McTavish unstoppable against Slovakia (World Cup U20, Group A) | Junior Hockey – Ice Hockey

Canadian captain Mason McTavish joined a very closed circle by signing a quadruple at the World Juniors, inflicting on Slovakia their heaviest defeat in history in the competition.

For this second game, Canada changes its lines and integrates forward Brennan Ohtmann and defender Ethan del Mastro. Goalkeeper Dylan Garand also replaces Sebastian Cossa.

Despite a good Slovak defense at the start of the match, Canada was quick to find the fault. On the move, Connor Bedard. The favorite for the 2023 NHL Draft dazzles the ice with a small perimeter movement of exceptional technical quality. He mystifies the defense in the center, finds a very small pass Mason McTavish, which gives him back on the side of the goal where Bedard was forgotten (0-1).

Connor Bedard show at the World Juniors 😱

(via @TSN_Sports) pic.twitter.com/nWTI7aMzaj

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) August 11, 2022

Six minutes later, McTavish steers towards Ridly Greg, who wins his duel in the neutral and sends William Cuylle on the breakaway. Windsor’s OHL captain beats Latkoczy (0-2). The rout continues: Cuylle intercepts a mediocre raise from Simon Groch and finds Ohtmann in the right circle for the volley (0-3).

The attack feels that there is still room and hits the Slovak rears. Stankoven works and shifts Olen Zellweger to the top of the circles. His shot takes advantage of a screen from Kent Johnson (0-4).

Slovakia change their goalkeeper after the restart but Tomáš Boľo does not resist for long. One minute and two seconds, to be precise… On a double power play following a delay in play and a slash, Canada drives the point home. Johnson attacks the cage and his repelled shot ends up on Stankoven, open cage (0-5). Bedard comes close to sixth base on the breakaway but finds the post.

His captain does not miss his chance a little later. A turnover sends him two-against-zero with Nathan Gaucher. McTavish chooses the shot, a good choice (0-6). Ohtmann continues but does not convert his breakaway.

Slovakia saves the honor with a hard work in the bands of Mykhlukha, Kaslik and Nemec. The puck is released and the scramble that follows in front of the cage benefits Kaslik (1-6).

Unfortunately for the players of Ivan Fenes, they find no solution to muzzle McTavish. The hope of Anaheim, who started in the NHL last season, takes advantage of Ohtmann’s relay to feint, transplant in the axis and score from the backhand (1-7). Four minutes later, he offered himself a hat-trick, exploiting a turnaround caused by Bedard, in two-against-zero, improving the pass from Joshua Roy (1-8).

It’s not over for him, since after three minutes in the final period, he offers himself a quadruple. The Canadian forecheck and a poor recovery from Boľo, countered by Ohtmann, left McTavish alone in front of goal (1-9).

🚨 MASON MCTAVISH ties the @HockeyCanada record for most goals in 1 game at the #WorldJuniors! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zJ129owWfy

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 12, 2022

Five minutes from time, the ordeal continues. Zellweger shifts Dufour along the boards, which sends towards the cage. Roy, lonely in the enclave, grabs the rebound (1-10).

Canada plays seriously until the last minute. William Dufour’s intense forecheck in the back wins the puck. Roy, baseline, sends to the cage where Zack Ostapchuk unearths the puck (1-11).

McTavish joins Mario Lemieux (1983), Simon Gagné (1999), Brayden Schenn (2010), Taylor Raddysh (2016) and Maxime Comtois (2018) among the quadruple players – as well as Connor Bedard, author of four goals last December against Austria before the postponement of the tournament.

It was Canada’s 15th victory in 16 games against Slovakia – the only good Slovak result being a 0-0 in 1998. The biggest victory was in December 2014, with an 8-0 success. What to gain confidence: the first place of hen should, as planned, be played against Finland.

Named players of the match: Matej Kaslik (Slovakia) and Mason McTavish (Canada)

Post-match reactions:

Mason McTavish (captain of Canada): “It’s really cool, a special moment, but the credit goes to my teammates. They were all looking for me, especially Bedard. He had a great game. Our goal is to improve with every game. I found that we moved the puck faster. The coach had insisted on this, less individual exploits. We are very happy with the way tonight. »

Adam Sýkora (Slovakia striker): “I don’t know what happened. An atrocious game by everyone. All that remains is for us to regroup for the next match against Latvia, which is the most important match of the tournament for us. We have a lot of technical quality, but we have to play more as a team. Tonight everyone was playing for themselves, it can’t work. »

Slovakia – Canada 1-11 (0-4, 1-4, 0-3)
Thursday August 11, 2022, 4 p.m. Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. 3216 spectators.
Referees: Adam Kika (TCH) and Joonas Kova (FIN) assisted by Niko Jusi (FIN) and Josef Spur (TCH)
Penalties: Slovakia 8′ (6′, 0′, 2′), Canada 6′ (2′, 4′, 0′).
Shots: Slovakia 23 (11, 8, 4), Canada 44 (15, 14, 15).

Score evolution:
0-1 at 06’16: Bedard assisted by McTavish and Roy
0-2 at 13’06: Cuylle assisted by Greig and McTavish
0-3 at 15’57: Ohtmann assisted by Cuylle
0-4 at 19’17: Zellweger assisted by Stankoven and Foerster
0-5 at 21’02: Stankoven assisted by Johnson and Cormier (double numerical sup.)
0-6 at 26’25: McTavish assisted by Sebrango
1-6 at 34’40: Kaslik assisted by Mykhlukha and L. Nemec
1-7 at 35’16: McTavish assisted by Ohtmann and Cormier
1-8 at 39’25: McTavish assisted by Roy and Bedard
1-9 at 43’44: McTavish assisted by Ohtmann
1-10 at 55’07: Roy assisted by Dufour and Zellweger
1-11 at 59’39: Ostapchuk assisted by Roy and Dufour

Slovakia

Forwards:
Adam Sýkora (A, 2′, -2) – Jakub Demec (-3) – Servác Petrovický (-1)
Matej Kaslik (-3) – Oleksiy Myklukha (-2) – Libor Nemec (-1)
Roman Faith (A, -2) – Dalibor Dvorský (-4) – Maros Jedlicka (-4)
Oliver Stümpel (-2) – Samuel Honzec (-1) – Ľubomír Kupčo (2′, -3)

Defenders:
Jozef Viliam Kmec (-3) – Rayan Petrovický (C, -5)
Maxim Strbak (-2) – Adam Stripai (-2)
Simon Groch (-2) – Boris Zabka (2′, -2)
Denis Bakala (2′, -1) – David Natny

Guardian :
Simon Latkoczy then Tomáš Boľo at 20’00

Reservists: Patrik Andrisik (L), Martin Mišiak (A), Peter Repčík (A)

Canada

Forwards:
Connor Bedard (+4) – Mason McTavish (C, +7) – Joshua Roy (+3)
Tyson Foerster (+1) – Logan Stankoven (+1) – Kent Johnson (+2)
Zack Ostapchuk (+1) – Ridly Greig (2′, +1) – William Dufour (+2)
Brennan Ohtmann (+2) – Elliot Desnoyers – Will Cuylle (+3)
Nathan Gaucher

Defenders:
Olen Zellweger (+7) – Donovan Sebrango (A, +2)
Lukas Cormier (+3) – Ethan del Mastro (+1)
Ronan Seeley (+2) – Jack Thompson (2′, +1)
Ryan O’Rourke (+2)

Guardian :
Dylan Garand

Substitute: Sebastian Cossa (G). Reservists: Brett Brochu (L), Carson Lambos (R), Riley Kidney (A)