The Czechs attempted to salvage their World Junior Championship on Sunday against Latvia.
With a 1-1-and-1 record, Czechia needed a win to help avoid facing Canada in Wednesday’s quarterfinal, and they turned to Red Wings prospect Jan Bednar in goal to help them achieve their “goal” in their final “round robin” game.
The Latvians needed a regulation win to hop over the Slovaks–and tie the Czechs–all in order to avoid a quarterfinal match-up against Canada on Wednesday.
Latvia won 5-2, earning their first quarterfinal berth in World Junior Championship history. Jan Bednar only played 40:00, stopping 10 of 14 shots, but goals 2, 3 and 4 were all unstoppable ones (see below).
In a weird way, it was a happy loss for hockey fans. The Latvians made history today, and the Czechs are now going to face the winner of Group A (probably Canada) on Wednesday, while Latvia and Finland seem destined to meet.
In terms of the game’s narrative…
In the 1st period, the plucky Latvians showed no fear in generating the first shot on goal, but the Czech defense blocked the rebound; the Latvian attack was impressive and physical against an equally physical Czech defense, and, early on, the team in maroon looked better than the team in red, white and blue.
Darels Dukars took a penalty for tripping at 1:43, however, and the Czechs headed to the power play:
Jan Mysak got the Czechs’ first opportunity on the rush, but he was stopped by Bruno Bruveris;
The Latvians went the other way and fired a shot near Bednar, but the Czechs regrouped and re-set, willing to take the puck back out to center ice to bring it back into the offensive zone.
The Lativans, however, brought a heavy approach to their defense, and they killed the penalty with relative ease.
Worse for the Czechs, Martins Lavins took a wonderful pass from Harjis Brants, all off a terrible defensive play by the Czechs on an end-to-end puck play, and #6 tucked the puck between the legs of Bednar at 4:30 of the 1st period, giving Latvia a 1-0 lead.
Martins Lavins opens the scoring for π±π» Latvia!
LIVE NOW on TSN3/4 or watch on the TSN Website/App.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/YuLVfqVk3eβ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 14, 2022
Martins Lavins scores to give Latvia a 1-0 lead over Czechia! #WorldJuniors
π: https://t.co/focGyxEjlK
pic.twitter.com/MbOx2I9wTXβ Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 14, 2022
Bednar was challenged soon after, and he made a good glove save as the surprising Latvians charging hard against Czechia.
The Czechs looked sloppy and disinterested, honestly, some 6 minutes into the game, and, as the game continued, the Latvians were holding the Czechs to 1 shot while generating 3.
However, Latvia’s Bogdans Hodass took a dumb penalty at 9:04, for interference in front of the net, and the Czechs’ power play went to work.
The Czechs had an absolutely elegant form in terms of the structure of their power play, but the Czechs’ shots got blocked, blocked, blocked and blocked again, and, when called upon, Bruno Bruveris saw every shot he stopped.
After the power play expired, the Czechs continued to charged up ice and keep the puck away from their net for the most part, but they were sloppy, too, surrendering odd-man rushes and icing the puck unnecessarily.
Czechia did a good job of blocking shots…But they didn’t block ’em all. Rainers Rullers took a fantastic pass from Raimonds Vitolins and Gustavs Ozolins and RIPPED a one-timer over Bednar’s shoulder and into the top shelf.
Rainers Rullers doubles π±π» Latvia’s lead in the 1st period π¨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/1CKeGojNBpβ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 14, 2022
Because Slovakia beat Latvia in a shootout and dropped a point, if the Latvians can hang on in regulation here they’ll advance to the quarters and the Slovaks will be eliminated.
Would be a huge moment for Latvian ice hockey and a huge blow for a Slovak program on the come-up.β Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) August 14, 2022
Rainers Rullers picks the top corner to give Latvia a 2-0 lead! #WorldJuniors
π: https://t.co/bqXnXbo9nt
pic.twitter.com/AovmOxiGsxβ Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 14, 2022
Bednar had absolutely no chance to stop the 2-0 goal at 12:21. His defense stood around and puck-watched.
