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MINNEAPOLIS — In its last check of preliminary motion, Crew Canada saved its finest for final, taking down Finland 7-4 to lock up first place in Group B.
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The win secured a quarterfinal date with Slovakia, the fourth-place group in Group A, on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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Brady Martin and Cole Beaudoin every netted a pair of objectives, whereas Sam O’Reilly and Zayne Parekh each recorded a purpose and two assists within the win.
Up towards one of the best goalie Canada had confronted up thus far within the event in Finland’s Petteri Rimpinen, a high-scoring affair wasn’t a given regardless of Canada’s 18 objectives via its first three video games.
Then the primary 4 pictures of the evening discovered their well beyond the goalies.
First, it was Parekh netting his fourth purpose of the event 73 seconds into the sport, catching Rimpinen off his put up on the appropriate aspect. However then it was Julius Miettinen scoring on the push lower than three minutes in a while Carter George.
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Martin restored Canada’s lead 32 seconds in a while a setup from linemate Michael Hage, however Oliver Suvanto slapped a rebound previous George to even the sport as soon as once more.
Martin responded with one other tally, this time rebounding on the ability play off Hage’s right-side shot, just for Finland to get its personal man benefit on a questionable hooking name towards Ethan MacKenzie. Defenceman Lasse Boelius capitalized with a one-time blast from the purpose.
The second interval was a whole reset, as each groups got here out trying to run the opposite via the boards.
However on Canada’s third power-play alternative of the evening, Parekh slung a long-range go on to the tape of Tij Iginla at Finland’s blueline, and he popped the puck over Rimpinen’s glove to reclaim the lead as soon as once more.
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The ice tilted towards the Canadians as the center body progressed, as they established a bodily forecheck and dominated offensive-zone battles.
Canada’s third line was rewarded for its efforts when Beaudoin crashed the web on O’Reilly’s shot, cleansing up the rebound to seize the sport’s first two-goal edge.
However Finland refused to go down quietly. In his personal zone, Keaton Verhoeff turned the puck over to the tape of Roope Esterinen, who ripped it over George’s shoulder on the brief aspect.
Within the last body, Canada settled issues down as soon as once more with a defensive clinic. It surrendered simply 10 pictures via the ultimate 40 minutes.
Halfway via the interval, O’Reilly and Beaudoin related as soon as once more to push the lead again to 2.
Finland wouldn’t sniff a comeback within the last minutes of the sport, as Canada displayed its most spectacular defence of the event earlier than O’Reilly iced it with an empty-netter.
George, who entered the evening with an unpleasant .870 save proportion and three.00 goals-against common, made 14 saves on 18 pictures for his third win at this yr’s world juniors.
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