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Canadiens Prospect Mesar Shines At World Junior Championship

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1 year ago

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar

Following a difficult start to the tournament which resulted in Slovakia losing 5-2 to Finland, Canadiens prospect Filip Mesar has found his groove at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship.

Mesar earned a goal and an assist in his country’s 3-0 win over Latvia, though he was probably a little unlucky not to grace the scoresheet more often, seeing as he hit the post twice in the matchup.

The win against Latvia, paired with the surprising victory over the United States, gives Slovakia six points in the standings, which will likely be enough to advance to the medal rounds, thus avenging a frustrating 2021 tournament in which they only participated in the round robin.

His first point came on a fantastic breakout play, forcing the Latvian defenders to collapse as Mesar carried the puck into the offensive zone.

Ever the wizard, Mesar quickly applied the emergency brake, creating time and space for himself and his teammates as well as chaos among the Latvian defenders.

With the hard work done, Mesar then found captain Simon Nemec (NJD) with a perfect cross-ice pass that led to an important insurance goal.

He also outworked his opponent to secure the win for Slovakia, hitting an empty net from the midpoint of the ice to put the game out of reach for Latvia in the dying minutes of the third period.

The goal itself isn’t as important as the anticipation displayed by the Canadiens prospect, which seems to improve every time Mesar hits the ice.

As it stands, Mesar has scored two goals and one assist in three games, placing him third among his countrymen in scoring, behind Peter Repcik and Nemec.

It’s also worth noting Mesar increased his intensity in the last two games, showing the type of determination and fight that will serve him well once he returns to the Kitchener Rangers.

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