As play continued, the teams traded rushes, traded rushes, and traded more rushes as the 15-minute mark passed, but neither team took many shots, and the Latvians were more than willing to sacrifice their bodies and use their sticks to block passes and shots.
Strangely, Raniers Darzins was given a penalty for slashing at 15:28, which was very, very weak, and the Czechs headed to a desperately-needed power play.
Again, Bruno Bruveris was strong and solid, but he saw the Czechs’ shots, and Latvia was all about blocking shots and passes.
Michal Gut also missed an OPEN NET on a lateral power play pass, whiffing massively, affording Latvia a huge break.
The Czechs got a “GUT CZECH” as Mysak slithered a pass back-door to Michal Gut, and Gut just tipped the puck off the skate of Bruveris and in. No chance for the Latvians on the 2-1 goal at 16:23 of the 1st.
Michal Gut puts π¨πΏ Czechia on the board on the power-play π¨#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/8eVBnlPHKTβ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 14, 2022
Michal Gut gets the Czechs on the board. Great pass from Jan MyΕ‘Γ‘k (MTL). 2-1 LAT. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/fD5v1cQ5T3β Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) August 14, 2022
The Czechs trailed 2-1.
Bruveris made a HUGE stop on the bump-up shift, stopping Matyas Sapovaliv in tight, with the puck squeaking under his glove…But his defense tucked the puck back under him.
Bednar then had to make a big stop with 2:10 remaining on a Latvian rush…
Again, when the fleet-footed Czechs blazed up the ice, the Latvians’ sticks and bodies were in front of the net, boxing out the Czech forwards, and it was instead Latvia that dominated the neutral zone.
Ivan Ivan did hit the goalpost with about 30 seconds left in the 1st period, but it was earned for Bruveris, and the Latvians ended the 1st period up 2-1 in goals, though they were down 10-5 in shots.
In the 2nd period, only 27 seconds in, Czech captain Jan Mysak took a tipped shot–a teammate’s shot–off the back of his helmet, and he needed stitches to repair a pressure cut.
As you might expect, the Latvians faced a Czech team that was restored in terms of its energy, and more energetic as well…
But Adam Mechura took an interference minor for getting tied up with Martins Lavins at 1:06, and the Latvians headed back to the power play.
Bednar had to be sharp as the Latvians were able to generate a lot of zone time, establishing possession and control, as well as a net-front presence, but the Czechs held the Latvians to the perimeter for the most part, and Bednar saw the shots that he stopped.
The Czechs killed the penalty.
Things remained particularly physical and nasty as the period progressed, with a ton of pushing and shoving following up checks that were always finished with smearing, and the teams looked to be fighting a war of attrition.
WHEN RAIMONDS VITOLINS sent an elegant shot in on Bednar, Bednar made a huge stop to keep it at 2-1. He made another stop on Ozolins before the Czechs could clear the puck.
Mysak returned from his injury at 6:30 of the 2nd period, but his return didn’t further energize the Czechs. The Latvians just stood tall on defense and stifled any attempts by Mysak and his linemates to tie the game, and they made it look easy.
Worse for the Czechs, they took a holding the stick penalty as Ivan Ivan Ivan (his real name) tugged the stick out of a Latvian’s hand at 6:20.
Latvia HIT THE POST as Willmanis took a shot the puck behind Bednar, but he responded to the lucky break by making bigger stops, and his teammates began to sacrifice their bodies to block shots on the PK.
8 minutes into the 2nd period, Latvia had 20 seconds of PP time remaining, and they sauntered in and cycled easily, but again, the Czechs were doing a better job of putting the hammer down defensively, and when they failed to do so, Bednar was there.
The Czechs killed the penalty.
Defenseman Stanislav Svozil skated in from the blueline and took a rebound shot and ROOFED it over Bruveris, however, at 9:23, tying the game at 2-2. That was a pivotal goal to say the least.
