PARDUBICE, Czech Republic — Brad Marchand redeemed himself.
The Canadian junior forward, one of only two returning players from last year's gold-medal team, redeemed himself for a miscue that led to Sweden's winning goal on Saturday by stepping up at a critical time with a big goal to allow his team to narrowly escape its quarterfinal game against Finland with a 4-2 win Wednesday.
Canada now advances to the semifinals for the 10 consecutive year at the world under-20 championship and will play the United States on Friday in a rematch of last year's thrilling Canadian victory in a shootout.
The U.S. had a bye into the semifinal round after breezing through the round robin with a 4-0 record and outscoring their opposition 17-8, while for the first time since 2002 Canada was forced to play a quarterfinal game before advancing.
Team Canada's Claude Giroux takes to the air after colliding with Finland's Eetu Poysti during first period action at the World Junior Hockey Championship on Wednesday in Pardubice, Czech Republic. (Jacques Boissinot/CP)
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"I think we're a little bit of the underdog coming in," said Canadian forward Steve Stamkos, who scored early in the third period to put Canada ahead 2-1.
Marchand of Hammonds Plains, N.S. scored with nine minutes and 28 seconds remaining in the game and Stefan Legein added an empty netter with 30 seconds left.
Marchand scored his game-winner on a wrist shot from a bad angle and past Finnish netminder Harri Sateri.
"It went straight in," Marchand said. "Their defenceman fell down and I saw there was some room over his [left leg], so I took the shot and it found the lower corner."
Shooting the puck more for this offensively-challenged Canadian team was an action that head coach Craig Hartsburg wanted to see more of after Canada's four games in the round-robin portion of the tournament. His group responded with its best effort of the tournament as Canada outshot Finland 32-23.
The Canadian juniors did not get off to the start they wanted, when goalie Steve Mason allowed a soft goal. Finnish forward Juuso Puusstinen, a Calgary Flames prospect who plays for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League, fired from the Canada's blue line a wrist shot that glanced off the stick of a Canadian defender to beat Mason.
It was only the third shot Mason faced at that point at the 7:23 mark.
"It was tough to take," Mason said. "But I let it go. It wasn't the first time that has happened and it won't be the last time."
Canada turned up its pressure on the Finns three shifts in a row midway through the first period, but again there was no finishing touch. Of the six teams that advanced to the medal round, Canada and Czech Republic scored the fewest goals at 12 apiece, and Canada had the fewest amount of shots after the round-robin at 126.
Canada's best scoring chance in the opening 20 minutes came when centre Shawn Matthias caused a turnover deep in the Finland end and slid the puck to linemate John Tavares, but the 17-year-old Oshawa Generals phenom rattled his flip shot off the post from in close.
Tavares redeemed himself in the second period with a perfectly placed wrist shot over the left shoulder of Finnish goalie on the power play to draw Canada even at the 7:23 mark of the second period. It was not only Canada's eighth power-play goal in five games, but Tavares fourth, which tied him with the club lead with Kyle Turris.
The Canadian juniors went ahead for the first time 2-1 early in the third period when defenceman Drew Doughty of London, Ont. showed off his speed and dumped a backhand pass to Stamkos. Even though a Finland defender was draped all over Stamkos, the youngster got his stick on the pass to score his first of the tournament.
But the Finns came back with a fluky goal, 3:22 later, to tie the game. For the second time in three games, the Canadian teenagers stopped playing after an early goal in the third period. After Mason stopped Jan-Mikael Juutilainen from in close, the Finnish forward fired the puck back in front and it bounded off the springy pads of Mason and into the net.
The goal was similar to the one Sweden benefited from against Canada last Saturday which also tied the game at 2-2 and then went on to win 4-3.
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