Let’s just say that most of the Colorado Avalanche prospects at the World Juniors had a rough semi-final day.
#GoAvsGo prospects are dropping like flies in this game. Byram ill, Ranta slapped with a high-stick and then a misconduct, Annunen looking like Swiss cheese out there.
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
Bowen Byram — ILL
LD — Canada
So, Byram took warmups with Canada and we were all under the assumption he was playing. The puck dropped in the first period and he was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t on the ice, and he wasn’t on the bench.
Byram was on the ice for warmups, but he hasn’t taken a shift yet and I haven’t seen him on the bench. Drysdale’s getting his top minutes for Canada now.
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
It turned out that Byram came down with an illness and felt he wasn’t well enough to play in this game (honestly, it was good timing, because Canada didn’t miss a beat without him).
I was joking but https://t.co/jRk8F9uMZR
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
Hopefully Byram will be feeling good enough to play for gold. Canadian coach Dale Hunter did say that he believed Byram would play for gold in a semi-final postgame interview.
Sampo Ranta
LW — Finland
Finland got off to an absolutely hellish start in this game, but I actually thought Ranta was one of their best (and only good) players. Ranta played 13:01 (he would’ve played more, but he sat out for ten minutes) and fired four shots on goal.
After Canada went up 3-0 (yikes, right?), Ranta was handed a 10-minute misconduct for shooting the puck well after the whistle had blown.
10 minute misconduct assessed to Sampo Ranta for shooting the puck after the whistle. No call to for the high-stick.
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 4, 2020
@TSN_Sports #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/rLPgTetB8V
The thing was that Calen Addison (PIT) slapped him with his stick after he’d taken the shot, so hard that Ranta was bleeding profusely afterwards. Unfortunately, not only was Ranta given the lone penalty, but he had to go off the ice to get a blood-less jersey and stitched up, resulting in another forward having to take his place in the penalty box. That put Finland down to nine forwards for almost half of the first period.
Ranta, who was bleeding onto his jersey, has to change (IIHF rules, no blood allowed on the jerseys). When he’s stitched up and clean, he’ll take Aatu Raty’s place in the penalty box to serve the remainder of his misconduct. https://t.co/v4DbdvNfbs
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
After Ranta returned to the game (in the second period), he was flying. He had one dash into the Canadian end with the puck that was turned aside, and then this grade A chance later in the second:
Sampo Ranta with a nice rush and backhand that's knocked aside by Hofer.
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
Joel Hofer save on Sampo Ranta
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 4, 2020
@TSN_Sports #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/k8K0VOB1yJ
Hofer stops Ranta again. He's definitely been one of the more noticeable Finnish forwards.
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
And then Ranta got stopped again.
Joel Hofer robs Sampo Ranta in close yet again.
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 4, 2020
@TSN_Sports #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/KHU4P801R9
Sampo Ranta deserves a goal in this game, good lord.
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
Justus Annunen
G — Finland
Uh, I don’t know where the Annunen who played against the United States was in this game, and it wasn’t good for the Finns:
Annunen looks more like Switzerland Annunen than USA Annunen right now and that’s going to be problematic for Finland today
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
It was 4-0 after the first period and somehow Annunen hadn’t been pulled (nor was he pulled in any of the other periods afterwards).
#GoAvsGo prospects are dropping like flies in this game. Byram ill, Ranta slapped with a high-stick and then a misconduct, Annunen looking like Swiss cheese out there.
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
It took all of four minutes for Annunen to lose his hold on the tournament’s Top Goalie award:
I guess Justus Annunen (COL) just lost his Best Goalie award.
— Jokke Nevalainen (@JokkeNevalainen) January 4, 2020
The problem is that we don't really have anyone else left. Joel Hofer (STL) maybe?
Annunen was a lot better in the second and third periods. The problem was, he was basically the only Finn on the ice doing anything.
Justus Annunen (#GoAvsGo) with a huge save on Dawson Mercer (#2020NHLDraft) here to keep the Finns in the game to whatever extent they are still in it.
— Tony Ferrari (@theTonyFerrari) January 4, 2020
Despite this poor game, Annunen is still an outstanding goaltending prospect.
️ @TSN_Sports #WJC #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/6K8NCuO9G3
The 4-0 goal was probably the worst one he allowed, because he fumbled covering up the puck:
Ty Dellandrea
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 4, 2020
4-0 CAN
@TSN_Sports #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/0YD0vxk5bS
Annunen also had equipment issues that needed attending to:
Justus Annunen had equipment issues. Headed to bench for repairs.
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 4, 2020
@TSN_Sports #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/k14iaPSCuT
I think Annunen just faked an equipment issue to try to get himself pulled from the game but his plan failed.
— Jokke Nevalainen (@JokkeNevalainen) January 4, 2020
Annunen was named one of Finland’s top three players of the tournament — deservedly so:
Players of the Tournament:
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
CAN — Barrett Hayton (ARI), Alexis Lafreniere (2020), Liam Foudy (CBJ)
FIN — Justus Annunen (COL), Patrik Puistola (CAR), Kristian Tanus
Honestly, I’m not sure why Finland didn’t pull Annunen after the first period and have him reset for the next game. He finished with an .872 save percentage and made 34 saves. The game was so far out of reach at that point that there was no reason to keep him in — unless they’re not planning on playing him today.
Regardless, Finland and Annunen will wish they had a better start to this game. They’ll play Sweden this morning for bronze.
Danila Zhuravlyov
LD — Russia
Zhuravlyov had a really good game. He played 16:49 on Russia’s third pair, but he was considerably more noticeable as Russia outlasted Sweden for a 5-4 overtime win.
He got time on the powerplay as Russia was awarded a five-minute man-advantage:
Danila Zhuravlyov gets PP time in the final 30 seconds of the 5-min major. #GoAvsGo
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
Zhuravlyov basically saved a goal:
This will end up being Zhuravlyov's best play of the tournament if he doesn't score https://t.co/hJofMO9hht
— World Juniors Lauren (@laurkelly24) January 4, 2020
And here’s a great shift from him, showing off his excellent skating ability and hands:
What a sequence for Avalanche prospect Daniil Zhuravlyov. Look at the edge work, crossovers and stickhandling. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. #GoAvsGo #WorldJuniors
— Josh Tessler (@JoshTessler_) January 4, 2020
@TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/KsQuQnFR3y
Zhuravlyov will play for a gold medal later today against Canada.
Today’s Games
(All times MT, teams with Avalanche prospects are bolded)
Bronze Medal Game:
7:00am — Sweden vs. Finland
Gold Medal Game:
11:00am — Canada vs. Russia