Finland – USA 3:2 (after OT) | Switzerland – Sweden2 3:2 (end) | Slovakia2 – Russia 1:2 (end)
Czech Republic – Canada2 0:4 (end)
final
Czech Republic
0:4 (0:2, 0:1, 0:1)
Canada2
Monday 05.08.2013, 19:00Hlinka Gretzky Cup
     
    With 3 points, Canada moves into a first-place tie with Switzerland in the Breclav Group after day 1, while the Czech Republic and Sweden are both pointless. Tomorrow Canada plays Sweden at 15:30 CEST/09:30 EDT and the Czechs play Switzerland at 19:00 CEST. (21:07:26)
     
    Players of the Game:

    CZE Vitek Vanecek, CAN Julio Bilia.

    Not to take anything away from Bilia, who obviously stopped every shot, but how can it not be Aaron Ekblad this game? Oh well.
     
    Brendan Lemieux had a shorthanded breakaway at the very end but the puck rolled off his stick as time expired.
     
    60:00
    Game over.
     
    59:48
    The Czechs are going to have a 2-man advantage to end the game as Clark Bishop is called for tripping, taking the skates out from under a Czech player.
     
    58:57
    Canada is now getting a penalty, it's Michael Dal Colle but I didn't see it or hear the announcement. Doesn't matter at this point.
     
    58:37
    A Czech 2-on-1 and Bilia has to slide across to make a nice pad save. He hasn't had a lot of work this period.
     
    57:45
    Ekbland with a beautiful set-up to Audette but Vanecek makes a great glove save. He's done all he can today. That would have been a 4th assist for Ekblad on the power play if not for that save.
     
    57:28
    Another save by Vanecek with :53 left in the power play.
     
    56:52
    Point tries to find Watson at the side of the net, but Watson deflects it high and out of play. Faceoff outside.
     
    56:21
    Filip Pyrochta put the clutches on Brendan Lemieux then let him go, but the ref calls it anyway. At this point, I'd have probably let it go, but anyway Canada goes once more to the power play.
     
    54:55
    Not completely on cruise control as Robby Fabbri throws a big open-ice hit in the neutral zone.
     
    54:28
    Offside Czech Republic, with the teams now back to 5 on 5.
     
    54:00
    Canada just firing the puck into the Czech zone every chance they get.
     
    52:56
    A shot from the point by Pyrochta through traffic and an off-balance Bilia makes the save.
     
    52:06
    Canada's Jayce Hawryluk called for interference at the Czech blue line. Power play Czech Republic.
     
    51:40
    Play now in the Canada zone as the Czechs change up, back at full strength.
     
    51:09
    McKeown with the shot from the point, stopped and held by Vanecek. No shot totals have been announced today, but he's seen plenty of rubber. :23 left in the penalty.
     
    50:48
    Dal Colle shoots from the boards, Vanecek holds on.
     
    50:15
    Interesting, up 4-0 in the 3rd Canada has its top PP unit out there.
     
    49:32
    Pavel Zacha is called for slashing in his own zone and Canada is headed back to the power play.
     
    48:35
    Canadian rush, McCann fires just wide from the right wing.
     
    48:10
    Canada keeping the puck in the Czech zone, Pilon with a shot that Vanacek holds.
     
    47:21
    Offside Czech Republic.
     
    47:00
    Rourke Chartier circles the Czech net and fires a shot, kicked out by Vanecek.
     
    45:51
    Czech clearing attempt is deflected out of play. Faceoff outside with :30 left in the penalty.
     
    45:10
    Clark Bishop with a nice individual effort on the PK, gets a shot and then pays for it in front of the Czech goal.
     
    44:21
    The Czech Republic with a chance on the power play as Hayden Fleury gets called for kneeing in front of his own net
     
    43:55
    Puck off the netting in the Czech zone, faceoff inside.
     
    42:22
    Offside Czech Republic.
     
    41:24
    Goal for Team Canada!
    Canada's power play strikes again, 4/6 if you count the penalty shot goal. DANIEL AUDETTE finishes off the play. Assists: Brayden Point, Aaron Ekblad (3a).
     
    40:32
    The Czech Republic's Filip Pyrochta is going off for interference. He lined up Roland McKeown in the neutral zone but when the pass missed McKeown he was committed and couldn't avoid it.
     
    40:01
    Start of 3rd period.
     
    Teams are returning to the ice. 3rd period faceoff is moments away.
     
    Canada adds to their lead late in the second period on Spencer Watson's penalty shot goal. Defensively, Canada was superb that period, though the Czechs did threaten on the power play this time.

    3rd period begins at 20:32 CEST, 14:32 EDT.
     
    40:00
    2nd period finished.
     
    38:40
    Ekblad with the slapper from the point, pad save Vanecek, Daniel Audette tried to put in the rebound but his angle was too sharp.
     
    37:55
    Goal for Team Canada!
    On the penalty shot, SPENCER WATSON fires it off the crossbar and in to make it 3-0 Canada.

    As a penalty shot goal does not cancel a power play, the Canadian power play has another 1:13 to work with.
     
