scoring with a power-play goal by Dylan Guenther for what would be his first of three goals on the night. The Germans answered fairly quickly, but Shane Wright was ready to answer just a few moments later. Connor Bedard added another before the frame was over on a beautiful breakaway goal sprung by Logan Stankoven.
As soon as the second period started, the rout was on. Canada started the second period up 3-1 and put up six in the middle frame. Bedard started it with a quick goal just over a minute into the period before completing the hat trick shortly afterward. Guenther added his second and third lamplighters in the period for a hat trick of his own. Brandt Clarke added a tally, and Stankoven scored with under five seconds in the period. The game was effectively over at this point.
The Germans did score late in the third period on a power play after Canada extended the lead to 10, but an 11-2 loss was the result for the Germans as Canada seemed to take out some of their offensive frustrations on them.
Connor Bedard had three goals and four assists, giving him seven points in a game to tie the Canadian record at the world juniors. Four Canadians had at least three points. The game was an onslaught, and it never felt close.
Three Stars
1st Star: Connor Bedard, RW, Canada
What is there to say about the Canadian phenom that hasn’t been said? Bedard had a hat trick, four assists and tied the single-game scoring record for the Canadians. He barely played in the final eight minutes. Otherwise, he might’ve broken the record. Bedard performed brilliantly with his shot, his speed and a little luck. The attention he drew allowed him to find open teammates, and his ability to pressure his opponents allowed him to create chance after chance. Bedard showed why he is the surefire No. 1 prospect for the 2023 NHL draft.
2nd Star: Adam Gajan, G, Slovakia
The Americans came into this game expecting a bit of pushback from the feisty Slovaks, but they would never have imagined leaving the ice with a loss. Adam Cajan was ready to change that. His performance in net was fantastic. He battled and worked his tail off to keep Slovakia in it when they were down early. He found a way to make a big save after big save as the Slovaks took the lead. Gajan would have earned first-star status had Bedard not done something special.
3rd Star: Logan Stankoven, C, Canada
Logan Stankoven constantly gets underrated and undersold, largely because of his size. But the Dallas Stars prospect is a constant catalyst for offense. Stankoven is slick with the puck and is a wicked shooter. He showed his ability to set up his teammates in prime positions with many great passes throughout the night. His one goal and two assists on the night may not get the love that Guenther’s hat trick or Bedard’s big performance will get, but Stankoven will continue to be one of Canada’s best players moving forward.
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