Alex Khovanov – McKeen's Hockey

2020 World Junior Championship Recap: Semi-Finals

Derek O'Brien — Sat, 04 Jan 2020 22:52:46 +0000

OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC - JANUARY 4: Russia's Yegor Sokolov #13 celebrates his first period goal against Sweden's with Alexander Khovanov #7 during semifinal round action at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship at Ostravar Arena on January 4, 2020 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Russia and Canada were the semi-final winners at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship and will meet in Sunday’s gold-medal game. Sweden and Finland, who lost the two games on Saturday, will renew another one of hockey’s great international rivalries in the bronze-medal contest. Both games are also rematches from the group stage.

The Sweden-Russia game was fantastic from an offensive perspective with Yegor Sokolov and Alexei Morozov scoring twice for Russia – the latter in overtime.

“He’s just a hero right now,” Sokolov said about Morozov. “When he scored, I tried to get to him, but I couldn’t because I fell three times because my legs were shaking so much. I couldn’t even skate.”

On what he wants to do in the final, Sokolov said, “Just go to the net, crash the net, shoot the puck, play my game, hit guys, play well defensively and bring my game to the next level.”

Sokolov, in his third year with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles said, “When I got the puck for the first goal, I just shot it at the empty net and put it in. For the second, Alex Khovanov gave me a great pass and I just put it over the shoulder and then went crazy. It was probably the most important goal I’ve scored in my life.”

Down 2-1 in the first period, the Swedes were dealt a blow when leading scorer Nils Hoglander was assessed a major penalty for checking to the head and neck area and a game misconduct. The damage was relatively minimal as the Russians scored only once on the five-minute power play, and Sweden’s offence didn’t seem badly affected the rest of the way. Defenceman Rasmus Sandin added to his great tournament by figuring in on all four of his team’s goals – which happened to all come on the power play.

A prospect of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sandin leads all defencemen in the tournament with nine points in six games.

About how he played in the game and throughout the tournament, Sandin said, “Pretty good. It’s just too bad I couldn’t have done more to help the team win the game, but it is what it is. Maybe years from now I’ll appreciate it more but it’s disappointing to finish (his U20 career) this way.”

In the Swedish goal, Hugo Alnefelt had a shaky first period where all three goals against were probably preventable but rebounded to have an exceptional second period. In the Russian goal, Yaroslav Askarov was lifted for the second time in the tournament after Sweden took a 4-3 lead early in the third period. One would think that the Russians would lean to going back to Askarov in the final but it would not be a huge shock if the start went to Amir Miftakhov, who shut out Canada in the group stage.

The other semi-final wasn’t nearly as dramatic, as Canada scored three times in the first 3:55 and cruised to a 5-0 victory. After a solid group stage and coming off a brilliant shutout of the Americans in the quarterfinals, Finnish goaltender Justus Annunen looked a lot more human in this game. At the other end of the rink, Joel Hofer made 32 saves for the shutout.

“He’s a really composed guy,” Jamie Drysdale said of Hofer. “He’s my roommate and I think he’s so calm back there that it makes the whole team more relaxed when he does his thing back there.”

Alexis Lafreniere, Barrett Hayton, Connor McMichael and Aidan Dudas had two points each.

“The team getting off to a good start was pretty exciting for us,” said 17-year-old Drysdale, whose first goal of the tournament made it 3-0. “I think we’re pretty happy we came out the way we did and hope we can do the same in tomorrow’s game.”

On getting more comfortable as the tournament goes on, he said, “I think the confidence level’s gone up and with this team and this staff, it’s a really comfortable environment and they encourage you to do your thing out there, and that’s what I try to do out there.”

On the rematch with Russia, Drysdale said, “I think we’re all excited to play them again, but at the same time it’s a gold-medal game, so that’s the most important thing.”

In Game 2 of the relegation series, Germany had a chance to secure its place in the top division next season and was expected to do so but turned in a mostly uninspired performance against Kazakhstan and lost 4-1. The two teams will play the third and decisive game of the series before the medal games on Sunday.

Trailing 2-0, the Germans poured on the pressure in the last three minutes of the second period and came out for the start of the third strongly, but Stanislav Alexandrov’s second of the game – a brilliant individual effort in which he shielded the puck in the slot and then let go a perfect wrist shot – took the wind out of their sails. In the Kazakh goal, Vladislav Nurek stopped 43 of 44 shots but late in the third period went down and needed medical attention. He managed to finish the game, however.

QMJHL Trade Deadline: Want to improve your QMJHL team this season? Pay up!

