Thursday, December 24, 2009

Canada survives

Press Release

REGINA – Local star Jordan Eberle scored the winning goal as Canada edged the Czech Republic 3-2 in a world junior exhibition game Wednesday night.

Taylor Hall scored for the third time in three world junior pre-competition games and Gabriel Bourque also had a goal for Canada, which scored all its goals in the second half of the second period.

Tomas Vincour, who plays for the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Oil Kings, and Tomas Knotek replied for the Czech Republic.

Like Sweden and Finland before them, the Czechs didn't shy away from physical activity against Canada. Hall, who suffered a minor knee injury against Sweden, was levelled twice in the first period.

Czech defenceman Radko Gudas was also throwing his weight around with big hits on Canada's Brandon McMillan and Jordan Caron.

Canada outshot the Czechs 15-5 in the first period and had several excellent chances, but goaltender Pavel Francouz stopped them all with even better saves and a hot glove hand.

Francouz had some help from his teammates to keep the game scoreless at the start of the second. After another great stop left him out of position, defenceman Jaroslav Kruzik bailed him out when he slid through Francouz's crease and saved a goal.

Francouz robbed Nazem Kadri on the next shift, and when the play went to the other end Vincour redirected captain Michal Jordan's point shot past Canadian goaltender Jake Allen.

Canada then responded with a three-goal explosion – one even strength, one short-handed and one on the power play.

After highlight reel goals against both Sweden and Finland, it was Hall who got the scoring started for Canada with another pretty effort.

Hall, Canada's youngest player and the projected top draft pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, was sent in on a partial breakaway by Alex Pietrangelo and, after fighting off the Czech defender, shoulder faked left and went right.

Francouz made the initial save, but this time there was no one around to keep Hall from banging in his own rebound. Hall now leads the team with three goals in pre-competition play.

Bourque put Canada up 2-1 short-handed when he stepped over the blue-line and wired a wrist shot behind Francouz.

With less than a minute remaining in the second, Regina Pats star Eberle made it a 3-1 game when he banged in a Ryan Ellis rebound during a power play. Kadri earned his fourth assist on the play, giving him an exhibition-best four points.

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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