World Junior Hockey Championship 2008

kenshunt

Who's watching and who are you going for

Canada Won 3-0 over the Czech Republic

http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/news_story/?ID=225888&hubname=

kenshunt

Dec 26, 2007 04:30 AM
GROUP A

CANADA

Last year: Gold medal winner

History: 13 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze

Coach: Craig Hartsburg is trying to

win back-to-back world championships, which his predecessor Brent Sutter managed in 2005-06.

Player to watch: Steven Stamkos is the projected No.1 overall pick in next summer's NHL draft.

Factoid: With three straight titles coming in, they've still got a way to go to match the old USSR's record run of seven in a row from 1974-80.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Last year: Fifth place

History: 2 gold, 1 bronze

Coaches: Miloslav Horava, a former

Czechoslovakia international, played for New York Rangers from 1988-91.

Player to watch: Shifty winger David Kveton is New York Rangers property playing in the Czech league.

Factoid: Ten players are playing in North America this season.



DENMARK

Last year: Did not play

History: Has never won a medal

Coach: Calgary's Ken Babey was an

assistant on Canada's 2000 gold-medal winning under-18 team and is credited with putting Danes on the right track.

Player to watch: Forward Mikkel Boedker is a solid skater and playmaker, the team's lone North American-based player and projected to go in the first round of next summer's NHL draft.

Factoid: Denmark's juniors were ranked 22nd in world six years ago, but have improved to the top 10 since.



SWEDEN

Last year: Fourth place

History: 1 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze

Coach: Per Marts takes over from

Torgny Bendelin, who left after the Swedes failed at home last year.

Player to watch: Gigantic defenceman Victor Hedman, all 6-foot-7 of him, plays in Sweden's pro league at the tender age of 17.

Factoid: Sweden hasn't won this tournament since 1981.



SLOVAKIA

Last year: Eighth place

History: 1 bronze

Coach: Stefan Mikes formerly

coached in the German pro league.

Player to watch: Juraj Mikus was a fifth-round pick by the Leafs in 2007.

Factoid: After narrowly avoiding relegation last year, this team has prepared by playing 22 games against older pros in Slovakia's Extraliga.



GROUP B

FINLAND

Last year: Sixth place

History: 2 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze

Coach: Jarmo Tolvanen is back for his

second kick at this tournament after a disappointing finish a year ago.

Player to watch: Centre Niclas Lucenius was taken in the fifth round by Atlanta in 2007.

Factoid: At 5.3 million, Finland is the smallest country with a team here.



KAZAKHSTAN

Last year: Did not play

History: Has never won a medal

Coach: Oleg Bolyakin played four

years in the Russian League and his son is on the roster.

Player to watch: On a team that has no drafted players, goaltender Sergei Rudolf stands out by not standing out: at 115 pounds, he is the smallest player in the tournament.

Factoid: Of the country's 4,716 registered players, 4,095 are juniors.



RUSSIA

Last year: Silver medal winners

History: 11 gold, 9 silver, 5 bronze

Coach: Jevgeni Popichyn brings in

a team that was thrashed by Canada in the Super Series four months ago.

Player to watch: Nikita Filatov is a highly touted scoring winger who plays with CSKA Moscow.

Factoid: Russia has lost to Canada in the WJC gold-medal game three years in a row.



SWITZERLAND

Last year: Seventh place

History: 1 bronze

Coach: Jakob Kolliker is an IIHF

Hall of Fame member.

Player to watch: Winger Andrei Bykov was voted top forward at a Slovakia tuneup tournament this year and is a holdover from last year's WJC squad.

Factoid: Swiss are seventh in the world junior rankings.



UNITED STATES

Last year: Bronze medal winners

History: 1 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze

Coach: John Hynes guided the U.S. to

a win in the under-18 worlds two years ago and brings back the core of that team capable of the same result here.

Player to watch: Two-way forward Tyler Ruegsegger was taken by the Leafs in the 2006 draft and is in his second year at the University of Denver.

