Madferret
4-28-05, 3:41 PM
PRAGUE (CP) - Joe Thornton scored at 17:34 of the third period Thursday to give Canada a 2-1 exhibition win over the Czech Republic in the final warmup game for both teams ahead of the IIHF world hockey championship.
Simon Gagne shot wide and the rebound came off the end boards to Thornton, who one-timed a slapshot into the corner. Czech goalie Tomas Vokoun had no chance on the goal.
The Czechs pulled Vokoun with 19 seconds left and almost tied it but Roberto Luongo made a big save on Petr Sykora in the dying seconds from point-blank range. Gagne made it 1-1 at 1:22 of the second period when he took a pass from Thornton in front and put a low shot past Vokoun.
Petr Prucha gave the Czechs a 1-0 lead at 6:27 of the first, beating Luongo on a backhand. Josef Vasicek assisted on the play. Canada missed a chance to tie it when Rick Nash was stopped by Vokoun on a breakaway. Attendance at T-Mobile Arena, the home of HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Elite League, was 12,412.
Canada opens against Latvia on Saturday at the world championship in Austria.
Simon Gagne shot wide and the rebound came off the end boards to Thornton, who one-timed a slapshot into the corner. Czech goalie Tomas Vokoun had no chance on the goal.
The Czechs pulled Vokoun with 19 seconds left and almost tied it but Roberto Luongo made a big save on Petr Sykora in the dying seconds from point-blank range. Gagne made it 1-1 at 1:22 of the second period when he took a pass from Thornton in front and put a low shot past Vokoun.
Petr Prucha gave the Czechs a 1-0 lead at 6:27 of the first, beating Luongo on a backhand. Josef Vasicek assisted on the play. Canada missed a chance to tie it when Rick Nash was stopped by Vokoun on a breakaway. Attendance at T-Mobile Arena, the home of HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Elite League, was 12,412.
Canada opens against Latvia on Saturday at the world championship in Austria.