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Czechs Outlast Swiss in Shootout

The Czech Republic came away with two points in what was a wild one in Copenhagen at the Royal Arena. The Czechs beat Switzerland in a shootout in a game that was penalty filled and, at times, just plain crazy.

The Swiss power play had been nonexistent for the majority of the World Championship tournament. All it took was a meeting with the Czechs, a notoriously undisciplined team in the tournament, to right that ship.

The Czechs ended the game with 26 penalty minutes to the Swiss team’s 18. There was also a shorthanded penalty shot for Switzerland later in the third period that we will get to.

The first goal of the game was scored by Nino Niederreiter for the Swiss, set up when Libor Sulak of the Czech Republic took a double minor for high sticking at 10:35. It was a 4-on-4 goal because Switzerland’s Chris Baltisberger also took a tripping penalty at the same time. It was 1-0 Switzerland and we were off. Niederreiter’s goal was assisted by Gregory Hofmann.

The Czechs tied things when Mirco Mueller was called for tripping at 14:41 of the first period. Dominik Kubalik scored on that power play on a goal from Martin Necas at 16:21.

Late in the first period, with less than 30 seconds left, Czech netminder Pavel Francouz was called for delay of game. It would only take the Swiss 47 seconds into the next frame to take a 2-1 lead. Hofmann scored on that one from Sven Andrighetto and Raphael Diaz.

The Swiss would then add an insurance goal at the 2:07 mark when Simon Moser scored with assists to Joel Vermin and Mueller. That one was a rare even strength goal in this game. It was now 3-1 Switzerland.

The Czechs would cut the lead to 3-2 when Switzerland’s Chris Baltisberger was called for boarding at 2:46. It was event strength at 4-on-4 because Jakub Krejcik had taken a high sticking penalty 30 seconds prior and that penalty had not expired yet to put Czech Republic on the power play when the goal was scored. It was scored by Michal Moravcik from David Sklenicka and Tomas Hyka at 4:09. It came whne Hofmann broke his stick on the penalty kill and had to go to the bench to get a new one, essentially putting the Swiss down 5-on-3. The Czechs took advantage and scored on the play.

Switzerland would double up their lead, however when Niederreiter scored his second on the power play. The Czech’s Dmitrij Jaskin was called for tripping at 5:56. The Swiss goal came at 7:21 off assists from Moser and Ramon Untersander. It was now 4-2 Switzerland.

It would only take 22 seconds for the Czechs to get one back, though. Jaskin scored at 7:43 from Michal Moravcik and Andrej Nestrasil to make it 4-3.

The Czechs would tie things up before the end of the second when Michal Repik scored from Dominik Kubalik at 14:26. The Czechs had fought back in a penalty filled game to tie things and that would be the end of the scoring until the shootout.

A scary moment for Mueller late in the second when Jaskin came at him, cross checking him under the chin. The TSN announcers speculated Jaskin getting thrown out of the game, but he only received two minutes for cross checking. In the ensuing scrum, the Czech Republic’s Filip Hronek was called for roughing, as was Switzerland’s Diaz and Mueller took two for charging. As was mentioned, this game was penalty filled and kind of chippy. We will see if Jaskin receives supplemental discipline by the IIHF for his actions.

In the third period, the Czech Republic’s Libor Sulak was called for holding on a breakaway by Switzerland’s Vermin at the 14:53 mark. Vermin was awarded a penalty shot, but was stopped by Francouz. That kept the third period scoreless and we were headed to overtime.

In OT, the Czechs were given a good opportunity when Mueller was called for holding at the 2:41 mark. They would not convert and we continued on to a shootout.

In the shootout, goaltenders Leonardo Genoni and Francouz went at it in a duel. Genoni stopped Jaskin then Switzerland’s Noah Rod missed against Francouz. Genoni stopped Hyka and Andrighetto missed against the Czech goalie. Martin Necas missed in the next round and Niederreiter’s attempt was stopped by Francouz. Genoni stopped Nestrasil and Enzo Corvi shot wide on Francouz. Michal Repik scored in the next round for the Czechs and the game was on Hofmann’s stick. His shot was saved by Francouz and that was the game. The Czechs came away with the 5-4 shootout win.

The Swiss outshot the Czechs 29-28 with Genoni making 23 saves while Francouz made 25. Mueller’s stat line included the assist for a point, six penalty minutes, an even plus/minus all in 16:34 of ice time over 34 shifts.

WIth that overtime loss (shootout losses count as OT losses), the Swiss currently stand at one win, one OT win and an OT loss for six points. That is enough to put them in third place in Group A, two points ahead of the Czechs. They have a 9-7 goal differential.

Its a quick turnaround for the Swiss, who next play tomorrow against Belarus.

