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Game One: Finland lays siege to Thibault Fatton, who valiantly tries his best until he can’t anymore. Finns win 4-1
Hats off to Die Eisgenossen’s goalie, Thibault Fatton, who has been playing out of his mind over his first two games. Pity the rest of the team can’t keep up.
Game Notes:
- Once again, Switzerland definitely plays like a team that’s good, but unfortunately their offensive capability just can’t keep up. Finland just dropped a train on them.
- Topi Niemela and Brad Lambert (?) made themselves known with a pair of points for each. It was just a solid game for both!
- Bruins Prospects in this game: Another night off for Mantykivi.
Game Two: Slovakia got a defense, everybody! Canada still wins 3-1 though.
After so much scoring, Canada had an issue with trying to get another lopsided victory going. Slovakia of course, had no compulsions on making it one.
Game Notes:
- Before we go anywhere else, I’d like to wish Devon Levi a very happy belated birthday, I hope you got something nice from the team.
- While yeah, Canada didn’t seem like the Ultramurderdeathkill level threat that they normally did, let’s give Slovakia’s defense some real props. They held Canada to a single goal for most of the game, and held them to 23 shots overall. They couldn’t capitalize on that in the same way they might’ve with...say...some other big power nation, but they played like champions the whole way. Good on you, Slovensko!
- I wish Martin Chromiak was a Boston Bruin prospect. :(
Game 3 - The Czechs, of all teams, shut Russia right down in 2-0 upset
Where the hell did this come from?
Game Notes:
- Look, don’t get this twisted and assume Russia showed up late or something. They tried. They put shots on, they forced the Czechs to take way more penalties than they did, they tried a lot, and it didn’t matter because the Czechs put on an absolute clinic of defense today. While 30 shots did make their way to Lukas Parik, it felt like pretty much all of them were as low danger as the Czechs could manage to make them.
- And to the Czech’s credit, they played like their hair was on fire for the entire game. They just made life for the Russians absolutely miserable. No lanes went unclogged. No mistakes unpunished. They celebrated like they just medaled for a reason: They were not supposed to do this and for as completely as they did. Good. On. You.
- And now you gotta do it to the Americans. Which, if you play like this, you very easily could...Y’know, for the first 40 minutes. Then hang on for dear life in the third.
- Bruins at the World Juniors: Bychkov did not play in this game.
Today’s Games:
Austria vs. Sweden - 6pm
Slovakia vs. Germany - 9:30pm
Personal Recommendation: Bit of a light slate tbh. I’d lean more waiting for the Slovakia/Germany match just because Slovakia’s on comparatively little rest, but that’s because I’m indeed a sicko. Maybe I just wanna see them pull one out, maybe I like suffering. Who’s to say?
