Canada Wins Gold Medal At 2022 World Junior Championship

The 2022 Summer World Junior Championship is in the books with Canada back on top of the hockey world. The pre-tournament betting favourite Team Canada defeated Finland by a score of 3-2 to win the gold medal in front of a packed house in Edmonton. Kent Johnson scored the golden goal.

Kent Johnson: OVERTIME HERO! 🇨🇦 @HockeyCanada #worldjuniors pic.twitter.com/FusvzwMyg9

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Canada Wins Gold At 2022 World Junior Championship

It was a dominating effort by the Canadians against Finland. From the minute the puck dropped, Canada did not give Finland time or space. Their relentless forechecking and pressure led to Canada opening the scoring. With the puck deep in Finland’s zone, Canada continued their cycle as Mason McTavish picked up the puck. He wrapped the puck around Finland’s net. Finland’s goaltender Juha Jatkola stopped the initial play, but the puck came out to Joshua Roy to give Canada a 1-0 lead.

From there Canada continued its domination. Goaltender Dylan Garand (New York Rangers prospect) was not tested much through two periods. Though he faced nine shots in the first period, it did not seem like it. He only faced one shot for a good stretch of time as Canada pinned Finland in their own zone. However, when Finland did get into the offensive zone, Garand was there to make the save.

The second period was a replay of the first period with Canada striking first as they increased their lead. New York Islanders prospect William Dufour scored 41 seconds into the second period. It was his third goal of the tournament. Dufour dominated the QMJHL with 58 goals in 71 games. In the Memorial Cup, he led the tournament with seven goals in four games.

Once Canada increased the lead, they played most of the second period in Finland’s zone. That is because of Finland’s parade to the penalty box. Canada went on five straight power plays. They did not convert on any of them. It is not like they did not have chances for a power play that has been red hot all tournament long. Give credit to Finland’s goaltender Jatkola for keeping his team in the game. Therefore, Finland was in striking distance heading into the third period.

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Goaltender Dylan Garand only faced four shots in the second because of Canada’s power play time. However, Canada was quick on the transition to make sure they were not pinned in their own zone for long stretches of time. That has been an issue for Canada in some of their games recently. It happened against Finland in Canada’s final preliminary. And against Czechia in the semifinals, that weakness allowed the Czechs back in the game.

Finland Turns The Tables

However, once the third period began Finland found their game. After killing off their fifth straight penalty, Finland cut the Canadian lead in half making it 2-1 on a goal by Aleksi Heimosalmi. After Canada iced the puck, it was a floating shot through a screen that beat Garand to give Finland life.

This was the one thing you knew was coming if Canada did not increase their lead on the power play. Momentum was going to start going towards Finland and it was only going to take one goal for them to start to believe they could win after being dominated for two periods. Canada almost regained a two-goal lead but Jatkola was there robbing Tyson Foerster.

Minutes later Finland tied the game at 2-2 on a goal by Joakim Kemell. The play was set up by a nice feed by Topi Niemela. The Canadian defenders did not pick up Kemell, who ripped home a one-time shot passed Garand. However, it was Niemela’s vision to read the play and slip the puck through the Canadian defence. At one point in the third period, Finland outshot Canada 11-3 as they pinned Canada in their own end shift after shift.

Wild and Crazy Overtime

The game shifted into overtime. There was some back and forth play with Mason McTavish saving the game for Canada by stopping the puck on the goal line. McTavish batted the puck right out of the air and down. Moments later Canada went down the other way and what a sequence as Logan Stankoven gets the puck to Johnson for the winner.

MASON MCTAVISH WITH THE GOLD MEDAL SAVING SAVE! 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/g8L8aZYbk0

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) August 21, 2022

McTavish (Anaheim Ducks prospect) finished with 17 points tying him with Wayne Gretzky and Eric Lindros on Canada’s single tournament scoring list. He was named the best forward and MVP of the tournament.

This was the first time Canada and Finland had met in the Gold Medal Game at the World Juniors. Canada and Finland had played in three straight Gold Medal Games at the Men’s World Championships. Finland was looking to win the Gold Medal at the Olympics, Men’s Worlds and World Junior Championship in the same year.

Canada now has won a record 19 golds at this tournament. In addition, Canada has won four of the last 10 gold medals. With the United States and Finland each winning three over that time period.

Earlier in the day, Sweden defeated Czechia 3-1 to win the bronze medal. Czechia has not won a medal since 2005.