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PARDUBICE, Czech Republic — Anybody who follows major junior hockey in Canada has many times witnessed the kind of meltdown that Canada encountered against Sweden on Saturday.
These are teenagers, after all. But the way the Canadian juniors have played the past three world under-20 championships and the way they played with the lead in the first eight-plus periods of this year's event, it was difficult to fathom that the opposition would locate enough kryptonite to fell Canada's super powers.
That, however, was not the case before a large throng of disappointed Canadian supporters in the crowd of 8,547 at the Pardubice Arena. Canada allowed a 2-0 lead to turn into a 4-3 defeat to snap a 20-game win streak that dates back to the tournament opener in 2005 in Grand Forks, N.D.
"I don't think they feel sorry for themselves," Canadian head coach Craig Hartsburg said. "I think they're angry and disappointed that they let down the fans that were here.
Sweden’s Tobias Forsberg celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Canada with seven seconds left in a 4-3 win on Saturday at the world junior hockey championship at Pardubice, Czech Republic. (REUTERS/Shaun Best)
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"I thought it was a heck of a hockey game between two of the best teams certainly in this tournament."
The Canadian juniors went up 2-0 on a dazzling goal from first-line forward Brad Marchand of Hammonds Plains, N.S. in the opening period and a third-period rebound from Shawn Matthias of Mississauga, Ont.
But the Swedes weren't going away. They had played too well all evening, stood up to Canada's physicality and vaunted forecheck and outplayed the Canadians, who were favoured in a local bet shop by 6 to 1.
The difficult part for the Canadian juniors is that they had a two-goal lead and then arguably their most efficient offensive player looked to be on his way to a shorthanded breakaway for a possible three-goal bulge. But the pass headed Kyle Turris's way was a whisker out of his reach and the chance evaporated.
The Swedes came back down the ice and defenceman Eric Moe ripped a shot from the point past Canadian goalie Jonathan Bernier to end Canada's shutout streak at the tournament at 165 minutes and 14 seconds.
The next goal against arrived rapidly because 91 seconds later Sweden tied the game on a fluky goal from Tony Lagerstrom because he accidentally banked his pass attempt from behind the net off Bernier and into the goal. Then another 2:24 later Oscar Moeller fanned on his shot but the puck had enough momentum to sneak into the net for a power-play goal and a 3-2 lead for Sweden.
"We got into penalty trouble there," Canadian captain Karl Alzner said. "We were anxious and nervous a bit going into the third period.
"It's tough but at the same time we know we had some bad luck out there."
Bad luck or mental mistakes? Canada was fortunate enough to tie the game 3-3 during a 5-on-3 advantage when Claude Giroux knocked in a rebound with 3:42 remaining in the third period. But then the unthinkable happened.
Canada sent a gift to the Swedes when Marchand over skated the puck in the neutral zone and went back down the ice with Canadians scurrying to get into position. But the damage was done. Mikael Backlund found Tobias Forsberg (not related) for the game-winner with seven ticks left on the clock.
"That's the way it goes sometimes," Marchand said. "We're supposed to be the best in Canada and you have to deal with this.
"We broke down a bit there at the end."
All is not lost for the youthful Canadians, now 2-1. If the Czech Republic can beat the Swedes by less than six goals on New Year's Eve and Canada handles Denmark in the game immediately following, then the Canadians advance straight to the semi-finals on Friday.
If the Swedes, who easily have exhibited the best attack so far in the tournament through four days bounce the Czechs, then Canada will have to go to the quarter-finals on Wednesday and win three games in four nights to capture its fourth consecutive gold medal.
"It's the first time this group has faced adversity, even in the Super Series," said Hartsburg, referring to 16 players on his roster who were part of the 7-0-1 dismantling of Russia in the eight-game summer series.
"It was a good learning experience and next time we're in that situation, hopefully we'll handle it better."
