Canada Zumbido. The ice leaned down. A dramatic return victory seemed inevitable.
A team previously unable to click offensively appeared to have finally unlocked some cohesion.
Then, the number in the organization – Consequences – ended on the surface for the last time in the World Hockey Junior Championship.
And Canada Hockey now stays to collect the pieces after a disastrous result.
Adam Jeco scored the winner in a game of force with 39. 4 seconds in the regulations, while visitors to the tournament fell 4-3 in Cheche in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
“He’s afraid,” Canadian forward Calum Ritchie said. It is an exclusive opportunity. It’s not the way we all look to end up. »»
Canada was also upset by the Czechs in the dying moments at the same stage 12 months ago at the under-20 event in Gothenburg, Sweden. The country has now failed to play for a medal at back-to-back world juniors for the first time since instituting its program of excellence in the early 1980s.
“It was a special group,” said 17-year-old forward Gavin McKenna, tears in his eyes. “Didn’t have anything to show for it.”
Petr Sikora, Jakub Stancl and Eduard Sale had the Czechs’ targets. Michael Hrabal made 29 saves.
“We simply look for it more,” he said. Very proud of the group. “
Tanner Howe, Porter Martone and Bradly Nadeau responded to Canada. Carter George stopped 22 shots. Brayden Yager collected two assists for Canadians, who have never discovered their passage until the third era of Thursday.
Canada entered with 10 targets in 4 games and the worst shooting percentage for 10 groups in Ottawa. Disciplinary disorders have also evolved opposite to the United States with 11 minor consequences and 3 opposing targets to seven American Force games on New Year’s Eve. A 4-1 loss to the United States has given the Canadians 3rd place in Group A and a more complicated adjustment in the quarterfinals.
“He can do the stats and speculate and what he wants,” said defender Oliver Bonk, one of last year’s returnees. “We just didn’t win the games we had. “
The Czechs will face the U.S. in Saturday’s semifinals. Sweden is set to meet Finland for the other berth in Sunday’s title game.
Below 3-2 in the 3rd and with his tournament at stake, the Canadians despite everything was given the draw when Nadeau shot at the house at the time in the tournament with 4:18 remaining in the regulation.
But defenceman Andrew Gibson took a penalty for kneeing with 2:27 on the clock and the Czechs finally broke through when Jecho scored his second on a one-timer to shatter Canadian hopes.
“It’s everything to all of us,” Ritchie said as he puffed up the red maple leaf. They all played their hearts and played for our country. Terrible result.
The attention now turns to Hockey Canada, it’s roster construction — there was plenty of offensive talent left on the sidelines when the team was picked last month — and the future of the men’s under-20 program.
Head coach Dave Cameron wouldn’t discuss the officiating, but some of his players didn’t hold back.
“Talking about himself,” McKenna said. “It’s terrible. “
The Tchéche, who took money in 2023 after losing Canada in the gold medal contest before securing the bronze last year, higher than 1-0 43 seconds of the leadership when Sikora scored his room.
Canadian ahead Cole Beaudoin assessed a five-minute primary and a foul midway through the era of kneeling on Sikora, who stayed before heading to the locker room.
However, to give a purpose to five versus five before the icebreaker’s start, Canada was left without a hand when Hrabbal stopped making Yager on a breakaway, however, the team captain discovered Howe earlier for his first at 10:17 am.
Sikora booed through the crowd once he returned for the man’s merit when crisis struck Canada. Sam Dickinson attempted to glove a shot from Stancl’s glass — whose deflected purpose from Bonk the difference in last year’s quarters — out of the fold, yet instead driven it into George’s net at 12:45 for the forward’s fifth.
The Czechs silenced the red-clad Canadian tire center crowd with 2. 1 seconds remaining in the when the sale scored its fifth to put the 20-time gold medalists in a deep hole.
“It was flat,” said Ombudsman Molendyk. “A little rhythm. “
Canada had nothing going on in the second — there was even a smattering of boos on home soil — before Sale took a minor penalty for kneeing and Martone tipped Molendyk’s point shot with 2:20 to play in the period.
Canadians grow in the third.
Mathieu Cataford put the puck in the net midway through the period, but the play was immediately waved off for goaltender interference. Cameron unsuccessfully challenged the call, which resulted in a penalty for delay of game and a loss of momentum.
Canada has killed those two minutes and only came back to go through the last minute loss of the last minute of the world.
“I wish we could have done more for the enthusiasts and the other people in Canada,” McKenna said. “It sucks that we had to go out this way. “
A feeling that’s all too familiar.