Red Wings prospects faced off in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon as Canada’s Dominic Sebrango (Sebastian Cossa served as Canada’s back-up goaltender today) played against the Czechs–who did not start Jan Bednar, but instead, Tomas Suchanek.
The game was the third “round robin” affair for both teams, but it took Canada’s talent, including a “Michigan” goal from Kent Johnson, for Canada to win, by what was ultimately a 5-1 score:
๐๐๐ KENT JOHNSON with the goal of the tournament! @hockeycanada up 2-1 against @narodnitym #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/qY5WtdawAaโ IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 13, 2022
Sebrango played a workmanlike 19:46, finishing even with 2 shots, playing his solid, spare and simple defensive brand of hockey, oftentimes blocking shots with his body or hands (to the point that he ended the game on the bench with an ice bag on his left hand). During a game in which the Canadians didn’t arrive without a small delay, Sebrango was dialed in from the opening faceoff, and his game was steady throughout.
In terms of the game’s narrative…
In the 1st period, the news was that Dylan Garand faced Tomas Suchanek in goal, yielding a no-go for a Cossa-Bednar match-up.
Donovan Sebrango had a very good first shift, playing spare hockey, charging down to stifle a Czech dump-in, retreating behind his own net to facilitate a line change, and then chipping the puck up ice in an outlet pass to ensure that he could head to the bench himself.
The game really took a physical tone, with a lot of pushing and shoving beyond the whistle.
Two minutes in, Sebrango’s second shift yielded one shot that didn’t get through to the net and a second, unscreened shot that Suchanek gloved.
At the other end of the ice, Sebrango got bumped on the Czech forecheck, but he re-set easily and was back to defend a Czech rush that fizzled.
Despite the elite speed possessed by both teams’ forward lines, a Canadian set of blocks that took Jack Thompson off the ice–and to the locker room–yielded more of a sense that the game was going to be a rough-and-tumble affair, where the game’s first goal would be essential.
Brendan Othmann was cross-checked in front of the Canadian penalty box at 4:23, too, yielding a 5-minute major for Jaroslav Chmelar.
Canada earned the opportunity to really, really take control of the game on the major penalty.
On the power play, the Czechs actually got a 2-on-1 shorthanded breakaway, and Jakub Kos slid the puck over to Martin Rysavy, who scored–via replay–at 14:15, giving the Czechs a 1-0 lead.
Martin Ryลกavรฝ (CBJ) opens the scoring for Czechia. Jakub Kos (FLA) with the assist. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/AwdgUmAUcmโ Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) August 13, 2022
A big matchup in Group A and a big goal from @narodnitym! Czechia up 1-0 vs. Canada with a short-hander from Martin Rysavy. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/pDOoyh6zD3โ IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 13, 2022
Czechia scores the first goal of the game, Canada trails for the first time in the tournament. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/S0YKaPO3Ifโ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 13, 2022
The Canadians returned to the power play with a different power play unit, and the Canadians took more shots on Suchanek, but, with little traffic, the big Czech goalie looked comfortable and confident.
Canada got a TV timeout @ 6:03, afforded to them by IIHF rules, and the Canadians tried to re-set with 3:22 left in the major penalty.
Instead, the Canadians continued to make cute plays and tried to be far too fine, and they struggled to generate any sort of shot with any sort of traffic or rebound opportunity in front of Suchanek.
Canada had a six-shot power play, and led in shots 10-3 @ 9:26, but the Czechs were up 1-0, and the Canadians were boobling and bobbling the puck in the offensive zone, trying to make the beautiful passing play.
When Sebrango finally took to the ice again, he had to make a diving block and jab the puck away from a Czech forward as the Canadians were also very loose in their defensive zone, with the forwards cheating out of their end.
Finally, the Bedard-McTavish line had a fantastic shift in which the Canadians generated shot after shot after shot, but Tomas Suchanek made AMAZING stops to steer the Czechs through difficult waters.
