Discipline costs Canada at worst time in latest QF exit at World Juniors
Published
Team Canada stressed the need to stay out of the penalty box before their quarter-final against Czechia.
After handing five power-play opportunities to the Czechs Thursday night, Canada is out of the World Juniors for the second straight year without having a chance to play for a medal.
Canada lost 4-3 to Czechia, allowing a power-play goal during a five-minute penalty kill after Cole Beaudoin was ejected for kneeing, and the game-winner with 40 seconds left while a man short after Andrew Gibson picked up a costly late minor for kneeing.
"We didn't score enough, and we could have been more disciplined," forward Bradly Nadeau said after the loss. "Those things didn't help us, but we played a good team. In the end, we didn't get the results we wanted. We didn't get enough traffic in front, and all tournament the goalies could see the puck. The fans were amazing the whole game. It helps give us momentum, but unfortunately we didn't come through."
Canada was left short-handed for two minutes in the third period as the team attempted to find a tying goal down 3-2 after head coach unsuccessfully challenged a goal disallowed for goaltender interference. Cameron declined to bite when asked about the officiating, which also his team handed three power plays, scoring once.
"You never see things the way that they see them," Cameron stated simply.
Gavin McKenna, the team's youngest player, was less reserved in his assessment.
"Speaks for itself," McKenna said. "It was terrible."
Taking costly penalties turned into a theme for Canada on home ice at the tournament in Ottawa. The United States took advantage of seven power-play opportunities, scoring three times en route to their 4-1 win on New Years Eve to sit atop Group A. That victory set Team USA up for a quarter-final against Switzerland, in which they cruised to a 7-2 victory, while Canada was left to face Czechia.
Penalties also set the stage for Latvia to pull off a historic shootout victory over Canada in their second game of the group round. Latvia scored both of their goals in regulation on the power play, including a late tying marker with less than two and a half minutes on the clock.
Canada exits with the tournament lead in minor penalties taken at 34 - seven more than any other team - and a total of 113 penalty minutes.
Entering their quarter-final, Canadian forward Berkly Catton wondered if the team was feeding off energy of the Ottawa crowd in "wrong ways in terms of taking it out on the other team sometimes when we should be creating offence or blocking shots instead."
The familiar story left Canada, and the home crowd, wanting for more for the second year in a row.
"I wish we could have did more for the fans and the people of Canada," McKenna said. "It sucks we had to go out this way."