Czechs spring shocking upset of Russians
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Filip Zadina and Filip Chytil scored second-period goals for the Czech Republic in a stunning 5-4 victory over Russia in the opening game of the world junior hockey championships on Tuesday.
Russia has medalled at the past seven world juniors while the Czech Republic has not reached the medal round since 2005. This was the Czech Republic’s second victory in the past 12 meetings with Russia.
Martin Necas, Filip Kral and Ostap Safin also scored for the Czech Republic, and Martin Kaut had three assists. Josef Korenar made 34 saves.
Zadina and Chytil scored to give the Czech Republic a 4-2 lead late in the second period. Filip Kraul scored the Czech Republic’s fifth goal 6:16 into the third period.
Artur Kayumov and Vladislav Syomin scored late in the third period for Russia. Marsel Sholokhov and Alexei Polodyan scored in the first period.
Sweden rolls over Belarus
In another preliminary round game, Lias Andersson scored twice for Sweden in a 6-1 win over Belarus.
Elias Pettersson and Erik Brannstrom each added a goal and an assist. Glenn Gustafsson and Jens Boqvist scored Sweden’s other two goals. Alexander Nylander, Rasmus Dahlin and Fredrik Karlstrom had two assists apiece.
Yegor Sharangovich scored for Belarus. Andrei Grishenko stopped 31 shots.
Canada opens Spengler Cup with victory over Mountfield HK
David McIntyre scored the eventual winner while short-handed in the third period and added an assist as Canada got past Mountfield HK 5-3 on Tuesday in its Spengler Cup opener.
Victor Bartley, Curtis Hamilton, Mason Raymond and P-A Parenteau, into an empty net, also had goals for the Canadians (1-0). Barry Brust made 31 saves for the win in net.
Andris Dzerins, Oskars Cibulskis and Lukas Vopelka found the back of the net for Mountfield (0-1). Patrik Rybar stopped 21 shots in defeat.
Canada is two-time defending champions at the Spengler Cup and are using the tournament as a final evaluation before deciding on its Olympic roster in January.
Vopelka opened the scoring for Mountfield midway through the first.
Canada tied the game at 1-1 after a shot from Bartley had a weird bounce off the boards and then deflected off Rybar’s skate and into the net.
Curtis Hamilton finished off a nice passing play by lifting the puck over Rybar’s blocker to put the Canadians in front 2-1 late in the first period.
Mountfield tied it 2-2 with a goal from Cibulskis, but then Mason Raymond put the Canadians back ahead with a shot from the point on the power play at 9:34.
McIntyre scored the winner at 13:05 of the third. Dzerins cut the deficit to one later in the period before Parenteau rounded out the attack.
Canada was 1 for 4 on the power play and Mountfield was scoreless on three opportunities.
The Canadians have a day off on Wednesday before facing host HC Davos in their final preliminary round game on Thursday.