TOMAS. SUCHANEK. ๐คฏ#MondialJunior | @narodnitym pic.twitter.com/3UI76Juou3โ #MondialJunior (@MondialJunior) August 13, 2022
The Canadians had all the speed, strength, single shots and elegant playmaking skills necessary to generate scoring chances, but the Czechs were bringing the grit, and the upset train was starting to roll as the Czechs chugged through the 1st period up 1-0.
Sebrango at least looked energetic and ready to both play his swashbuckling offensive style…
And on their 20th shot, with a TON of traffic in front of Suchanek, Jack Thompson ripped a puck that was tipped off Mason McTavish to tie the game at 1-1 @ 16:44.
Jack Thompson ties it up for Canada! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/ozEYrejIxzโ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 13, 2022
Mason McTavish is having one of those tournaments where everything seems to be going in.
Also, he’s really good. pic.twitter.com/RSL7dkbXb7โ /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) August 13, 2022
That being said, Canada surrendered a scoring chance immediately after the goal, and the Canadians looked more talented than the Czechs, but in desperate need of a 2-1 goal.
Garand had to make a huge stop on ANOTHER two-on-one opportunity…
However, Kent Johnson did indeed wrap the puck around the goal and score a “Michigan” to make it 2-1 Canada at 19:00.
KENT JOHNSON OH MY LAWD pic.twitter.com/yPHkYdQhB2โ /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) August 13, 2022
Kent Johnson puts Canada up late in the first with the Michigan! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/CaS79vMuc8โ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 13, 2022
His teammate’s reaction pic.twitter.com/EaG3yWBwFfโ CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) August 13, 2022
A beauty from @19kjohnson! ๐คฉpic.twitter.com/OrTDaIFSzzโ Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) August 13, 2022
On their 21st shot of the period, Canada took the lead. They needed all that glorious skill they possessed to earn their lead.
The Canadians ended up out-shooting the Czechs 23-9 in the 1st period, but it was their incredible level of talent, not their grit or work ethic, that afforded them the 2-1 lead. Suchanek nearly stole the period away.
The 2nd period began with the Czechs attempting very seriously to buzz the Canadians’ net, and Czechia playing a physical, hard-edged game, yielding some difficult stops for Garand, but the Canadians held fast…
When Kent Johnson’s line took to the ice nearly 3 minutes in, he dangled and dazzled, but Suchanek denied him.
Sebrango had a good shift as the Canadians started to pay attention to detail work, winning one-on-one battles for the puck, out-battling their opponents and chipping and chasing when necessary…
After a lovely break-in by Ridly Grieg, the Czechs took a dumb penalty at 4:43, with Gabriel Szturc taking a roughing minor, and Canada’s power play went to work, with Grieg of all people tipping in a Ronan Seely pass to make it 3-1 at 4:48.
Only 5๏ธโฃ seconds into the power play! ๐#WorldJuniors | @RidlyGreig pic.twitter.com/AZpdriSinkโ Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) August 13, 2022
Ridly Greig with the redirection makes it 3-1 Canada! #WorldJuniors
๐: https://t.co/tYRCGmmnSOpic.twitter.com/9GgmSolX9Aโ Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 13, 2022
Then Joshua Roy tapped Suchanek at 5:28, sat for goaltender interference, and the Canadians battled their way through a tough PK.
The Canadians survived, though, and they got back to work cycling in the offensive zone…
They did a good job of avoiding damage when Sebrango couldn’t keep the puck in at the offensive zone blueline and Canada surrendered a marginal scoring chance…
And, as a result, and they continued to lead on the scoreboard.
Really, as the 10-minute mark passed, the Canadians started to toy with the Czechs’ defense, and Suchanek kept it from getting silly.
So, when Mason McTavish took an end-to-end pass from Berard (and Thompson) and deked and dangled his way through Suchanek to make it 4-1 at 11:05, it just wasn’t surprising.