    37:55
    Now Spencer Watson is tripped heading in on goal and is being awarded a penalty shot.
     
    37:08
    Czech captain Dominik Masin thwarts a Canadian chance by hauling down Jake Virtanen. Canadians back to the power play, they're 2/3.
     
    35:44
    Joe Hicketts shoots the puck into the Czech bench. Crowd hollers for a penalty because that is a penalty in the Czech league, but not elsewhere. Faceoff in the Canadian zone.
     
    35:15
    Pavel Zacha takes a tricky-looking wrister from the left wing that Bilia snares.
     
    33:53
    Czechs still can't break through, but the PP looks much better this time, particularly Masin on the point who had 3 shots, I think. :06 left in the penalty.
     
    33:00
    Canadians ice and change the PK unit.
     
    32:25
    Czechs threatening with the man advantage, Dominik Masin's shot is deflected in front and goes out of play. Faceoff inside.
     
    31:59
    Just after the Czechs kill the penalty they are going to the power play as Carl Neill hauled down Jakub Vrana down low.
     
    31:00
    Mad scramble in the dying seconds of the penalty, Fleury and McKeown both fire rolling pucks wide with traffic in front.
     
    30:39
    Threatening rush from Canada's second PP unit, Vanecek makes another save. :28 left in the penalty.
     
    29:57
    Sam Bennett with a high wrister that hits Vanecek in the shoulder, puck goes behind the net.
     
    29:07
    Now a power play to Canada as Ondrej Miklis is called for interference. The potent Canadian PP is back to work and, of course, Ekblad on the point.
     
    28:37
    Dal Colle with the shot, Vanecek stopped and Virtanen put the rebound wide with room on the near side.
     
    28:15
    Canada with another strong kill and now the puck is in the Czech zone . . .
     
    27:13
    Finally there's a shot by Dominik Masin, a wrister from the top of the circle that Bilia saw all the way. :52 left in the Czech PP.
     
    26:40
    The difference so far in this game has definitely been specialty teams. The Canadians have been dominant on their power plays while the Czechs have yet to generate a shot.
     
    26:05
    The Czechs are getting a power play as Jayce Hawryluk is called for interference in the attacking zone.
     
    25:48
    Canadians rolling lines now and getting shots on Vanecek.
     
    40:00
    What an effort by Spencer Watson, trying to beat two Czech defenceman and gets a quality shot on Vanecek, Bennett follows up trying to get the rebound and actually hits Vanecek (who was down) in the face with his stick. No call on either the Czech hold or Canadian high stick on the play.
     
    23:40
    Alexandre Carriere gets a couple of chances from the point, one hits a skate and comes back to him, second held onto by Vanecek.
     
    23:00
    The puck is deflected out of play at the Czech blueline, the faceoff will be just outside.
     
    22:16
    Czechs get a shot right off the draw, glove save Bilia and he holds on.
     
    22:11
    Puck goes into the Czech bench, faceoff in the Canadian zone (2nd period bench situation).
     
    21:20
    Jakub Vrana and Aaron Ekblad battling down low in the Canadian zone, eventually David Pastrnak gets a shot that Bilia turns away.
     
    20:01
    Start of 2nd period.
     
    Teams are on the ice and the 2nd period will begin shortly.
     
    The 2-0 score is maybe hard on the Czechs, who actually played mostly a good period, but Canadian power plays at the start and finish resulted in the two goals.

    2nd period starts at 19:48 CEST, 13:48 EDT.
     
    20:00
    1st period finished.
     
    19:57
    Goal for Team Canada!
    The Czechs don't seem to have an answer to Aaron Ekblad on the point on the power play. Expecting shot, he finds HAYDEN FLEURY for the goal this time. Canada 2/2 on the power play. Assist Aaron Ekblad.
     
    19:52
    Another shot from the point by Ekblad, this one was high and I don't think Vanecek saw it, but it hit him and went into the corner.
     
    19:26
    Two attempts from the point by Ekblad, the first was blocked but the second got through to Vanecek, who holds on.
     
    19:10
    Czechs ice it . . .
     
    18:33
    Now with :01 left in the power play the Czechs are called for too many players on the ice. They did not get a shot on the power play and after 1 second Canada will go to the PP for the second time. The bench minor is being served by Jakub Vrana.
     
    18:10
    Robby Fabbri's had a good opening period and he did a good job of ragging the puck to kill time off the penalty that last sequence--Czechs still without a shot this power play.
     
    17:00
    Rourke Chartier ices the puck and the Canadian PK unit makes a change.
     
    16:34
    The Czech Republic now going to the power play for the first time as Clark Bishop pulls down a Czech forward who had the puck right in front of the net. One of those that could be classified as a good penalty.
     
    16:22
    Icing Canada.
     
    16:12
    Offside Czech Republic.
     
    14:41
    The puck once again hits the netting above the glass in the Czech zone, faceoff inside coming up.
     
    14:05
    Puck goes out of play in the Czech zone, faceoff inside.
     
    13:15
    Whoa huge hit by Jakub Zboril on a Canadian player--I think it was Brendan Lemieux, but not 100% sure. It was right in front of the Canadian bench and he got off before I could tell who it was.
     
