2019 World Junior A Challenge

BARINKA SCORES OT WINNER, CZECHS COME BACK TO EDGE RUSSIA

JASON LA ROSE

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. – Marcel Barinka buried a breakaway 1:57 into overtime, and the Czech Republic erased a pair of deficits in the second period to beat Russia 4-3 at the 2019 World Junior A Challenge on Sunday afternoon.

It’s just the third win for the Czechs in 10 tries against the Russians at the tournament, and marks just the second time in eight appearances that they have opened their schedule with a victory.

Barinka made good on the one and only shot in overtime, taking a lead pass from Adam Klapka after a turnover at the Czech blue-line and beating goaltender Maxim Motorygin with a quick shot past the glove.

Klapka finished with a goal and two assists, while Barinka and Ondrej Psenicka chipped in a goal and a helper apiece. Jan Skorpik earned the win in goal, making 31 saves.

Early on, it looked as if Russia would make it two wins in as many days; it outshot the Czechs 16-9 in the first period and took a two-goal lead to the intermission.

Kirill Kirsanov opened the scoring just 2:11 in, roofing a shot up and over the glove of Skorpik off a feed from behind the net from Nikita Buruyanov, and Daniil Chayka jumped in off the blue-line off a won face-off and slipped a shot five-hole at 7:35.

Psenicka got the comeback started for the Czechs five minutes into the second period when he jumped on a loose puck in the slot for a power-play goal, and Jakub Rychlovsky tipped in a Jakub Cernohorsky shot on a delayed Russian penalty six minutes later to tie the game.

Russia caught a break when a centring pass from Pavel Tyutnev hit a skate in front and eluded Skorpik, but Klapka rumbled down the right wing and tucked a backhand past Motorygin to draw the Czechs even again late in the middle frame.

A scoreless third period gave way to Barinka’s heroics in overtime, giving the Czechs a little early momentum as they look to make the semifinals for the fourth year in a row.

They’re right back to action Monday, taking on the United States in the lone game of the day (7 p.m. MT), while the Russians won’t play again until Wednesday when they face Canada West (7 p.m. MT).