Stanislav Svozil (#CBJ) ties the game with a beauty, 2-2. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/A6uL9fnJtKβ Czech Prospects (@CZprospects) August 14, 2022
And here was the pretty goal from Stanislav Svozil that tied the game 2-2 earlier π₯
π: https://t.co/oRMoGCQam7
pic.twitter.com/wfmNBNMYYPβ Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 14, 2022
The Czechs began to cycle and seamlessly skate into the offensive zone to generate chances as the 10-minute mark passed, and the 11-minute mark passed, but Latvia bulldogged their way back into the Czech zone…
And Bednar didn’t see Ralfs Bergmanis’ point shot clang off the goalpost and in behind him until it was already behind him. Latvia’s seeing-eye shot–a knuckleball–gave them a 3-2 lead at 11:15.
Ralfs Bergmanis gives π±π» Latvia the lead midway through the 2nd period π¨
π±π» Latvia 3 – 2 π¨πΏ Czechia#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/rqBLEhSHULβ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 14, 2022
Ralfs Bergmanisβ point shot finds a way past Jan Bednar and Latvia retakes the lead! #WorldJuniors
π: https://t.co/IOqjculoip
pic.twitter.com/061ZLyLREQβ Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 14, 2022
The Latvians were just refusing to lose, and the Czechs needed to play with more will and determination.
14 minutes into the 2nd period, or 13:50, specifically, the Czechs and Latvians got into a big scrum, and, strangely, nothing was called as the players hacked, whacked and jawed at each other.
In all honesty:
I am a Red Wings partisan. I always root for the team that has the most Red Wings players on it when it comes to international competition. But it was damn hard to not cheer for the Latvians in this game, because they were doing a wonderful job of upsetting the confident Czechs.
Even TSN’s Dennis Beyak and Craig Button admitted that Latvia was carrying play some 15 minutes into the 2nd period, and it was not within the realm of doubt.
Worse for the Czechs, Latvia headed to the power play at 16:12, with David Spacek heading to the box for roughing.
Spacek and the Czechs got lucky, because the Latvian he “roughed” had a bloody nose. It should have been a double minor for high sticking.
Bednar made a good glove stop early on in the power play, but his Czech defenders watched the Latvians deke and dangle and cycle the puck and SCORE THE 4-2 goal through a screen.
Ralfs Bergmanis Hat Trick Watch π and Latvia leads 4-2! #WorldJuniors
π: https://t.co/IOqjculoippic.twitter.com/meqogVpCJyβ Elite Prospects (@eliteprospects) August 14, 2022
Ralfs Bergmanis scored his second goal of the game on a power play point shot that rifled through layers of traffic and a massive Latvian screen in front of Bednar–by the name of Klavs Veinbergs–so Bednar never saw the shot.
Plain and simple, Latvia was in control of the game.
The Czechs pushed really, really hard on the bump-up shift, but Latvia held fast, and when they did give up the occasional shot, Bruveris made a couple of huge stops on shots that he saw all the way.
At the horn, Bednar had to make a big save to keep the Latvians from going ahead by three goals. And that was 40 minutes of play for Latvia.
In the 3rd period, the Czechs started Tomas Suchanek, relieving Bednar after 2 periods of play.
Czechia won the opening faceoff, chipped and chased, and a fake attempt on a Michigan goal did not do anything to faze the Latvian defense, which just chipped the puck out and changed lines.
All the Latvians had to do to earn a quarterfinal spot–and eliminate Slovakia–was to win the game.
Again, when the Czechs attacked the Latvian zone, the Latvians would clamp down on them, holding the Czechs shot-less for the first two minutes of play, and instead, pushing the puck away from their goal and into the Czech end.
It was a bit of rope-a-dope play, so the Czechs did get a first shot some 2:20 into the 3rd, but Bruveris saw it and stopped it easily.
The Czechs would HAVE to out-talent Latvia and out-grit and out-heart Latvia to rally.
And get some luck.
Instead, they got 3 shots in 3:29, and when Jiri Kulich got a beautiful opportunity in the Latvian slot, the Czechia forward chipped the puck wide.
