Jakub Stancl scored his second goal of the game with 11.7 seconds left in third period as Czechia survived a blown 2-0 lead to defeat Canada 3-2 and advance to the semifinals at the world junior hockey championship on Tuesday.
The North Americans carried the play for most of the final 40 minutes before Stancl fired a shot on goal in the dying seconds of regulation that deflected off the stick of Canadian defenceman Oliver Bonk — the son of former NHLer Radek Bonk — and beat a stunned Rousseau.
Tuesday’s quarterfinal was a rematch of last year’s gold-medal matchup in Halifax, which Canada took 3-2 in overtime. Five members of that Czech team dressed Tuesday, while forward Owen Beck was Canada’s lone returnee.
Canadian winger Matthew Savoie returned to the lineup Tuesday from a lower-body injury after sitting out Sunday’s 6-3 win over Germany.
Conor Geekie was also back for Canada. The big forward avoided a suspension from the International Ice Hockey Federation’s disciplinary panel following his game misconduct for an illegal check to the head just 11 seconds into Sunday.