Factoid: Their 442,077 registered players trails only Canada in the world (551,655).

---

SOURCES: IIHF, eurohockey.net, Hockey Canada


http://www.thestar.com/Sports/JuniorHockey/article/288661

smarchee

well, an ok win today against Slovakia, 2-0.

of the 5 goals scored by Canada, only 1 has been 5-on-5 play, so that is concerning

Tavares looks good on the power play, and it seems that is all the time he will get with being the extra forward

Mason looked pretty damn strong in net today, along with Bernier yesterday. The goaltending future of both Los Angeles and Columbus looks really strong

the refereeing, as usual, blows, unreal sometimes some of the calls, and then, some of the non-calls

crazy 20 game win streak, most ever by a World Junior team going, last time Team Canada lost was against the United States in the 2004 World Junior Gold Medal game when Fleury (of Pittsburgh) muffed a clearing and it went off O'Sullivan and into his own net.

crazy steak of not giving up a 5-on-5 goal in over 300+minutes, since the 2nd game of last year's tournament

next game is Saturday vs Sweeden

Kazhakistan almost upset Russia, up 2-0 after 1, lost 5-4

BrotherLoveBone

Well, I'm rooting for anyone but Canada. Not that i dislike them that much but it would be nice to get a new winner for a change... even Sweden would be ok.

This year Team Finland doesn't even have solid goaltending to bail us out so anything above 6th place would be good. Apparently our team is so unknown that they've just decided to put the previous coach into the previews

smarchee

BrotherLoveBone wrote:

Well, I'm rooting for anyone but Canada.

BLASPHEMY !!!

you are dead to me...................:p

jackrabbit slim

I wish the US liked hockey as much as you guys. The world juniors aren't even mentioned. It's like its not even happening here.
I can't wait for the olympics, it's the only time we can watch international hockey.

smarchee

jackrabbit slim wrote:

I wish the US liked hockey as much as you guys. The world juniors aren't even mentioned. It's like its not even happening here.
I can't wait for the olympics, it's the only time we can watch international hockey.

actually if you have the NHL Network on your cable in the US, I read that the NHL Network is playing the quarter-final, semi-final and final on their US feed.

rockpants

BrotherLoveBone wrote:

Well, I'm rooting for anyone but Canada. Not that i dislike them that much but it would be nice to get a new winner for a change... even Sweden would be ok.

This year Team Finland doesn't even have solid goaltending to bail us out so anything above 6th place would be good. Apparently our team is so unknown that they've just decided to put the previous coach into the previews

Riku Helenius is a good tender. Maybe not quite ready to steal a game or two at the international level, but in his short time over here in the WHL, he's made himself known as a tough netminder to beat.

Firstly, I cheer for Canada because it's where I've lived my whole life, secondly, for Sweden because Oscar Moller plays for my WHL club, and thirdly, Finland, because of the Monty Python song and also because I've yet to meet a Finnish person I didn't like.

BrotherLoveBone

Of course goaltending is still the strongest point, otherwise it wouldn't be a finnish team. I think we have to wait for Selänne to officially to retire before the hockey gods send a new goalscorer our way...

Still, Helenius missed a one whole year due to injury 2 years ago, which can't be a good thing at that age.

What is great about Canada is that they can get the talent to come together as a team, which is something the Russians or USA usually can't. Previous years USA and Russia were supposed to really challenge Team Canada but couldn't and this year there hasn't been much talk around here about any team that could beat Canada so i'm hoping for an underdog who could make it a bit more interesting.

kenshunt

NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM TAKES 20-GAME WINNING STREAK INTO SHOWDOWN

PARDUBICE, Czech Republic – The winning streak is at 20 games and the shutout streak is at more than 140 minutes. But only one number matters to Canada: six. That’s the number of victories it will take for Canada to win its fourth consecutive gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship, and the Canadians will look to reach the halfway point and pick up win number three when they face Sweden on Saturday.

