BY PATRICK KING
sportsnet.ca
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Lucky met good, but lucky wasn't good enough for Canada to get the bye to the semifinals.
On the heels of shaky goaltending and misfires in the shootout, the Canadians lost their first game of the world junior tournament to the Swedes. Sweden now earns the coveted bye to the semifinals while the Canadians are forced to go through the quarterfinals.
The Swedes carried the play through much of the first two periods, but the gamely Canadians held a 5-4 lead late in the third period before Patrick Cehlin tied it on a beautiful individual rush.
It was one of many goals which floated above Canadian goaltender Olivier Roy's shoulder, a trend the Swedes used to carry them to the semifinals.
"They were trying to get the top of the net all the time," Roy admitted. "I was aware of it."
The Swedes used a different approach in the shootout. Both goals by Oscar Lindberg and Anton Lander were near carbon copies of each other with left-handed shooters faking the forehand before pulling to the backhand.
Goaltending was perhaps the biggest difference in the game. Where Roy struggled, Swedish goaltender Robin Lehner regained composure.
Lehner admitted he would like a few goals back, but was more frustrated with Canada's first goal. Marcus Foligno went crashing towards the net on a pass from Sean Couturier. Lehner felt the refs dropped the ball by not calling Foligno for interference and allowing the goal.
"They give us directions and they don't follow them themselves," Lehner said. "I'm sliding across and all of the sudden I'm stopped so I don't think it should have been a goal."
Lehner accepted blame for the second goal, a long shot by Canada's Quinton Howden. But where Lehner was unprepared on that goal, he was simply unlucky on Canada's third goal.
With time expiring in the first period and Ryan Johansen streaking in along the right side, the crowd hollered for him to shoot. His shot went high and over the net, but caromed off the glass in front of the net. Curtis Hamilton just had the clock to beat with an open net, scoring with less than a second remaining.
"I have to say I was pretty surprised myself," Johansen said. "I didn't know what to do, either celebrate or to laugh so I kind of did a bit of both."
Roy, meanwhile, had much less to laugh about. Although he had no chance on a few of the goals allowed, even he couldn't say for sure whether or not he would be between the pipes for Canada's next game.
"If I'm going to be in net for the next game, I'm just going to prepare myself for it," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen. I will respect the coach's decision. I will probably know (on Saturday)."
Team Canada head coach Dave Cameron did little to quash the notion of a goaltending change for the quarterfinal.
"I don't think either goalie was the player of the game," he said, adding that he will re-evaluate before deciding on the next game's starter.
Team Sweden head coach Roger Ronnberg had the ultimate "huh?" moment when he began his post-game statement by claiming the Czechs and Russians presented his team with a tougher game.
When asked to clarify, Ronnberg noted both teams were stronger offensively than Canada, despite the fact Canada scored more goals than both the Czechs and Russians combined.
"I think those games were tougher for us controlling how they look on the ice," he said. "I think we did a good game tonight. We controlled the ice, we played good, we played with the puck possession (and) we played them on the outside. Hey, it's just one game."
But it's one game the Swedes won't soon forget. For many, it was the first time they had beaten Canada.
"That's the thing we've been talking about in our team," Lehner said. "You can be better than the U.S. or Canada in some games, but they end up winning. And that's incredible skill they have."
QUOTE OF THE DAY
If there's a positive to be taken, the Canadians will have fewer days in a hotel sitting and waiting to play again. Johansen offered up a surprising take with Friday's quote of the day.
"Your legs start to get really heavy and you're not in game-mode as much," he said. "I'm almost just as happy to lose that game."
As tough a pill a shootout loss can be to swallow, defenceman Tyson Barrie hopes his team won't succumb to another individual showcase to determine another game.
"Hopefully we don't bring it to that point again, but if we do," he said, "hopefully we've got better luck."
