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WJC: Makar and Timmins win gold

The 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship was capped off by yesterday’s medal round. While the United States trashed the Czech Republic in the bronze medal game, which saw 12 goals being scored en route to a dominant US win, the Canadians, along with Avalanche prospects duo Cale Makar and Conor Timmins, squared off against Sweden in a dramatic game for gold.

Sweden – Canada 1:3 (0:0, 1:1, 0:2)

34. Soderlund (Lindstrom, Brannstrom) – 22. Dube (Kyrou, Steel), 59. Steenbergen (Timmins), 59. Formenton (Mete)

Both teams were cautious to begin the game, with Canada looking to capture their first gold medal since 2015, while the Swedes eager to win gold for the first time since 2012. Both teams had several chances, with the goalies being in the spotlight in the opening frame, as neither Carter Hart, nor Filip Gustavsson surrendered any goals. The Swedes held the lead in terms of shots, leading the Canadians 16 to 8. The first goal of the game came in the second frame, as Dillon Dube scored less than two minutes into the period. The Swedes came back to tie the game in the second half of the period, as Tim Soderlund beat Hart top shelf while shorthanded. Both teams went into the final period tied at one, only racking up missed chances and shots ringing off the post up until the final two minutes of regulation. Tyler Steenbergen scored the biggest goal of his young career after a brilliant slap-pass from Conor Timmins to pull Canada ahead. With nothing to lose, the Swedes pulled their goalie, but to no avail, as Alex Formenton scored less than 20 seconds after Gustavsson skated to the bench to clinch goal for the Canadians.Conor Timmins played almost 21 minutes in the win, recording two shots in the opening period, as well as an assist on Steenbergen’s game-winning goal. Timmins was also on the ice for all three Canadian goals, finishing the game +3. His fellow Avalanche prospect Cale Makar only had a TOI of 8:31, as the Canadian coaching staff were relying on more experienced players in a tight game. Makar managed to record two shots on goal, but ended the night -1. Despite a rather mediocre finals performance, Makar was excellent throughout the entire tournament, finishing the tourney as the highest-scoring defenseman and being named to the tournament’s All-Star Team along with Sweden’s Filip Gustavsson and Rasmus Dahlin, US forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Keiffer Bellows, and Czech forward Filip Zadina.

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