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/

Let's make it another peferct sweep at the juniors

prljamgirl

BrotherLoveBone wrote:

Well, I'm rooting for anyone but Canada. Not that i dislike them that much but it would be nice to get a new winner for a change... even Sweden would be ok.

That's the worst logic I've ever heard. If the best team wins, then the best team wins....can't help it if the best team won it how ever many times in a row! And yes, I would feel that way if it wasn't Canada that continues to win....

rockpants

BrotherLoveBone wrote:

What is great about Canada is that they can get the talent to come together as a team, which is something the Russians or USA usually can't. Previous years USA and Russia were supposed to really challenge Team Canada but couldn't and this year there hasn't been much talk around here about any team that could beat Canada so i'm hoping for an underdog who could make it a bit more interesting.

I know Team USA doesn't hold a training/evaluation camp, nor Sweden. Not sure about the others, but Canada puts the extra effort in prior to the tournament with its camp, working out potential lines well in advance. Perhaps other countries' hockey programmes should do the same. Can't get down on Canada because they prepare better for the tournament than most other countries.

It's not like Canada hasn't gone through weak years, too. They were just a really, really, long time ago (no medals for 3 years, '79-'81.) The playing field is slowly but surely becoming more level as other programmes become better funded and talent better developed - never would have thought Kazakhstan would have made it to the Elite division by now, being such a young country with a small population. Then there are all the little factors that can decide games beyond the talent and drive of the respective teams. There's a saying here which has been proven time and again to be true: It's Junior Hockey, where ANYTHING can happen.

Really looking forward to tomorrow's game against Sweden. I imagine that whoever wins this will be tipped to win the gold.

BrotherLoveBone

Of course the best team should and usually does win these types of tournaments. Canada will always be a big favorite to win and it would good for international hockey if another team could rise to the standard set by Canada.

Last years final was so boring since Russians never seemed to be willing to really fight for the win as a team. With them it's often that the individuals are more concerned on showing their talent for the scouts than winning, which doesn't leave too much room for the organized yet highly skillful style of play the Soviets used to play.

It's not Canada's fault of course, but i'm just waiting for the hockey program in the U.S., for example, to get better and better with each year and maybe get some firm ground for the sport over there...outside Minnesota,Michigan and Massachuttes. It will never be a big sport globally, but it would be nice to see the top of the pyramid to become wider.

Switzerland's progress is fun to watch and they will be a country that will challenge traditional hockey countries like Finland and Slovakia even more in the future.

So all and all i'm hoping Canada has to work hard for their likely gold this year and at least the final to be exciting. And yay, we are leading Kazakhstan

kenshunt

BrotherLoveBone wrote:

Of course the best team should and usually does win these types of tournaments. Canada will always be a big favorite to win and it would good for international hockey if another team could rise to the standard set by Canada.

Last years final was so boring since Russians never seemed to be willing to really fight for the win as a team. With them it's often that the individuals are more concerned on showing their talent for the scouts than winning, which doesn't leave too much room for the organized yet highly skillful style of play the Soviets used to play.

It's not Canada's fault of course, but i'm just waiting for the hockey program in the U.S., for example, to get better and better with each year and maybe get some firm ground for the sport over there...outside Minnesota,Michigan and Massachuttes. It will never be a big sport globally, but it would be nice to see the top of the pyramid to become wider.

Switzerland's progress is fun to watch and they will be a country that will challenge traditional hockey countries like Finland and Slovakia even more in the future.

So all and all i'm hoping Canada has to work hard for their likely gold this year and at least the final to be exciting. And yay, we are leading Kazakhstan

lol, go finland

prljamgirl

Canada is being severely outplayed by Sweden.....they need to pull up their socks if they're going to win this game!!

BrotherLoveBone

prljamgirl wrote:

Canada is being severely outplayed by Sweden.....they need to pull up their socks if they're going to win this game!!

Or get some help from the ref...Brutal call for the Swedes

BrotherLoveBone

And Sweden bounces back, wow! Might turn out to be an exciting tournament now.

kenshunt

The Canadian Press

12/29/2007 5:15:58 PM

PARDUBICE, Czech Republic - The streak is over.