Mason McTavish finds the back for the net for the second time in the game! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/S3MZqIl6r7โ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 13, 2022
5๏ธโฃ๐ณ by Captain ๐จ๐ฆ!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/lY81PS7pwAโ Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) August 13, 2022
The game’s tone and pace had taken a DRAMATIC turn off the 2-1 Johnson goal, showboating or not showboating, and the Canadians were just pulling away as the 2nd period began to wind down.
When Sebrango did get a couple of rare shifts, with the Canadians really stacking their top couple of lines, Donovan did what he has to do–play error-free hockey, spare and simple and effective.
Dylan Garand DID have to stop a set of 3 stops off a terrible defensive turnover, but Garand held the goal line and prevented it from going to 4-2, affording Canada a TV timeout with 5:28 remaining in the 2nd.
So the Czechs weren’t giving up by any stretch of the imagination.
They did keep up the physical play on Canada, yielding a lot of wear and tear on the Canadians’ best players, but some 17 minutes into the 2nd period, there wasn’t much question as to what the final result would be (barring somebody pushing the “Miraculous Comeback” button).
Mike Johnson shows us that Sebrango takes a stick in the face, but he gets up and goes back to the bench.
Johnson praises his maturity and confidence, calling Sebrango a “pivotal piece.”โ George Malik (@georgemalik) August 13, 2022
Sebrango came out for the next shift and didn’t give a shit.
He took another shift before the period ended–the final one–and he blocked Sapovaliv from generating a scoring chance.
The 2nd period ended with Canada leading 4-1 on the scoreboard and 41-15 in shots.
In the 3rd period, which began at 8 PM EDT, began with a Canadian faceoff win, a turnover to the Czechs, and some work from Sebrango and his defensive partner to help Dylan Garand make a couple of stops, with Sebrango blocking one shot with his hand.
Slowly but surely, the Canadians regained control over the pace of play and the game itself, but the Czechs were hacking and whacking Canadians as they headed back to their bench, and after Othmann hit Jiricek, things got a little nastier.
Again, Sebrango looked good, playing spare, smart and simple hockey, but that was no surprise.
The good news for the Canadians was that, 6:02 into the period, the ornery Czechs started getting tired, and their physically punishing style began to wane a bit.
Evenetually, Tyson Foerster ripped a heavy shot through Suchanek off a beautiful assist from Kent Johnson (as well as Logan Stankoven), and with 12:21 left in the game, it was 5-1. The Czechs could be as angry as they wanted–they had to know it was over.
Tyson Foerster puts Canada up 5-1! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/D4RrPHXtCuโ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 14, 2022
Some 9:40 into the 3rd, the Canadians reached 50 shots on Suchanek, and he’d stopped 45 of them.
Ridly Grieg took a dumb penalty at 10:39, high-sticking a Czech player, and the Czechs headed to the power play for two minutes, but the Canadians were strong on the PK, and it didn’t take too much effort for the Canadians to hold the still-hard-charging Czechs off the board.
Donovan Sebrango took another puck off the glove en route to helping the Canadians kill the penalty, though, so he got an ice bag on his hand at the bench.
The Canadians continued to challenge Suchanek, racking up more and more shots, and there was a whistle as Stankoven was shoveled into the Czech goaltender, but no penalty was called.
As the game wound down, the Canadians really were roughed up to some extent, but the refs didn’t seem to mind the late-game shenanigans, and the Canadians didn’t retaliate.
Late in the game, there’s just no point in expending energy that’s not necessary, and Canada knew it.
Instead, the Canadians racked up a shot per minute–or nearly so–on Suchanek, and Sebrango earned a well-deserved rest on the Canadian bench with his sore hand.
With 46.3 left in the 3rd, the shots were 57-23 Canada, and that was no surprise.
Canada took the game 5-1.
GAME OVER! 3๏ธโฃ in a row. ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฟ
๐ https://t.co/03WOEveC7f
๐ป https://t.co/myEpjbHKH1#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/V87O2Ro21aโ Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) August 14, 2022
Canada secures the 5-1 win over Czechia. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/VhIsMMQ7QJโ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 14, 2022
Update: Here are the game’s highlights:
