Friday, April 30 | 8 p.m. CT | Plano, Texas | Preliminary Round
GAME NOTES: Canada vs. Switzerland (April 30)
TV: TSN | Stream: TSN Direct
Two very contrasting contests to open the 2021 IIHF U18 World Championship
have shown
Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team that there are no easy games. Following an off-day Thursday, Canada returns
recharged and ready to build on its unbeaten start when it takes to the ice
for its third Group A match-up against Switzerland.
LAST GAME
Without the services of captain Shane Wright and Corson Ceulemans due to
precautionary reasons, it was Mason McTavish who donned the ‘C’ for his
country and helped assure Canada would remain perfect to begin the
tournament with a pair of goals and an assist in a
hard-fought 4-2 victory over Latvia. Benjamin Gaudreau made 25 saves and Dylan Guenther added a goal and a
helper for the Canadians.
Switzerland dealt Latvia the same result in its tournament opener, scoring
twice in a 23-second span of the first period, but a 7-1 defeat to Belarus
in the ensuing contest dropped its record to 1-1 in the Group A standings.
Defenceman Dario Sidler leads the Swiss in points with three assists in two
games.
LAST MEETING
Canada was victorious over Switzerland at the 2019 rendition of the
tournament,
earning a 7-4 preliminary-round win that saw it stake itself to a three-goal advantage in the opening 20
minutes off goals from Connor Zary, Brayden Tracey and Thomas Harley.
The Swiss tied things up in the second frame with three-straight goals of
their own, but a Peyton Krebs tally had Canada back in front for good 1:37
from the intermission.
Tracey added his second of the game on the power play following the break
before Dylan Cozens and Dylan Holloway finished the scoring. Canada
peppered Swiss goaltender Andri Henauer with 60 shots over 60 minutes.
WHAT TO WATCH
How Canada responds to what could be considered a narrow victory on
Wednesday, despite nearly doubling up Latvia 52-27 on the shot clock, will
be paramount.
The Latvians showed incredible resolve and looked capable of snatching
victory up until the final minutes. Canada needed a full team effort in the
absence of Wright and Ceulemans to get by Latvia, who’ve shown that effort
and energy are qualities that can make up for a lack of standout star
power.
Will the Latvia lesson and an extra day to rest following back-to-back
games and a long 14-month layoff for a number of players arrive at the
right time for Canada?
A LOOK BACK
Canada boasts a commanding 10-1 lead in the head-to-head history, with a
+46 goal differential. Three of those meetings have come in the elimination
round, most recently in 2016, when
Tyson Jost recorded a hat trick and two assists in a 9-1 quarterfinal
win.
You have to go all the way back to 2010 to find Switzerland’s only win – a
3-1 victory the year Canada was condemned to the relegation round for the
only time in its U18 worlds history.
All-time record: Canada leads 10-1
Canada goals: 64
Switzerland goals: 18
