Team Canada Black celebrating their shootout win over the Czech Republic Monday (Photo courtesy of Colton McKee)

By Scott Roblin

World U17 Hockey Challenge

Canada Black, Finland use shootouts to earn comeback victories

Nov 4, 2019 | 5:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – In one of the wildest games you’ll see all tournament, Team Canada Black (0-2-0-0) earned their second victory of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in a 5-4 shootout thriller over the Czech Republic (0-0-1-1).

Danny Zhilkin tied the game with a late goal in the third period, before Brandt Clarke sniped the game-winning goal in the fifth round of the shootout on Monday afternoon.

Canada Black opened the scoring with a James Malatesta tap-in goal with five minutes remaining in the first period, however Michal Ramik responded a few minutes later on a rebound at the side of the net to tie it at 1-1.

The Czechs took their first lead of the afternoon with 1:08 left in the opening frame, converting on a power play rebound goal by Martin Rysavy before the intermission.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Adopt-A-Rink program still seeking volunteers

49m ago

HOLIDAYS

Medicine Hat Kiwanis hosting Christmas dinner

Dec 06, 2024

IN THE COMMUNITY

CHAT News producer makes 'emotional' return to Medicine Hat's old arena

Dec 06, 2024

That lead held until midway through the second period with Canada Black on the man advantage themselves, with a long wrist shot from Zhilkin squeaking through the glove of Czech netminder Tomas Suchanek.

Just as quickly though, the Czechs regained their one-goal lead 14 seconds later off a seeing-eye shot from the point by blueliner David Moravec to make it a 3-2 game.

Clarke showed off his offensive abilities just over six minutes into the third period by deking his way through the Czech defence, with his hard work rewarded by a goal on the doorstep from Max McCue to pull the score even again.

Matous Mensik gave the Czechs a 4-3 lead with 8:42 left in regulation, however a late barrage of shots by Canada Black proved to be the turning point.

Suchanek made a sprawling save on a Brennan Othmann one-timer late, however Othmann’s centring pass moments later would bounce off the chest of Zhilkin and fall into the open net to tie the game at 4-4 with 1:18 left on the clock.

A wild overtime was needed with both countries providing end-to-end rushes and dynamic offensive chances, however that was all brought to a halt with 2:12 remaining in the extra period.

Canada Black defenceman and Brooks Bandit Corson Ceulemans went hard into the end boards after taking a shot off the rush, holding his right shoulder as he skated to the dressing room and did not return to the ice.

Both sides required a shootout to decide the round-robin contest and after Canadian goalie William Blackburn stopped Stanislav Svozil in the fifth round, Clarke let a wrist shot go from the slot that beat Suchanek and was promptly mobbed by his teammates at centre ice.

Suchanek was named the Czechs’ player of the game with 34 saves on 38 shots against, while Blackburn earned the two points with 22 saves on the afternoon.

Finnish comeback

Photo courtesy of Hockey Canada / Twitter

A similar script was written in Swift Current on Monday afternoon, as Team Finland (0-1-1-0) picked up their first victory of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge as well.

Brad Lambert and Verner Miettinen both potted goals in the shootout for the Finns, winning 5-4 over Team Russia (0-0-1-1) in a back-and-forth contest in Swift Current.

Russia’s Nikita Chibrikov needed just 4:32 to open the scoring for Russia, however Finland countered with back-to-back goals by Topias Vilen and Viljami Marjala under two minutes later.

Just nine minutes into the game, the Finns found themselves shorthanded with Arttu Kuivas receiving a game misconduct after hitting Russia’s Prokhor Poltapov from behind into the boards.

Not long after Kuivas’ ejection from the game, the Russians got their revenge with Fedor Svechkov knotting up the contest at 2-2 with a wrister from the slot.

The early stages of the second period were controlled by Russia with goals by Vladislav Lukashevich and Daniil Lazutin to make it a 4-2 game, though Finland got one of those back with a power play strike from Miettinen near the midway mark of the period.

Russia continued to hold onto their 4-3 lead until the final minute of regulation, as a backhand feed to an uncovered Samu Salminen sent the game to extra time.

Following a scoreless overtime frame Lambert and Miettinen found the back of the net for Finland for a shot at the win, which was sealed by a save from Paavo Kohonen.

The Finnish netminder was peppered with 41 shots on Monday afternoon, however he turned away 37 of them to earn the victory. Valerii Brinkman meanwhile had 25 saves on 29 shots for the Russians.

Monday’s evening games see Team Canada White (0-0-0-1) face the United States (1-0-0-0) at 7:00 pm at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat, while Swift Current will host Canada Red (1-0-0-0) versus Sweden (1-0-0-0) at 6:00 pm.