In some other news, the Binghamton Devils today announced the signing of two players: defenseman Tariq Hammond, who inked a one-year AHL contract and d-man Brian Strait. Strait, 30 years-old, signed a two-year, two-way contract worth $675,000 at the NHL level. Hammond is 24 and was a teammate of Will Butcher’s at Denver University where they won the NCAA National Championship in 2017.

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USA Fails to Win Game at WCH 2016, Fall to Czechs 4-2

Team USA came into their game against the Czech Republic playing for pride and a chance to come out of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey with a victory. Unfortunately, they could not come through, falling to the Czechs 4-2 in Toronto.

Both Kyle Palmieri and Cory Schneider were dressed for tonight’s game and in the lineup. Palmieri played primarily on a line with Brandon Dubinsky at center and Justin Abdelkader on the left side. Cory backed up starter Ben Bishop and would see playing time in the third period.

As Canada, Team Europe, Russia and Sweden had already advanced to the next round due to Russia’s 3-0 win over Finland earlier today, the next stage was already set and nothing was at stake in this game.

As mentioned, Bishop got the start and made 16 saves on 20 shots faced. Schneider pitched a shutout stopping all seven Czech shots he saw in the third period. For the home team Czechs, Petr Mrazek got the start, making 36 saves on 39 American shots. Amazingly, Mrazek would take two penalties in the first period totaling four minutes.

The Czech Republic got the scoring kicked off when Zbynek Michalek tipped in a shot from Ondrej Palat. The goal came at 12:44 of the first and actually came on a delayed USA penalty, as Dustin Byfuglien had cross-checked a Czech player on the side of the USA net. Martin Hanzal had the secondary assist.

The United States got even just 2:24 later when Joe Pavelski scored on the power play set up by Mrazek’s roughing penalty on Abdelkader. Pavelski took a feed from the near side from Zach Parise and beat Mrazek stick side. It was the first power play goal of the tournament for the Americans.

Ben Bishop did keep the US in the game early, making a big save early in the second period on a giveaway in the slot.

But the Czechs kept coming. Off a scramble in front of the American net, Milan Michalek scored his first of two on the night when his shot went in off of Ryan Suter’s stick before the net came off of its moorings. Suter actually accidently spun around off the rebound and pretty much shot the puck into his own net. That goal came at 6:03 of the second.

With that goal, both Michalek brothers scored in a game for the first time since their youth hockey days in the Czech Republic.

Justin Abdelkader would get the Americans even again at 14:13 when he took a beautiful pass from Byfuglien, who put the brakes on along the near boards and passed to a trailing Abdelkader who buried it behind Mrazek. Suter had the secondary assist.

But the Czechs would break away from there. First, at 16:50 of the second, Andrej Sustr snuck one in off a bad angle that just got through Bishop’s left-side post. It was now 3-2 Czech Republic. Jakub Voracek and Michael Frolik had the assists on that goal.

And the Czechs would double that lead less than a minute after that when Milan Michalek would score his second of the night, snapping the puck by Bishop with Roman Polak in front of the net. Ales Hemsky and Polak were credited with the assists.

The US would get on the board early in the third period to make it respectable when Ryan McDonagh scored shorthanded at 2:22 of the final frame. Parise was in the box for hooking and the US actually had a 3-on-2 while killing the penalty. The puck went in off of Voracek’s leg and McDonagh finished off a nice pass from Blake Wheeler. Dubinsky had the other assist.

Kyle Palmieri, who was a plus-1 on the night, had two shots on net – including a nice deflection on Mrazek late in the second, three hits, a giveaway and a takeaway in 10:53 of total ice time.

But the Czechs played a good defensive game, especially late when the Americans were pressuring in the third. Early in the third, Polak had a huge check on Parise that rattled the former Devil, but he stayed in the game.

The US had some chances late. Patrick Kane, early in the third, made a nice spin move in front of the net that was stopped by Mrazek. They also gave up plenty of chances. Minutes after that play, Kane gave the puck away in front of the Czech net. The Czechs had a potential 2-on-0, but just dumped the puck in to make the change as their players on the ice were just gassed.

The end of the game was set up when Abdelkader was charging to the Czech net on a 2-on-1 and took a good hooking call, as the Czech trailer hooked his hands. The US pulled Cory from the net to get a 6-on-4 advantage, but could not score. The Czechs narrowly missed an open net goal that would have sealed the deal earlier than it did. Instead, time simply ran out on the US.

There was some postgame physicality that saw Byfuglien drop the gloves with a Czech player after some tussling in the corner. Despite that late show of fire, however, the Americans came away embarrassed in this tournament as they will now return to their respective NHL clubs for training camp.