    12:35
    Vanecek catches a long shoot-in and holds for a faceoff in the Czech zone.
     
    12:20
    From the top of the slot, Sam Bennett fires a wrister high.
     
    11:45
    Vopelka attempts a wraparound--he's been everywhere this first period and after a strong start for Canada the Czechs have been coming on lately.
     
    11:29
    Some exciting back and forth action finishes with a save by Bilia. The crowd cheers the last sequence they just saw.
     
    10:52
    Now Vanecek makes a diving save at the side of the net off of Jake Virtanen, which draws some reaction from the crowd.
     
    10:07
    2-on-1 chance for the Czechs, Zacha fed Jakub Kotala, who ripped it just wide.
     
    09:21
    Alex Pepin with a shot attempt that gets deflected out of play. Faceoff in the Czech zone.
     
    08:30
    Vopelka with another shot on a rush, stick save Bilia.
     
    07:10
    Czech 2nd line now putting on some good pressure in the Canadian zone.
     
    07:02
    Hand pass called against the Czech Republic in the attacking zone, faceoff outside.
     
    06:55
    Vaclav Karabacek takes a long shot through traffic that hits Bilia's pad and dribbles just wide.
     
    06:10
    Jayce Hawryluk throws a body check into the boards front of the Czech bench . . .
     
    05:54
    Icing Czech Republic.
     
    05:45
    Pressure down low forced a turnover deep in the Czech zone. Robby Fabbri had a shot from point-blank but Vanecek robbed him.
     
    04:50
    Czech winger Lukas Vopelka shows some speed, winning a footrace to the puck and getting a good shot that Bilia had to be sharp on.
     
    04:21
    Brendan Lemieux takes a shot from the left wing on a rush, then he tries to dig for his own rebound. Finally the whistle goes.
     
    03:35
    Icing Czech Republic.
     
    03:20
    Offside Czech Republic.
     
    02:24
    Goal for Team Canada!
    They cash in on the power play. Back to Ekblad again on the draw, this time he finds MICHAEL DAL COLLE for the tap-in at the side of the net. Assist: Aaron Ekblad, Robby Fabbri.
     
    02:09
    Now it's Aaron Ekblad with a quick one-timer off the draw from the point, Vanecek stops and holds on.
     
    02:05
    A shot from the point by McKeown followed by a cloud of dust around the Czech goal and a little skirmish. Nothing comes of it. Faceoff in the Czech zone with 1:05 left in the Canadian PP.
     
    01:40
    Czech goaltender Vitek Vanecek covers a loose puck with pressure around him.
     
    01:10
    Canada is getting the game's first power play as defenceman Pavel Pycha gets called for hooking in his own zone.
     
    00:52
    Canada's starting line led a rush into the Czech zone but didn't get a shot. Czech Pavel Zacha registers the game's first shot, a long wrister. Bilia eventually covers.
     
    00:01
    Game started.
     
    The national anthems of Canada and the Czech Republic have been played, and the opening faceoff is moments away.
     
    Starting Lineups:

    Czech Republic: Vaněček (Pechek) – Zbořil, Pyrochta, Pýcha, Mašín, Mikliš, Zahradníček, Ščotka, Matula – Karabáček, Zacha, Kotala – Pastrňák Veselý, Vrána – Vopelka, Kovařčík, Jeniš – Černoch, Kuťák, Švarc. Coach: Petr Jakub.

    Canada: Bilia (McDonald) – Hickets, Ekblad, Fleury, McKeown, Pilon, Neill, Carrier – Bennett, Point, Watson, Dal Colle, Fabbri, Virtanen – Chartier, Bishop, Hawryluk – Lemieux, Audette, McCann. Coach: Dale Hunter.

    Referees: Hřibík, Šír – Hlavatý, Tošenovjan.
     
    The Czech Republic and Canada are on the ice for pre-game warmups. This is the first game for each team in this year's tournament. The Czechs are the home team and are wearing white uniforms with blue and red trim, red pants and blue helmets. Canada is the visiting team and are wearing red uniforms with white and black trim, black pants and helmets.
     
    Welcome. This game starts at 19:00 CEST, 13:00 EDT.

    Derek OBrien

    Goals and assists: 3. DalColle (Ekblad, Fabbri), 20. Fleury (Ekblad), 38. Watson (p.s.), 42. Audette (Point, Ekblad)


    Czech Republic: Vaněček (Pechek) – Zbořil, Pyrochta, Pýcha, Mašín, Mikliš, Zahradníček, Ščotka, Matula – Karabáček, Zacha, Kotala – Pastrňák Veselý, Vrána – Vopelka, Kovařčík, Jeniš – Černoch, Kuťák, Švarc. Coach: Petr Jakub.
    Canada2: Bilia (McDonald) – Hickets, Ekblad, Fleury, McKeown, Pilon, Neill, Carrier – Bennett, Point, Watson, Dal Colle, Fabbri, Virtanen – Chartier, Bishop, Hawryluk – Lemieux, Audette, McCann – Pépin. Coach: Dale Hunter.

    Referees: Hřibík, Šír – Hlavatý, Tošenovjan