A first in 18 years!

Canada won't be in the Semi-Finals.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 8 years ago
A first in 18 years!

For the 7th straight year, there won't be repeat champion at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

Finland sent last year's winner Canada home, after an incredible game. Finland won a very tight game in front of a noisy home crowd.

Canada grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the first period, but Finland's top line cut the lead back to one after Patrick Laine scored with a wicked one-timer, that barely squeaked through Mackenzie Blackwood.

The second period was action packed and saw the turning point of the game. After Finland tied the game on a lucky break, when defenseman Joe Hickett fell at his blue line, sending the Finnish player Antti Kalapudas alone against Blackwood and scored with a perfect wrist shot glove side, Lawson Crouse scored minutes after to give Caanda a one goal lead. That's when everything changed, when the Finn head coach decided to pull his starting goaltender Vehvilainen.

Both teams exchange goals in the beginning part of the third period, Micth Marner with two and Sebastien Aho for Finland with one. Canada shot themselves in the foot during the game's last frame with mindless penalty, especially Dylan Strome's and Jake Virtanen's two infractions, good for a 4 minute trip to the box.

Patrick Laine scored his second of the game to give Finland a 6-5 lead on a 5 on 3 power-play.

On social media, many people are blaming Canada's poor performance or lack of discipline on head coach Dave Lowry and goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. But the reality is that team Canada had the start they were hoping for, taking a 2-0 early lead, but could not handle themselves properly and simple gave away too many chances to the best team in tournament to come from behind in front of their home crowd. Finland's top line made of Sebastien Aho, Patrick Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi combined for 9 points.

Finland's victory marks the first time in 18 years that Canada won't take part in the Semis.

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