Czech Republic celebrate victory over U.S.A
Posted December 30, 2011 6:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
EDMONTON — The Czech Republic all but ended the United States’ medal hopes Friday by delivering a 5-2 win at the world junior hockey championship.
Czech forward Petr Holik tapped in a goalmouth rebound with less than eight minutes to go in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and lead his team to the win.
Thomas Filippi added an insurance marker at 17:19, followed by an empty-net goal by Holik just over a minute later.
The victory also assured 3-0 Canada would win Pool B and get a bye to the semifinal.
The Czechs were saved by the hot hand of goalie Petr Mrazek. The Detroit Red Wings prospect stopped 52 of 54 shots, many from close in or on goalmouth redirections.
Filippi had two goals in the game. Tomas Hertl also scored for the Czech Republic while TJ Tynan and Bill Arnold replied for the Americans.
The setback left the Americans’ medal-round hopes hanging by a thread.
At 1-2, the Americans need winless Denmark team to defeat Finland later Friday to avoid going into the relegation pool.
The win put the 2-1 Czechs in second place in Pool B but they can’t catch Canada. They wrap up the preliminary round against Finland on Saturday.
The U.S. dominated for much of the game.
The Americans opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 5:14 of the first period. Miller, streaking down the left wing, slipped the puck through the slot, which Tynan then redirected past Mrazek.
The Czechs were playing shorthanded at the time after forward Petr Straka was given a boarding major and a game misconduct for ramming U.S. defenceman Derek Forbort into the boards at centre ice.
The Czechs answered back at 12:05 when forward Filippi fired a shot from close in on U.S. goalie Jack Campbell.
Campbell blocked the shot with his goal pad but before he could smother the puck Filippi banged it through his legs and into the net.
The Americans outshot the Czechs 18-6 in the frame but found themselves tied at one.
The Americans regained the lead at 11:50 of the second period. Mrazek deflected a bad-angle shot from U.S. forward Jason Zucker right to Arnold, who was standing at the side of the crease for the quick tap in.
Czech forward Hertl answered back three minutes later, grabbing a turnover in the U.S. end, walking in alone on Campbell and lifting a backhand shot over Campbell’s left shoulder.
The U.S. had a chance to take a 3-2 lead on a penalty shot midway through the third period when Josh Archibald was tripped on a breakaway.
Archibald tried a backhand deke on Mrazek, lost control of the puck, which bounced harmlessly off the side of the net.
It was a partisan anti-U.S. crowd, cheering the Czechs, lustily booing the Americans, and taunting the U.S. goalie with drawn out mocking chants of “Caaampbelllll, Caaampbellllll!”
