With two losses so far, the Slovaks haven't had much to celebrate at the 2019 U18 Worlds, but their power play has been potent indeed.
photo: Steve Kingsman / HHOF-IIHF Images
Through the first eight U18 games in Umea and Ornskoldsvik, a whopping 73 goals have been scored. That’s an average of 9.125 per game, or 4.56 per team, per game. That also provides fertile ground for us to have some fun with numbers.
Here are five unusual stats to check out.
1) With seven goals in two games, U.S. forward Cole Caufield is on pace to smash Alexander Ovechkin’s record for the most goals in one U18 tournament (14 goals in eight games in 2002). That said, Caufield remains 658 goals behind Ovechkin in the all-time NHL goal-scoring derby. No pressure.
2) When we chatted with Quinn Hughes at last summer’s World Junior Showcase in Kamloops, British Columbia, he praised his younger brother Jack: “I have a lot of respect for him...he has a very smart hockey mind.” That’s good. If there was a more vicious sibling rivalry, it could be a problem. You see, Jack, with his record-setting seven-point performance versus Slovakia (4+3=7), exceeded in one game Quinn’s entire offensive output at the 2017 U18 Worlds (1+4=5 in seven games). Oh, brother!
3) Finland fell 5-3 to Canada and 4-3 to Belarus to open the tournament. It’s the first time in history a defending U18 champion has started with two straight losses. But don’t fret too much, Finnish fans: this is a young tournament. The IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship debuted less than two years before the oldest 2001-born players here in Sweden were born – on 8 April, 1999 in Fussen and Kaufbeuren, Germany.
4) After you’ve allowed 18 goals and lost two straight games, it’s rare that you can proclaim: “We’re the best!” However, Slovakia can (theoretically) do that. The Slovaks are tied with the Americans for the tournament’s best power play. They’ve gone 5-for-11 with the man advantage, clicking at 45.45 percent. With crucial games coming up against host Sweden and Latvia, though, head coach Villiam Cacho probably isn’t planning the parade.
5) Usually, when both your goalies have a GAA of 3.00, neither is a tournament all-star team candidate. That said, if the Belarus tandem was nominated today, they’d likely rank 1-2 in the media voting. Alexei Kolosov shone with 47 saves (94.0 save percentage) in the 4-3 opening win over the Czech Republic. Rostislav Zinovenko set the bar even higher with 58 saves (95.08 save percentage) in the 4-3 upset over Finland. Of course, it’s early, but right now, these kids are making their bid to become the next Andrei Mezin.
Here are five unusual stats to check out.
1) With seven goals in two games, U.S. forward Cole Caufield is on pace to smash Alexander Ovechkin’s record for the most goals in one U18 tournament (14 goals in eight games in 2002). That said, Caufield remains 658 goals behind Ovechkin in the all-time NHL goal-scoring derby. No pressure.
2) When we chatted with Quinn Hughes at last summer’s World Junior Showcase in Kamloops, British Columbia, he praised his younger brother Jack: “I have a lot of respect for him...he has a very smart hockey mind.” That’s good. If there was a more vicious sibling rivalry, it could be a problem. You see, Jack, with his record-setting seven-point performance versus Slovakia (4+3=7), exceeded in one game Quinn’s entire offensive output at the 2017 U18 Worlds (1+4=5 in seven games). Oh, brother!
3) Finland fell 5-3 to Canada and 4-3 to Belarus to open the tournament. It’s the first time in history a defending U18 champion has started with two straight losses. But don’t fret too much, Finnish fans: this is a young tournament. The IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship debuted less than two years before the oldest 2001-born players here in Sweden were born – on 8 April, 1999 in Fussen and Kaufbeuren, Germany.
4) After you’ve allowed 18 goals and lost two straight games, it’s rare that you can proclaim: “We’re the best!” However, Slovakia can (theoretically) do that. The Slovaks are tied with the Americans for the tournament’s best power play. They’ve gone 5-for-11 with the man advantage, clicking at 45.45 percent. With crucial games coming up against host Sweden and Latvia, though, head coach Villiam Cacho probably isn’t planning the parade.
5) Usually, when both your goalies have a GAA of 3.00, neither is a tournament all-star team candidate. That said, if the Belarus tandem was nominated today, they’d likely rank 1-2 in the media voting. Alexei Kolosov shone with 47 saves (94.0 save percentage) in the 4-3 opening win over the Czech Republic. Rostislav Zinovenko set the bar even higher with 58 saves (95.08 save percentage) in the 4-3 upset over Finland. Of course, it’s early, but right now, these kids are making their bid to become the next Andrei Mezin.