Thursday, January 03, 2013

USA gets revenge on Canada, gains WJC Gold medal game

Johnny Gaudreau and Jake McCabe each had two goals and an assist as the United States bested Canada, 5-1, in the semifinals of the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship on Thursday morning.

John Gibson made 15 of his 33 saves in the third period for the Americans, who will play Sweden in Saturday's gold-medal game. The United States has won the gold medal just twice in the tournament's history (2004 and 2010).

“I didn’t want to sound cocky before the tournament, but I knew we had all the tools to win a gold medal this year,” said American forward Seth Jones. We’re not done yet."

McCabe, the American captain, ripped two shots past Canadian goalie Malcolm Subban in the first period. Gaudreau lit the lamp 2:58 into the second and Jim Vesey made it 4-0 later in the period.

Vesey's tally ended the game for Subban, who was replaced by Jordan Binnington. Subban finished with 12 saves on 16 shots.

Ty Rattie netted a shorthanded goal at the 4:03 mark of the third period for Canada, which continued to press. Gibson, though, was strong between the pipes and Gaudreau closed the scoring.

"Obviously its disappointing," said Canadian and Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "It's not the result we came here for." 

The Swedes, the reigning Gold medalists, returned to the World Juniors final with a 3-2 shootout win over host Russia. Sebastian Collberg scored the lone shootout goal for Sweden, which led 2-0 after the first period on markers by Elias Lindholm and Filip Forsberg.

Andrei Mironov put the Russians on the board in the middle stanza and Mikhail Grigorenko supplied the game-tying goal 7:56 into the third period

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