Eleven seconds. That’s how much time was left in a tied game between Czechia and Canada in the 2024 world juniors quarterfinal.
A shot that would have been going wide, a bad bounce off of a defender, and the puck went into the cage – the goaltender watching it as he slid the opposite way.
The Canadians started this game playing uninspired and sloppy hockey, going down 2-0 after the first period, but their response was exactly what you’d want to see. They stormed back in the second frame, scoring two of their own goals to tie the game and carried that momentum into the third period. Read more..
Every time Canada pushed the Czech squad, the players did everything in their power to dive in front of shots and disrupt passes with their sticks. Canada forced Czechia to bend, but Czechia refused to break.
Jakub Stancl was the game’s opening goal-scorer, and he called game with the tally with 11 seconds remaining in the third period. The St. Louis Blues prospect isn’t the star for this Czech squad, but he exemplifies what the program has done over the last few years –dDevelop good, strong, puck-possession players who can play at both ends of the ice and outwork their opponents.
“It feels like the world’s ending a bit,” Canada captain Fraser Minten said. “Such an unbelievable opportunity for all of us in our careers. You never really know if you’re going to get another look representing your country or playing on such a global stage.”
The Canadians carried the play for most of the final 40 minutes before Stancl fired a shot on goal in the dying seconds of regulation that deflected off the stick of two Canadian players before beating a stunned Rousseau.
“Felt like I gripped my stick a bit too tight,” said Canada forward Matthew Poitras. “I couldn’t find the back of the net. It sucks. I feel like I kind of let some of these guys down, let the country down.”
Tuesday’s quarterfinal was a rematch of last year’s gold-medal matchup in Halifax, which Canada took 3-2 in overtime. Five members of that Czech team dressed Tuesday, while forward Owen Beck was Canada’s lone returnee.
“Our heads are kind of just spinning right now,” said Beck. “Not really sure what happened. It’s a horrible way to end things off here.”