Canada lost a game at the world junior hockey championship for the first time since the 2004 final, falling 4-3 to Sweden on Saturday

The defending champions' winning streak ended at 20 straight games.

Sweden (3-0) can finish first in Pool A and earn a bye to the semifinal round Friday with a win over the Czech Republic on Monday.







The host Czechs beat Slovakia 5-2 in the other Pool B game in front of a capacity crowd prior to Canada's game. In Pool B games in Liberec, Finland shut out Kazakhstan 5-0 and the U.S. edged Russia 3-2.

The top team in each pool gets the bye while the second-place team cross over to play the third team in the other pool.

Tobias Forsberg scored the winner with seven seconds left in the game on a beautiful feed from Mikael Backlund, who is a first-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames.

Swedish defenceman Eric Moe, Tony Lagerstrom and Oscar Moller of the Western Hockey League's Chilliwack Bruins also scored for the Swedes..

Claude Giroux of the Gatineau Olympiques, Brad Marchand of the Halifax Mooseheads and Shawn Matthias of the Belleville Bulls replied for Canada.

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier made 28 saves on 32 shots in the loss, while Sweden's Jhonas Enroth stopped 18 of 21 shots.

This was the biggest, fastest and hardest Swedish team Canada has been up against in years. The Swedes fought through checks and battled Canada off the puck, while pressuring the defending champions in their own zone to hamper the breakout.

Sweden trailed 2-0 early in the second period, but rattled off three unanswered goals before Giroux tied the game during a Canadian two-man advantage at 16:18. He banged in a rebound from Enroth's doorstep.

Moller tucked a rebound under Bernier with a power-play goal at 9:09 of the third period to put the Swedes up 3-2.

But the backbreaker for Canada was Sweden's tying goal, which Lagerstrom scored putting a shot from the endboards off the back of Bernier's skate and into the net at 6:45.

Canada's shutout streak in the tournament ended at 5:13 of the third period with Moe's power-play goal.

Matthias gave Canada a 2-0 lead at 2:17 banging in a rebound.

Sweden includes a dozen 12 NHL draft picks. Robin Figren of the Edmonton Oiler Kings and Mario Kempe of the St. John Fog Devils also play for the Tre Kronor.

Canada scored in the first period for the first time this tournament off a tremendous effort by Marchand. He caged Claude Giroux's cross-ice pass, drove by Swedish defender Johan Motin and beat Enroth with a backhand with 55 seconds remaining in the period.

The world junior tournament is using referee teams of two for the first time. The German and American determined after video review midway through the opening period that Steve Stamkos didn't bang a rebound past Enroth.

Notes - The Swedes lone world junior title was in 1981 . . . Canada is 20-8-1 all-time versus Sweden . . . Canada's black jerseys, helmets and gloves worn Saturday will be up for sale starting Sunday on ebay with the proceeds doing to Hockey Canada's developmental programs for national teams.





http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/news_story/?ID=226059&hubname=

rockpants

My "goal call" when Oscar scored for Sweden went like this: "Awesome! Damn it!"

smarchee

well, let's hope that some adversity lights a fire under the offense of this team.

first 2 games weren't too exciting on the offensive side for Team Canada, 4 out of 5 goals on PP

2 out of the first 3 goals were fluke goals, one of Bernier's skate from behind the net, the other off a Canadian d-man

3rd Canadian goal to tie-up was from luck, as the 2nd Sweden penalty was absurd

the Swedish defenceman wearning # 3 had a good nasty streak to him, I like it

last Swedish goal was a result of 2 brutal mistakes, one the Canadian forward who gave up the puck at the blue-line, and the 2 Canadian defenceman who followed the Swedish player to the net, leaving the other Swedish foward who was trailing the play wide open

tomorrow vs Denmark

rockpants

smarchee wrote:

tomorrow vs Denmark

Easy win. Sweden managed 10 goals against Denmark, so I'd like to see Canada do pretty much the same.