States take round one against Canada
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. After penalties cost Canada a shootout to the rival United States - again - head coach Dominique Ducharme didn’t mince words about discipline and if it would be a factor for his team going forward at the world junior hockey championship.
“It won’t be. It won’t be. I can guarantee you that, that’s for sure,” said Ducharme before striding off stage and ending his post-game news conference.
Kieffer Bellows and Brady Tkachuk scored in the shootout as the U.S. beat Canada 4-3 on Friday in the first outdoor game in tournament history.
Scott Perunovich and Tkachuk scored in the third as the Americans (2-1) rallied from a two-goal deficit, just as they did in last year’s goldmedal game which the U.S. also won in a shootout. Bellows had a second-period goal with Casey Mittelstadt earning three assists.
Canada had built a seemingly unassailable 2-0 lead with five minutes remaining in the second period. As snow blanketed the 44,592 in attendance at New Era Field, it also slowed down the pace of the game as players struggled to see the puck, let alone control it as it skittered across the ice.
The tough playing conditions could have been beneficial with a solid lead, but Canadian forwards Brett Howden and Alex Formenton took penalties at the same time, giving the United States an important two-man advantage. For the first minute of the power play the Americans couldn’t get anything going, with the puck slowing down in the snow, allowing Canadian defenders to get back into position.
But Bellows solved the problem of the snow breaking up passes by blasting a slapshot from the point that Canadian goalie Carter Hart, screened by his teammates, couldn’t see.
“We had control of the game,” said Ducharme. “We put them back into the game with bad penalties.”
Although Boris Katchouk replied with a quick goal to give Canada a 3-1 lead 1:12 later, the momentum had shifted to the United States headed into the third period.
“I think with anyone overcoming two-goal deficits it’s just never give up,” said Bellows. “You’ve got to have resiliency in that lockerroom. Everyone’s got to believe in one another. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, just keep battling and keep fighting.”
Maxime Comtois took a boarding penalty nearly five minutes into the third and, again, put Canada down a man. When the Canadians did break up the American attack, they opted to counterattack instead of simply running out the clock. It was a costly mistake.