Reigning Medalists Eliminated Ahead Of IIHF World Champs Semis
Reigning Medalists Eliminated Ahead Of IIHF World Champs Semis
Just four teams remain in the 2019 World Championships, and all three medalists from 2018 were eliminated in the quarters.
With just four teams remaining in the 2019 World Championships, the semifinals are set and all three medalists from 2018 won’t be returning home with hardware this year.
Finland forced overtime to oust back-to-back gold medalist Sweden, Canada stunned 2018 runner-up Switzerland with an overtime winner, and Russia outlasted the United States, 2018’s bronze medalist. The Czech Republic dominated Germany to earn a trip to the semifinal round.
Finland and Russia will face off, Saturday at 9:15 AM ET, while Canada and the Czech Republic will play at 1:15 PM.
Finland vs. Russia
Finland hasn’t had the luxury of NHL stars this year, as players including Aleksander Barkov, Sebastian Aho, Mikael Granlund, and Patrik Laine did not join the team for various reasons.
Instead, potential No. 1 overall pick Kaapo Kakko has been the driving force for Finland with six goals and seven points heading into Thursday’s quarterfinals matchup with Sweden.
But Thursday’s action saw Sakari Manninen take over, as Kakko’s countryman registered three assists before a perfect shot ended the game in overtime. He now leads Finland with two goals and 10 points in eight games.
Perfect shot that grazed the shoulder of Lundqvist wins it for Manninen and @leijonat #FINSWE #IIHFWorlds
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 23, 2019
Watch all the best highlights on https://t.co/UN4KhitcC3 pic.twitter.com/arOTeEZ4Q7
Finland’s 27 goals are the fewest entering the semifinals, as the Czech Republic, Russia, and Canada sit with 44, 40, and 39, respectively. Now, the Finns have to face Russia, which has allowed the fewest goals against in the tournament with just 10 surrendered.
Their defense doesn’t jump off the page, but a typically nonexistent team effort is making them look like the gold-medal favorites.
Add in the dynamic duo of Nikita Kucherov and Nikita Gusev, who sit second and fourth in tournament scoring, and the odds are stacked in Finland’s favor. Then there’s Evgeni Dadonov, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Kuznetsov, carrying the depth.
The Russians can outscore any potential down game by netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, but with a 7-0 record, .938 SV%, 1.67 GAA, and two shutouts, Finland might well have a tough game ahead of them in all three zones.
Canada vs. Czech Republic
After assisting on the game-tying goal with just 0.4 seconds remaining, Mark Stone scored the overtime winner to send Canada past Switzerland and into the semifinals.
Stone came up big in the win, one that Canada needed without leading scorer and tournament goal-leader Anthony Mantha in the lineup. Mantha, who has seven goals and 12 points through seven games, served a one-game suspension following a hit to the head against Colin White of Team USA onTuesday.
Stone has now matched Mantha’s totals, albeit in one more game played, as the duo have made a strong one-two punch on different lines, showing the incredible depth of Team Canada even when the biggest names don’t participate.
Now 7-1 in the tournament, Canada is looking for its first World Championships title since 2016. But a lethal offense stands in the way.
#IIHFWorlds SEMIFINAL SET:
— Team Canada Men (@HC_Men) May 23, 2019
????? Saturday, May 25th
? Ondrej Nepela Arena, Bratislava
? 1:15 p.m. ET/10:15 a.m. PT
? @TSN_Sports
? https://t.co/er4qrz9q3g
High-scoring Czech Republic won’t be an easy out, as Jakub Voracek sits tied for second in tournament scoring with four goals and 12 assists for 16 points. Linemates Michael Frolik (14 points) and Dominik Simon (12 points) have been equally strong.
Defenseman Filip Hronek and second-line forward Dominik Kubalik have added to the collective effort of the Czechs, who are averaging 5.5 goals per-game with 44 tallies in eight contests.
The five players all sit in the top 11 in tournament scoring, and if the Canadians want to play for the gold, they’ll need to come up huge in their own zone before they can even think about outscoring the Czechs.
Don’t miss the final four games of the tournament with the semifinals taking place Saturday, followed by the championship and bronze-medal game on Sunday.
Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.