Canada and Russia played for gold last year. This year, they meet a day earlier, but the rivalry will be just as intense.
photo: Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images
The 2021 World Junior Championship is down to four teams. Two will play for gold, two for bronze tomorrow, but today we have two classic semi-finals matches.
Semi-final I — Canada-Russia
Canada will be the home team in this 43rd clash between the giants of the game. To date, the Soviets/Russia have won 20 and tied two. Canada has won 19, and one game was suspended (Piestany, 1987).
Strangely, Russia has had troubles scoring goals this year. Although they have 18 in five games, seven came in a win over Austria. The Czechs shut them out and Germany held them to two goals. Of the top 30 scorers in the tournament, only two are Russian—Rodion Amirov, with six points, and Marat Khusnutdinov with five.
Canada, meanwhile, leads all countries with 36 goals scored, and if you take out the 16 against Germany that’s still 20 in four games. Dylan Cozens leads the tournament with seven goals and is second in points with 13. More importantly, he has proved able to score and create offence at the right times.
In goal, Devon Levi has been rock solid all event and very reliable when needed, mostly in the team’s 3-0 win over the Czechs in the quarter-finals. He has allowed just three goals in nearly five full games, with two shutouts. At the other end, Yaroslav Askarov has been good at times and not so good at others. He has given up nine goals in four games with a 2.22 GAA.
Canada has a balanced attack. Every player on the team has at least one point, and all four forward lines have proved capable of scoring. The Russians would argue the same, though, and coach Igor Larionov believes his team is equally balanced both up front and on the back end. His players are aware Canada took gold last year at Russia’s expense, but the Canadians are aware of their own winning tradition.
Although both power plays are clicking at about 30 per cent, Russia’s penalty killers have allowed only one goal in 17 short-handed situations to Canada’s four. However, both teams have also been very disciplined, taking only 15 (Canada) and 18 minors in the entire tournament. In short, special teams aren’t likely to determine the winner.
So what will make the difference? Passion and execution. Who wants it more? Who will be more disciplined, more tenacious, more determined to play error-free and aggressive hockey. To that team will go the spoils.
Semi-final I — Canada-Russia
Canada will be the home team in this 43rd clash between the giants of the game. To date, the Soviets/Russia have won 20 and tied two. Canada has won 19, and one game was suspended (Piestany, 1987).
Strangely, Russia has had troubles scoring goals this year. Although they have 18 in five games, seven came in a win over Austria. The Czechs shut them out and Germany held them to two goals. Of the top 30 scorers in the tournament, only two are Russian—Rodion Amirov, with six points, and Marat Khusnutdinov with five.
Canada, meanwhile, leads all countries with 36 goals scored, and if you take out the 16 against Germany that’s still 20 in four games. Dylan Cozens leads the tournament with seven goals and is second in points with 13. More importantly, he has proved able to score and create offence at the right times.
In goal, Devon Levi has been rock solid all event and very reliable when needed, mostly in the team’s 3-0 win over the Czechs in the quarter-finals. He has allowed just three goals in nearly five full games, with two shutouts. At the other end, Yaroslav Askarov has been good at times and not so good at others. He has given up nine goals in four games with a 2.22 GAA.
Canada has a balanced attack. Every player on the team has at least one point, and all four forward lines have proved capable of scoring. The Russians would argue the same, though, and coach Igor Larionov believes his team is equally balanced both up front and on the back end. His players are aware Canada took gold last year at Russia’s expense, but the Canadians are aware of their own winning tradition.
Although both power plays are clicking at about 30 per cent, Russia’s penalty killers have allowed only one goal in 17 short-handed situations to Canada’s four. However, both teams have also been very disciplined, taking only 15 (Canada) and 18 minors in the entire tournament. In short, special teams aren’t likely to determine the winner.
So what will make the difference? Passion and execution. Who wants it more? Who will be more disciplined, more tenacious, more determined to play error-free and aggressive hockey. To that team will go the spoils.
Canada-Russia renew one fo the best World Junior rivalries in the first semi-final.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Semi-finals II — United States-Finland
The U.S. will be the home team in this the 36th U20 meeting between these teams. The Finns hold a slight 18-1-16 advantage, but nothing to say categorically that they are favourites today.
The teams have arrived at the same place in different ways. The U.S. had the toughest opening game and lost, 5-3 to Russia, and have played brilliantly since, winning four in a row and three by shutout. The Finns started slowly but have been getting better and better, culminating in a sensational, come-from-behind 3-2 win over archrivals Sweden on Saturday.
Kari Piiroinen has been great in goal for Finland, but Spencer Knight has been nearly unbeatable for the U.S., so the edge has to go to the Americans. The U.S. also has a decided edge is offence, having scored 30 times to 19 for Finland. They also have eight of their goals via the power play at a rate of 42 per cent, a whopping number that could make the difference tonight.
To that end, there is also one massive difference. The Finns lead the entire tournament with 62 PIMs, including 21 minors, tops of all teams. Go to the bottom of the list and that’s where the Americans are, having incurred only ten minors and 30 PIMs, the lowest tally.
While captain Anton Lundell and Topi Niemala are the leading scorers for the Finns, with seven points each, the U.S. has Trevor Zegras, who leads all scorers with 15 points and who has proved an explosive presence to the team’s offense. Finland will have to stop Zegras if it hopes to win, but so far the young American has proved unstoppable.
This could well be a game decided by mistakes. Which team takes the careless penalty? Which special team will prove superior? Which goalie will make the big save or give up the uncharacteristic easy one? Today’s game-winning goal will be scored in the third period or later, and the first goal won’t matter between two very persistent and ambitious teams.
The U.S. will be the home team in this the 36th U20 meeting between these teams. The Finns hold a slight 18-1-16 advantage, but nothing to say categorically that they are favourites today.
The teams have arrived at the same place in different ways. The U.S. had the toughest opening game and lost, 5-3 to Russia, and have played brilliantly since, winning four in a row and three by shutout. The Finns started slowly but have been getting better and better, culminating in a sensational, come-from-behind 3-2 win over archrivals Sweden on Saturday.
Kari Piiroinen has been great in goal for Finland, but Spencer Knight has been nearly unbeatable for the U.S., so the edge has to go to the Americans. The U.S. also has a decided edge is offence, having scored 30 times to 19 for Finland. They also have eight of their goals via the power play at a rate of 42 per cent, a whopping number that could make the difference tonight.
To that end, there is also one massive difference. The Finns lead the entire tournament with 62 PIMs, including 21 minors, tops of all teams. Go to the bottom of the list and that’s where the Americans are, having incurred only ten minors and 30 PIMs, the lowest tally.
While captain Anton Lundell and Topi Niemala are the leading scorers for the Finns, with seven points each, the U.S. has Trevor Zegras, who leads all scorers with 15 points and who has proved an explosive presence to the team’s offense. Finland will have to stop Zegras if it hopes to win, but so far the young American has proved unstoppable.
This could well be a game decided by mistakes. Which team takes the careless penalty? Which special team will prove superior? Which goalie will make the big save or give up the uncharacteristic easy one? Today’s game-winning goal will be scored in the third period or later, and the first goal won’t matter between two very persistent and ambitious teams.
Finland defeated USA to win gold at the 2019 World Juniors in Vancouver.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images