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 17:43:55 +0000

The QMJHL’s silly season is upon us.

The league’s trading period opens up Sunday, and several trades are already in the books, some of which were consummated before the opening bell was officially opened. The period closes up on January 6. One thing to be expected this season: contenders will have to pay to make their teams better heading into the second half.

All eyes are on the Halifax Mooseheads this season as the Memorial Cup hosts in May. Because of this, the team has some extra pressure to build a contender. On paper, they are one of the strongest teams in the entirety of the Canadian Hockey League, but they have struggled a little bit with consistency. The team is noticing some potential issues that may need solving for the tourney, adding to their depth.

Now, if newspaper quotes are to be believed, Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell is not all that interested in blowing up the future for the present, as he observes that his team could be even better next season as presently constructed. However, this year is a guaranteed Memorial Cup berth, whereas future years are earned solely by hard work from August-to-May. The sure thing dictates that this declaration is just posturing, as a Memorial Cup host can expect a heightened market for any assets.

Further, this Mooseheads squad could use some tinkering. Edmonton Oiler forward Ostap Safin, acquired from Saint John at the start of the season, has been in and out of the lineup due to ongoing hip issues. Overager Jordan Maher has simply not been the best fit with the team with just four goals so far, despite his best efforts. Anaheim Ducks prospect Antoine Morand’s game has been as expected, but the numbers are not quite where they should be, with 28 points in 29 games. Potential first rounder Raphaël Lavoie has hit a bit of a snag this season, not looking like himself from last season; he is scoring less and seeing his focus wane at times this season. The offence, a strong suit in prior years, is sixth-best in the league right now, with a few blowouts augmenting the numbers.

New Jersey Devils defender Jocktan Chainey has seen his ice time drop and Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Jake Ryczek has seen his rise, but behind Jared McIsaac and Justin Barron, who have been solid, there is no big third defender option. Despite that, the team has solid defending numbers, tied for second-best in goals against.

To his credit, goaltender Alexis Gravel has been maybe the team’s most valuable player so far this season, but his backup option is Cole MacLaren, a decent choice but not a goalie you want starting against the OHL and WHL champions.

To that end, Halifax will be in on a defenceman this trading period, and potentially a second goaltender as well. If the price is right, they may also look to add to the forward group to try and jumpstart the offence.

Noah Dobson

Thankfully for the Mooseheads, the two biggest names available in the trading period are both defencemen. New York Islanders prospect Noah Dobson is the biggest fish in the pond, and right behind him is Arizona Coyotes draft pick Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

The price for Dobson will set the market, as he is the prize all teams are competing for. Dobson is a game-changer on defence, capable of controlling a game from the back-end, and has championship experience on the biggest stage. Joseph is a very solid consolation prize, as teams who find the price for Dobson too high may rather try to acquire one of the league’s hardest workers and smartest players. The Islanders also have very useful players to add into a Joseph trade to help a win-now team, such as Keith Getson or Anaheim Ducks prospect Hunter Drew, but it’s believed that Jim Hulton is not looking for far-off picks, preferring players that can help as early as next season in exchange for his assets. Having said that, the Islanders are in a contending position, and could choose either to stand pat or add to their team.

What is interesting in the Dobson speculation is that it is rumoured that any deal involving him will have to go through the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, as part of conditions of a prior deal for Bathurst last season. The Sags would rather the assets that Dobson would provide rather than use him this season, as Chicoutimi is a middling team with no real title aspirations this season. The suspense will run into the new year, as Dobson cannot officially be traded until his term with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships are over.

There are some top-level defender and forwards beyond those two, but in goal, most contenders seem to be set with one or two good goaltenders. There are many options for a team to buy for a playoff run – Minnesota Wild prospect Dereck Baribeau from Quebec, Pittsburgh Penguin signee Alex D’Orio in Saint John and fellow Penguin camp attendee Tristan Côté-Cazenave, to name three – but most of the top teams are set in net.

The changed playoff format this season could also have an effect on the trading period, due to the imbalance of talent between the Eastern and the Western Conferences. Starting this year, to prevent so many easy matchups in the first round and to cut down on potential travel, the league decided to drop the 1-vs-16 format and form two conferences of two divisions each. The Maritime teams and the Eastern-most Quebec teams form the 10-team East, and the rest create the eight-team West. There is the potential for wildcards to allow the top 16 teams to make the playoffs, but the weakness of this playoff format is best demonstrated by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. At the time of writing, the Eagles would hold home ice in the old playoff format, sitting in eighth spot in the league. Because of the new conference format, though, Cape Breton would be sixth in the East, drawing a tough, contending Baie-Comeau team, on the road no less, in the opening round, rather than 11th-place Quebec. That format change could influence some teams in terms of whether to buy, sell or stand pat this season.

