Canada loses 4-3 to Czechs in Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament play in Red Deer

Then with 19 seconds to play in the opening frame, the Czech’s Radek Muzik scored to give the visitors a 2-1 lead after twenty minutes.

In the second, Canada’s Jakob Pelletier tied things up again when he got one past Czech netminder Nick Malik at 11:15 to make it 2-2.

The third period saw the Czech Republic regain their lead though when Marcel Barinka scored again at 3:54 to put the visitor’s up 3-2.

Then a slashing penalty to Canada’s Jamieson Rees lead to a Czech power play goal from Matej Toman at the 10:00 mark to give the Czechs a 4-2 lead with half a period to play, later proving to be the game winner.

Canada didn’t give up though and pushed hard to close the gap when Jakob Pelletier scored his second of the night at 17:12 to make it 4-3 but that’s where it would stay after 60 minutes.

Despite the loss, Team Canada Head Coach André Tourigny says he really liked the way the team played its structure.

“Our decisions with the puck were probably our weaknesses,” sates Tourigny. “We turned too many pucks over, we passed on Grade A scoring chances, tried to be too cute, that kind of stuff. But I don’t think it was a matter of effort, I think the guys did want to do right but we’ll have to make better decisions with the puck.”

“They’re really good players, they know what they have to do, they know exactly what happened in that game,” he continues. “At the end of the day, we’ll turn that into a positive and we’ll learn from that experience and we’ll be better I think. We could not have better timing for that kind of result.”

Canadian Captain Alexis Lafrenière says he was pleased with the team’s puck possession on the power play.

“I think we have pretty good special teams,” says Lafrenière. “I think the puck was moving well, we just weren’t able to find the back of the net. It’s like everything, we need to practice and get better at it.”

Puck management was an area of Canada’s game that Lethbridge Hurricane Dylan Cozens identified as an area to work on.

“We were turning it over too much and they were capitalizing off that,” states Cozens. “Too many odd-man rushes, we’ve got to bear down on that and be better for next game. We’re going to be a good team for sure, this is just our first time playing together and getting used to each other, so we’re confident going into this tournament.”

Teammate Josh Williams from the Medicine Hat Tigers says there are definitely holes in the team’s game they can improve on.

“I think that our puck management wasn’t there tonight,” laments Williams. “We gave them too many chances. They’re a skilled team so I think if we clean that up, we should be good.”

Shots on net finished 32-31 in favour of the Czech Republic.

Canada opens its Hlinka Gretzky Cup schedule in Edmonton against Switzerland on Monday (7 p.m. MT), while the Czechs start in Red Deer against the United States (7 p.m. MT).

Elsewhere in pre-tournament action on Saturday, the United States hammered Slovakia 10-4 at the NexSource Centre in Sylvan Lake. Click here for the Hockey Canada game summary.

In Penhold, Sweden got by Finland 4-3 in a shootout. Click here for the Hockey Canada game summary.

In Lacombe, Russia blanked Switzerland 7-0 at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex. Red Deer Rebel Oleg Zaitsev acquired in the CHL import draft this year earned one goal and one assist in Team Russia’s victory.

Click here for the Hockey Canada game summary.

by Sheldon Spackman

Canada loses 4-3 to Czechs in Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament play in Red Deer

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