Czechia leads Canada after two periods in WJC quarters
Published
Canada made some progress, but Czechia still holds a 3-2 lead after two periods in their quarter-final clash at the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Canada finally got their chance on a full man advantage with just over three minutes remaining in the second frame, when Edouard Sale was sent to the box for tripping.
The host nation was 0-for-2 on power plays before that point, but both chances were brief as they overlapped Canadian penalties.
Tanner Molendyk fired a rocket from the blue line, and Porter Martone expertly tipped the puck up and over Michael Hrabal's shoulder in the Czech net to draw Canada back within a score, 3-2.
Czechia bookended the scoring in the first period, with the opener just 43 seconds into the game, and scored their third with only two seconds remaining in the frame.
Petr Sikora, Jakub Stancl and Sale scored for Czechia, while Tanner Howe scored a short-handed goal for Canada's lone tally.
The second period was a lot less eventful than the first for both sides early on, as the teams exchanged a combined five shots on net with no dangerous chances in the first 10 minutes of the frame.
Canada looked to be taking a man advantage at the 2:17 mark of the second period, when Vojtech Cihar was whistled for cross checking. However, the referee also sent Canada's Berkly Catton to the penalty box for embellishing after he went to the ice.
This game is a continuation of a growing rivalry at the World Juniors, as the two sides meet for the fifth consecutive year. Canada topped Czechia 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal game in 2023, but Czechia defeated Canada in last year's quarter-final.
You can watch the rest of this game LIVE on TSN1/4, TSN.ca and the TSN App.