Team Canada will not defend their junior championship crown after losing to Finland in the quarterfinals of the 2016 World Junior Championship on Saturday.
World Junior Hockey 2016 scores: Canada shockingly eliminated, USA cruises to semis
Canada missed the semis for the first time in 18 years.
Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
It was perhaps the best game of the tournament, with plenty of lead changes, high-flying offenses and a dramatic final frame that sent the host country into the semifinals.
Patrik Laine scored the game-winner and another for Finland, while teammate Jesse Puljujarvi continued to lead the tournament in scoring with three assists on the day. He needs three more points to break Jaromir Jagr’s record for most points (17) by an under-18 player in a World Junior Championship.
It’s the first time Canada missed the semifinals in the last 18 years.
USA’s offense keeps rolling against the Czech Republic
The Americans cannot stop scoring, nor can they apparently be scored upon.
Coming off an outstanding 10-1 win over Switzerland, the U.S. met the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals Saturday and took them to town as well in a 7-0 win. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves in the win for the Americans.
Auston Matthews, who many expect to be the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, registered a hat trick in the win. The USA advances to play Russia in the semifinals.
Russia survives Danish scare, holds on to win 4-3
Denmark had a quarterfinal upset looming for much of the third period before Russia stormed back to steal the win.
The Danes held a 4-3 lead with under a minute remaining in the third period when Nashville Predators prospect Vladislav Kamenev knotted the game with the goalie pulled to send it to overtime. The two countries slogged through most of the overtime period before Kamenev struck again, sending the undefeated Russians into the quarterfinals to face the U.S.
Finland starts slow, finishes with big 8-3 win over Slovakia
The high-flying Finns found themselves in an odd position after one period Wednesday, trailing the Slovaks 2-1 at the break. Things quickly got away from Slovakia.
Finland took the lead with goals from Roope Hintz and Aleksi Saarela in the second period before the dam finally burst in the third. That’s when Finland’s best players came out to play: Jesse Puljujarvi, Sebastian Aho, Patrik Laine and Kasperi Kapenen all scored as part of a six-goal frame for the host country. Puljujarvi (10), Aho (7) and Laine (7) now lead the tournament in points. Yet Finland still sits third in Group B behind the Czech Republic and Russia.
Sweden advances with easy win over Slovakia
As we've come to expect from Sweden in this tournament, this game wasn't close. Sweden goalie Linus Soderstrom made 17 saves for his second shutout of the tournament, sending the undefeated Swedes into the semifinals to face Finland.
Jens Looke, Adrian Kempe, Axel Holmstrom, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Christopher Ehn and Alexander Nylander all scored for Sweden. Three third-period goals put the game on ice for what might be the best team in the tournament.
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