Dylan Samberg
and the defending champion United States thumped the Czech Republic 9-3 for bronze, giving them a medal in three straight world juniors.
BUFFALO, N.Y.— Bronze wasn’t the colour they wanted, but the Americans finished the world junior tournament they hosted with a medal, beating the Czechs 9-3 on Friday.
Most of the fans in the stands were Canadians, cheering the Czechs, while waiting for the gold medal game between Sweden and Canada.
Trent Frederic — a Boston Bruins prospect — had four goals to pace the Americans. Kieffer Bellows had two goals and an assist.
Ryan Poehling, Joey Anderson and Patrick Harper also scored for the Americans.
“It’s a huge honour to get a bronze medal,” said Bellows, who scored nine times in the event, the most ever by an American. “It’s obviously not the medal we wanted. But it sets the stage for younger kids coming up. USA Hockey is in a really good place right now.”
It’s the sixth bronze medal for the Americans, who entered the tournament as one of the favourites and the reigning gold medal champion. The Americans have won medals three straight years.
Daniel Kurovsky, Radovan Pavlik and Martin Kaut scored for the Czechs, who go home without a medal. Star forward Filip Zadina took no solace that his team was going home in fourth, the hockey nation’s best showing since winning bronze in 2005. “We wanted to be better. We weren’t,” said Zadina. “They were better.” COMING HOME: Buffalo Sabres prospect Alexander Nylander had a strong tournament for the Swedes, taking encouragement from his older brother, William, with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“He’s been in touch a little bit throughout the tournament. He’s been telling me to play my game and work hard every shift and good things will happen,” Alexander said of his brother.
The younger Nylander hasn’t had the greatest start to his professional career with the Sabres, injured to start the year and now on loan from the AHL Rochester Americans. He’s been able to draw some confidence from a good showing here, his third time representing Sweden at this level.
“To come to this tournament, and I’ve been here for three years now,
really helps my development. I’m working hard, doing the things I’m good at, working on all your game offensively and defensively, so it’s a good challenge.”
NO PRESSURE: It’s often believed fans and the media put an unfair amount of pressure on the Canadian players at the world juniors to win gold. Canadian defenceman Cale Makar thinks otherwise. “Pressure is just a made up thing,” says the Colorado Avalanche prospect. “It’s something if you make it something, if you want those nerves to be part of your game. It’s whatever works for you.”