Jan Šprynar scored the game winner and Michael Hrabal had 34 saves as Czechia downed the U.S. 3-1 in the prelimary round of the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
RED DEER, Alta. – Jan Šprynar had the game winner and Michael Hrabal had a
34 save performance as Czechia downed USA 3-1 to book a spot in the
semifinals.
After a scoreless first period, Jan Kučera got Czechia on the board early
in the second, beating U.S. goaltender Hampton Slukynsky with a shot from
the left faceoff circle to make it 1-0.
A do-or-die game for USA, it outshot Czechia in both the first and second
period—10 and 14 shots respectively compared to Czech’s 10 and 5. Michael
Hrabal finished the game with 34 saves and the player of the game honours.
Just as the American forecheck had started to shift momentum to the U.S. in
the third, the Czech’s turned over the puck and started on a 2-on-1 attack,
Jan Šprynar finding the back of the net to make it 2-0.
The U.S. responded with a goal from Tanner Adams to cut the league to one.
Needing a regulation win to make the semifinals, the U.S. pulled its goalie
with over five minutes left to play and the Czechs capitalized, sealing a
3-1 win with an empty-netter from Jakub Dvorak.
“Czech emotions are big, we like to celebrate a lot and I think it’s
keeping us going. After the game it was a big euphoria and we’re just like
that,” says Adam Csabi of Czechia’s energy on the bench. “Since I was a
little kid, it’s a big tournament and it was always my dream to play here
and its even bigger when it is in Canada so we enjoy it a lot and we hope
we will get further.”
Czechia, Canada and Finland have guaranteed themselves a spot in one of the
two semifinal slots on Friday evening pending the results of today’s games.
