U. S. beats Canada in shootout
Outdoor game sets world junior hockey attendance record
ORCHARD PARK, N. Y. — Falling snow, and lots of it, is nothing out of the ordinary in Western New York during the cold winter months.
People didn’t expect Mother Nature to give Canada and the United States a free pass on Friday afternoon at the 2018 world junior championship, did they?
Not a chance.
In the first outdoor game in the history of the world junior, Canada couldn’t hold on to a two- goal lead in the third period and lost 4- 3 in a shootout at New Era Field.
Kieffer Bellows and then Brady Tkachuk scored in the shootout for the U. S. on Canada goalie Carter Hart.
None of Canadians Sam Steel, Rob Thomas, Taylor Raddysh nor Drake Batherson could beat U. S. goalie Jake Oettinger in the shootout.
The loss served as more pain for the seven Canadian players — Hart, Jake Bean, Kale Clague, Dante Fabbro, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Raddysh — who were part of the team last winter that lost to the U. S. in a shootout in the gold- medal game in Montreal.
In 65 minutes of hockey prior to the shootout, the U. S. outshot Canada 35- 22 including 3- 2 in overtime.
Light snow was falling when the game started in the home of the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills. That progressed to heavy flurries in blizzard- like conditions through much of the second and third periods, ensuring those hired to clean the ice during TV timeouts were earning their wages to the last penny.
Vast amounts of the white stuff was being carted off the ice in garbage cans and wheel barrows to the point that a large pile was built at one end of the rink.
Traffic woes, long waits at the Canada- U. S. border and a thorough security team at the stadium gates meant thousands of fans were not in their seats for the game’s start. The stands filled in, however, and when the final tally was taken, there was a world- junior record.
Attendance was announced as 44,592, easily beating the previous mark of 20,380 to witness live a world- junior game. That came in the gold- medal game in Ottawa in 2009, when Canada beat Sweden at what was then known as Scotiabank Place.
As for the hockey itself, let’s put it nicely: No single play was made that will be among the highlights when the tournament ends next Friday.
The weather and ice conditions were impactful and it was easy to wonder how much better the game between intense rivals would have been had it been played in a normal hockey environment.
Still, the hockey spectacle for one day was special and unique, and won’t be forgotten by anyone involved.
Down 3- 1 entering the third period, the U. S. scored twice in a span of 34 seconds to tie game.
Positioned behind the Canada net, Casey Mittelstadt fed Tkachuk, who beat Hart for the tying goal at 6: 43. Tkachuk managed to get his stick on the pass despite the presence of Fabbro, who was at Tkachuk’s hip.
A power- play goal at 6: 09 by Scott Perunovich, on a pass from Mittelstadt and with Maxime Comtois serving a boarding minor, began the American uprising.
Any concerns regarding the health of three Canadian defencemen — Clague, Bean and Fabbro have been dealing with varying degrees of injury — dissipated. All, especially Clague, were instrumental in the game.
Canada will meet Denmark ( indoors, thankfully, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo) on Saturday night in its final game of the preliminary round. Next will be the quarterfinal on Tuesday against an opponent to be determined.
The U. S. scored its first goal at 16: 27 of the second period when Bellows strolled in from the point and beat Hart with a slapshot. The goal came during a two- man U. S. power play, created when Brett Howden ( cross- checking) and Alex Formenton ( slashing) were penalized at the same time.
The good feelings created by Bellows didn’t last long. Canada’s two- goal lead was restored at 17: 39 when Boris Katchouk deflected a Bean point shot. The goal stood after a review.
Oettinger had stopped Canada from taking a 3- 0 lead early in the period, thwarting Victor Mete, who just finished serving a penalty, on a breakaway.
Canada held a 2- 0 lead at the end of the first period, as it scored on both of its power plays.
Cale Makar provided the first goal by a Canadian defenceman in the tournament when he blasted a shot past Oettinger at 4: 13.
Dube gave his team a two- goal lead at 15: 17 when he fired a shot over Oettinger’s left shoulder from the faceoff circle.
Hart was not tested to a difficult degree in the opening 20 minutes, but did have to make 11 saves.