There can’t be a more brutal way to go than that.
Canada sustained a devastating 4-3 loss to Czechia in the world junior hockey championship quarterfinal on Thursday, eliminating them from the annual tournament.
A late goal from Adam Jecho with only 39 seconds left was Canada’s downfall, cutting their rally short and extinguishing the hopes of the nation.
It’s the second consecutive year that Canada has been knocked out by Czechia, as they lost to the European nation in the quarterfinal as well last year.
Canada fell into a hole early, giving up the first goal only 43 seconds after the puck dropped. And despite a tying goal from Tanner Hower 10 minutes into the first, Canada gave up two more later in the period, including a buzzer-beater from Eduard Sale at the end of the frame.
The rally started late into the second, when Porter Martone, who has been out of the team’s lineup for the past two games, re-directed a point shot from Brayden Yager to cut into the lead.
Then, with less than five minutes left in the third period, Bradly Nadeau poked a goal five-hole past Michael Hrabal to even up the score at three apiece.
But it wasn’t enough, as a late penalty put Czechia on the power play, leading to the game-winning-goal from Jecho.
Petr Sikora, Jakub Stancl and Eduard Sale had the other goals for the Czechs, who upset underwhelming Canada on a lucky bounce in the dying moments 12 months ago at the under-20 event in Gothenburg, Sweden. Michael Hrabal made 29 saves.
With the loss, Canada failed to play for a medal at back-to-back world juniors for the first time since the country instituted its program of excellence in the early 1980s.
Carter George stopped 22 shots. Brayden Yager had two assists for the Canadians, who never really found their stride in the nation’s capital.
The Czechs will play in the semifinals on Saturday.
— With files from the Canadian Press