There were only two games played on day four of the 2016 World Junior Championship, but the second of the two matches offered plenty of tense moments as Switzerland and Canada went right down to the wire, with Canada gaining the edge in the shootout. Russia, meanwhile, stayed undefeated with a stout victory over Belarus.
Russia 4 – Belarus 1
Russia continues to keep rolling along, winning their third straight game, handily defeating Belarus by a score of 4-1.
Team captain Vladislav Kamenev, a Nashville Predators 2nd rounder, had a goal and an assist, while undrafted forward Alexander Polunin tallied twice.
Belarus, an underdog team heading into the tournament, has unsurprisingly lost all three of their games so far and will now be fighting to avoid relegation. They’ve been outscored by a combined total of 14-3 so far in the event.
“It was a tough game, everybody could see that the other team was better and more skilled, and could create chances, they play hockey on a very high level,” said Belarus coach Alexander Beliavski. “We did our best, but the other team was better, and I don’t think they gave everything they’ve got.”
Canada 3 – Switzerland 2 (SO)
Switzerland jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and came oh-so-close to their first ever win over Canada at the World Juniors, but the Canadians eventually battled back to claim the game in the shootout.
Brayden Point and Mathew Barzal had the only goals in the shootout, while Dylan Strome tied the tournament lead in goals with his third. Canada started the game flat, but came roaring back and nearly capitalized on a number of their third period chances. Joe Hicketts had their other regulation goal.
The Swiss began the game aggressively, playing Canada tight and pushing them back, and were rewarded with a two goal lead in the first period, but that would be the only time that they controlled the flow of the game. Starting goalie Joren van Pottelberghe stood tall for his home nation, making 32 saves to keep his team in it in the later stages. Switzerland is still searching for their first win of the tournament.
What’s Up Next:
- Czech Republic vs. Belarus at 6:00AM
- Sweden vs. Denmark at 8:00AM
- Slovakia vs. Finland at 10:00AM
- United States vs. Switzerland at 12:00PM/