The Czech Republic and Canada met on Friday afternoon in Montreal for a U20 National Junior Team Summer Development Camp contest, with the Czechs pulling out the 5-2 upset victory against the Canadians.
Team Canada entered Friday’s game with a 3-0 record in the camp’s prelims (and they didn’t trail at any point in those three games, either) but were outmatched for the majority of the game against the Czechs, who picked up their first win in three contests.
It wasn’t just the scoreboard that turned ugly for the Canadians either, as they lost one of their better players, forward and St. Louis Blues first round draft pick Robby Fabbri, after he was injured on this devastating open-ice hit in the third period:
Already trailing 5-2 at that point, the controversial hit sparked a lot of anger and frustration from Canada’s bench and most of the 13 and a half minutes that followed consisted primarily of the Canadians trying to extract revenge for their injured teammate. It led to a bevy of penalties and some really ugly and dangerous plays that you never like to see on the ice.
Seriously, though…there were a LOT of penalties.
It was pretty much a relief to see the game’s clock hit zeros before anyone else sustained serious injuries, but tempers still managed to flare even after the final horn. Czech defenseman Lukas Klok got sucker punched by a Canadian player in the corner, giving him a bloody nose.
The 19-year old Klok was understandably pissed and decided to voice his displeasure by shooting a middle finger, air kisses and thumbs up in the Canadians’ direction before skating off the ice at the conclusion of his team’s victory.
All in all, it was a pretty entertaining game for one that didn’t really matter all that much. Maybe a little too entertaining for a hockey game between teenagers in August.
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