WJC: Avs prospects advance to semifinals
Both Avalanche prospects and their respective teams advanced to the semifinals.The knockout stages of the 2016 World Juniors in Helskinki kicked off today, as teams battled for a place in the semifinals. Both Avalanche prospects were in action and both had a reason to cheer, as their respective teams advanced and will play for a berth in the finals.
First up was defenseman Sergei Boikov. Boikov and the Russians played Denmark, in what was supposed to be a one-sided game. However, the underdogs from Denmark showed plenty of heart, leading 2-3 until the dying seconds of the third period. Eventually, the Russians tied the game with less than a minute to go and carried the momentum into overtime, where they scored their fourth goal, thus averting a monumental upset. Boikov didn’t get on the scoresheet, but recorded a shot on goal in the first period. The Russians will face off against the US on Monday.
The Russians tied the game with less than a minute to go in the third
Forward Mikko Rantanen and the Finns played against Canada, handing the reigning champions a 6-5 defeat after a dramatic game. The Canadians jumped to an early 0-2 lead, but were outscored 3-1 in the second period. Both teams went on to score a couple of goals in the third period, with Finland scoring the game-winning goal on a 5-on-3 power-play. The Finnish captain remained on the third line, but also played on the man-advantage. Although Rantanen failed to record a point, he certainly didn’t lack the effort to do so, evident by his three shots on goal. He was also involved in a less fortunate moment for the hosts, as gave the Canadians a power-play, which resulted in them tying the score at 5. Finland will battle their Swedish rivals for a place in the finals.
The Finnish captain recorded three shots on goal
Michal Hezely, Slovakia, hezely@eurolanche.com
02/01/2016 - 21:00
