World Championships Update: Canada Miraculously Survives to Reach Semis

By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 

Eight Flyers players participated in the quarterfinals of the World Championships held on Thursday. In the first two games, nearly half of the group was eliminated. That was before Canada got a miracle.

Damon Severson scored with 0.4 seconds remaining in the third period to tie Switzerland. Mark Stone scored his second goal of the game in overtime to give Canada the win and advance them to the semi-finals on Saturday.

Here is how the games on Thursday went and how the Flyers players fared.

Canada-Switzerland

We’ll lead with the Canada game. Switzerland opened up a 1-0 lead on a goal by Sven Andrighetto with 1:54 remaining in the first period.

Canada responded and tied the game at 5:45 of the second with a deflection goal by Stone. While Canada had dominated play from there, allowing the only goal of the game on the power play, Switzerland started to push back and control the play. Late in the second, the Swiss got a power play and cashed in with Nico Hischier getting a goal with 3.8 seconds left in the period.

Canada pushed play the entire third period having numerous bounces elude them in an effort to tie the game. It was the final chance of regulation that finally got the game tied up, as Severson collected a blocked shot attempt and fired on goal. Goaltender Leonardo Genoni got a piece of it, but it fell behind him and rolled across the line with 0.4 seconds remaining to tie the game.

That forced a 10-minute 3-on-3 overtime that lasted 5:07. Stone was the hero again for Canada, scoring off a great pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois to send Canada to the semi-finals.

Sean Couturier was heavily involved in the game, on the ice in the closing moments for the tying goal and playing 19:51 total. He had four shots in the game as well, including a wraparound attempt in the early part of overtime. Carter Hart did not play, serving as the backup to Matt Murray. Phil Myers played 11:36 total in the game, but did not see the ice much beyond the second period.

USA-Russia

The US gave powerhouse Russia and admirable fight after a dismal start to the game, but fell short in their effort to advance, falling 4-3.

Russia opened the scoring 1:07 into the game with Nikita Gusev getting on the board. A power-play goal by Mikhail Sergachev made it 2-0 at the end of the first period.

Brady Skjei got the US on the board early in the second and from there the teams traded goals. Early in the third, Kirill Kaprisov scored on an odd-man rush to make it 3-1. Noah Hanifin got the US back to within one at 5:53 of the third, but that was quickly answered by a goal from Mikhail Grigorenko to make it 4-2 Russia.

Late in the third, Alex DeBrincat cut the Russian lead to one, but the US could not find the equalizer in the final 2:50 of the game.

James van Riemsdyk had three shots on goal in 16:14 of ice time.

Czech Republic-Germany

Following a scoreless first period, the two teams traded goals in the second. Jan Kovar got Czech Republic on the board at 13:41 of the second. Frank Mauer scored to tie the game for Germany with 2:14 left in the period.

In the third, Czech Republic took the lead for good at 4:19 with Jake Voracek getting the goal. Dominik Kubalik and Ondrej Palat added goals midway through the period to seal the win. Kovar capped the scoring with an empty-net goal in the final 10 seconds of the 5-1 win for the Czech.

Voracek finished with the goal and three shots on goal in 15:52. Radko Gudas had two penalty minutes and three shots in 17:03.

Sweden-Finland

Finland jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Niko Mikkola just 60 seconds into the game. That was quickly answered by a power-play goal by John Klingberg to tie the game at one. Patric Hornqvist also scored in the first to give Sweden the 2-1 lead.

Just 25 seconds into the second, Sweden extended the lead with a great goal by Elias Pettersson. Finland rallied back to tie the game with goals by Petteri Lindbohm and Jani Hakanpaa. With 25 seconds remaining in the period, Erik Gustafsson put Sweden back in front 4-3.

The one-goal lead held for nearly the duration of the third before Finland tied the game with an extra-attacker as Marko Anttila tied the game at four.

That forced overtime and just 1:47 into the 3-on-3, Sakari Manninen scored to send Finland to the semi-finals.

Both Oskar Lindblom and Robert Hagg dressed but saw little to no action. Lindblom played one shift that lasted 10 seconds. Hagg did not play a shift.

Up Next

Top-seeded Russia takes on Finland in one semi-final matchup at 9:15 a.m. The remaining five Flyers in the tournament will go against one another as Canada faces Czech Republic in the other semi-final at 1:15 p.m.