Karabacek keys Czech Republic win at World U-18s

Friday, 04.18.2014 / 10:01 PM

By NHL.com Staff -  / 2014 NHL Draft blog

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2014 NHL Draft blog
Karabacek keys Czech Republic win at World U-18s

Vaclav Karabacek, a top prospect for the 2014 NHL Draft, had two goals and two assists as the Czech Republic routed Denmark 9-2 at Lappeenranta Arena in Lappeenranta, Finland, on the second day of the 2014 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Karabacek, who plays for Gatineau in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, is No. 41 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of the top North American skaters for this year's draft.

Jakub Vrana, ranked No. 4 among European skaters, had two goals and an assist. David Pastrnak, No. 5 on the European list, had two assists.

Vrana, a center with Linkoping in Sweden's second division, opened the scoring with a goal 6:51 into the game. That was the first of seven straight goals for the Czechs in the first two periods. Karabacek closed the run with a goal at 15:15 of the second period.

Alexander True scored for Denmark scored 2:34 into the third, but then Vrana and Karabacek scored their second goals of the game 3:25 apart midway through the third. Jeppe Korsgaard, a 2015 draft prospect who plays for Aalborg in Denmark's top professional league, closed the scoring with a goal with 32 seconds remaining.

The Czech Republic plays the United States on Saturday. Denmark is off until Sunday, when they play the U.S.

Slovakia 4, Germany 1 -- Juraj Mily, a prospect for the 2015 NHL Draft, had a goal and an assist for Slovakia in a game played at Imatra Arena in Imatra, Finland.

Mily's goal with 2:10 left in the first period tied the game and Radovan Bondra, another prospect for next year's draft, broke the tie with a goal at 14:22 of the second.

Kristian Ferletak and Matej Palocko scored in the third for Slovakia. Goaltender Matej Tomek stopped 23 of 24 shots.

Manuel Wiederer scored for Germany and goalie Florian Proske, ranked as a C player to watch by NHL Central Scouting for the 2014 draft, stopped 14 of 17 shots.

Slovakia won one day after a 3-2 overtime loss to Russia. As the only team in Group A to play more than one game, the Slovaks lead the group with four points. Canada, which beat Sweden 4-2 on Thursday, is one point back. Those teams will play Monday.

Germany plays Canada on Saturday.