As the 4:30 mark approached, Latvia did ice the puck, but they were extracting their pound of flesh from a banged-up Czech team.
Latvia didn’t allow a shot on the ensuing faceoff, and cleared the zone once, twice, and then they blocked a Szturc shot into the crowd at 5:09.
Don’t get me wrong, the Czechs were playing beautiful puck possession hockey, while the Latvians were chipping and chasing, and didn’t get their 1st shot on Suchanek until the 6-minute mark, but they had the lead.
Pretty didn’t matter.
7:28 into the 3rd, at the first TV timeout, Latvia was still blocking shots from Czech rushes into the crowd, or parrying them into rushes of their own.
The Czechs got their 4th shot of the period off the timeout, and the referee called a penalty shot against Latvia at 7:58.
Mysak skated in and deked and was STOPPED BY BRUNO BRUVERIS.
Bruveris made ANOTHER huge stop on #27 Gabriel Szturc, and when the Latvians won the faceoff and went the other way, Bednar had to make a big toe save on a 2-on-2 to keep the Czechs in it.
Latvia was starting to wither a little bit in terms of giving up chances against…
AND SUCHANEK MADE A HORRIBLE MISTAKE WITH THE PUCK, ALMOST SURRENDERING a 5-2 goal against, but his defenseman Spacek (the son of Jaroslav Spacek) bailed him out with 10:45 left.
10 minutes ticked by, and the Latvians were being out-shot 28-16, 29 when Bruveris had to boot out another slap shot, then 30 when Bruveris booted out a second slap shot, but Latvia was shutting down the slot, clearing the puck, and regrouping.
8:45 left: another hard shot from the point, booted out by Bruveris;
8:20 left, Latvia cycles down low, the Czechs can’t get it past center ice, Latvia regroups once, then twice, then thrice, and they chip, chase and change with under 7:50 left;
Hodass iced the puck with 7:27 remaining, and the Czechs won the faceoff, leading in shots 13-2 in the 3rd period, but Bruveris was seeing EVERYTHING.
So the story continued.
The players began to bump and grind with 6:30 left in regulation, and, as Craig Button noted, the Latvians were rushing their 30-second shifts, bringing so much energy to the equation against a Czech team that looked tired.
With 5:55 left, perhaps the last TV timeout of the game hit.
Suchanek made a crucial short side stop with 5:45 remaining, as Latvia burst in 2 on 2 and won the battle for the puck;
With 5 minutes remaining, the Latvians were steering the Czechs south of center ice, and when Ivan Ivan Ivan skated into the zone (that’s his real name), he over-skated the puck and made a nothing burger out of his chance.
With 4 minutes remaining, Latvia raced in, and Vitolins nearly tipped a shot past Suchanek;
With 3 minutes remaining, the Latvians blocked a Czech dump-in and cycled into the Czech zone instead, killing another 20 seconds off the clock.
The upset became more and more concrete as the final minutes ticked away, and suddenly, there was only 2:12 remaining as another TV timeout hit off an easy Bruveris save.
The Czechs pulled Suchanek with 2:12 left, and Latvia made history as Bergmanis scored his hat trick goal at 18:41 of the 3rd period, making it 5-2.
Latvia defeats Czechia 5-2 for its first-ever preliminary-round victory in World Junior history. They will advance to the quarterfinals for the first time ever and actually finish ahead of Czechia in the standings in third place. Slovakia eliminated.β Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) August 15, 2022
In the stands, the Slovaks watched, deflated.
On the bench, the Czechs watched, deflated.
As Latvia celebrated.
And good on them.
π±π» Latvia is quarter-finals bound at the #WorldJuniors! pic.twitter.com/XzT91R5aiZβ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 15, 2022
The moment Latvia has been waiting for. π±π» #WorldJuniors @lhf_lv pic.twitter.com/WZvHAFxVz7β IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 15, 2022
The moment π±π» Latvia won their first ever #WorldJuniors preliminary game. pic.twitter.com/twy6cEMuVjβ TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 15, 2022