Two definite contenders outside of Halifax that dominate the list of other potential buyers are the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Rouyn-Noranda are a very strong team built from within and coached and managed by last year’s Memorial Cup winner, Mario Pouliot. They are hard-working, very deep in net and on defence, and just one player on the entire roster has played for another Q team. Their wildcard is the potential return of injured Pittsburgh Penguin prospect Zachary Lauzon. His return would put the Huskies in limbo with their overagers, and they would have to make a decision on their 20-year-olds.

Joe Veleno

The Voltigeurs are maybe the league’s deepest team, led by Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxime Comtois and Detroit Red Wings first rounder Joe Veleno up front, Chicago Blackhawks first rounder Nicolas Beaudin and New Jersey Devils prospect Xavier Bernard on defence, along with Edmonton Oilers prospect Olivier Rodrigue in goal. Comtois’s return to the Q is maybe the biggest acquisition any team could have made this season. They are a rumoured team for Dobson, and adding Dobson to Beaudin and Bernard defensively would make Drummondville a very tough team to face in the playoffs with that three-headed monster on the back end.

One team that is certainly making some changes is the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. General Manager Steve Ahern has promised that several trades will be announced Sunday. They are heavily linked to the above-mentioned D’Orio.

Further with the Drakkar, Calgary Flames pick D’Artignan Joly has left the team on his own accord, awaiting a trade. Joly and the team have had a bumpy 2018, with player wanting to be more creative and team wishing he was more engaged and aggressive. Joly can absolutely score at this level, but he is an artist more than he is a worker.

Editor’s note – prior to publication, it was announced that Joly had been dealt to Victoriaville

The Rimouski Oceanic were a contender for the league title on paper this season, but they look up at the Drakkar at this point in the year and are facing a decision – do they go for it or hold back and go for it next year. According to bench boss Serge Beausoleil, they will be tentative, but not sell off players who won’t return, including captain Charles-Edouard D’Astous, who drew some interest from the Ottawa Senators in the summer. The Oceanic are the proud team of phenom Alexis Lafrenière, who will return to the league next season, and Rimouski could set themselves up to be an even better team next season.

The Moncton Wildcats may opt to do the same, as they have a high-flying offence, but many players also set to return for next season, namely potential first rounder Jakob Pelletier and Minnesota Wild pick Alex Khovanov, despite some issues on the defensive end. Unlike the Oceanic, though, players not returning next season or otherwise not in the plans for next season could be available for trade.

Among the anticipated sellers, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan have also had a move announced ahead of Sunday’s opening day for the mid-season trading period. They will acquire forward Anderson MacDonald from the Wildcats for a pair of picks. MacDonald has not had the bounce-back season either he or the Wildcats were hoping after he was surprisingly undrafted in last June’s NHL Entry Draft. MacDonald has battled injuries all year, and has played in only four games, largely on the fourth line, before being shuffled out of Moncton to the north of New Brunswick.

The Titan have also all but moved Dobson, fellow blueliner Keenan MacIsaac and forward Ethan Crossman, and will continue to take calls on defender Michal Ivan. The foursome all played key roles for the Memorial Cup winning Titan squad last year, as they look to set themselves up for a rebuild.

Editor’s note – Prior to publication, both Crossman and MacIsaac were dealt to Baie-Comeau

One can add the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada to the list of potential sellers, as they may look into cashing in on the remaining assets from three straight strong playoff runs. Montreal Canadiens prospect Joël Teasdale is a name that would garner lots of interest, and they have many useful veterans they do not need this season – Rémy Anglehart, Alex Katerinakis, Luke Henman, Thomas Ethier and Charles-Antoine Giguère come to mind. The Armada could recoup a lot of assets for their collection of forwards.

Editor’s note – Giguère was traded to Moncton prior to publication

The Gatineau Olympiques could also cash in on a few of their players for the future, namely Minnesota Wild prospect Shawn Boudrias and overager Gabriel Bilodeau, who could put up points on a contender looking to upgrade their powerplay. So could Val-d’Or’s David Noel, a St. Louis Blues pick, who is 19, but is currently on the shelf with an eye injury.

The composition of the QMJHL’s top teams will look different between now and January, and despite the high prices, expect a lot of player movement this time around.