2017-18 National Men's Team

CANADA EDGES LATVIA IN OVERTIME THRILLER

JESSICA GOWANS

HERNING, Denmark – Connor McDavid (Newmarket, Ont./Edmonton, NHL) scored the overtime winner 46 seconds into the extra frame to lead Canada to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Latvia on Monday at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

After dancing through the defence, McDavid’s initial shot in overtime was stopped by Latvian netminder Kristers Gudslevskis with a desperation kick save. McDavid corralled his own rebound in midair and batted it into the net for the winner.

With the goal, McDavid has 11 points in six games, which leads Team Canada and puts him in a tie for fourth in tournament scoring with Sweden’s Rickard Rakell.

With the win, Canada locked up a spot in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Canada currently sits third in Groups B with 12 points and can move into second place with a win against Germany on Tuesday (10:15 a.m. ET/7:15 a.m. PT), and a Finnish loss to the United States.

Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon, Sask. Arizona, NHL) got the start in net for Canada, and bounced back nicely after allowing two goals on thirteen shots against Finland by stopping 14 of the 15 shots that he faced. He was especially sharp in the second, standing tall and able to hold the lead with Latvia pushing hard to find the equalizer.

Canada opened the scoring early in the first on a goal from Anthony Beauvillier (Sorel-Tracy, Que./New York Islanders, NHL). Jean-Gabriel Pageau (Ottawa, Ont./Ottawa, NHL) took the initial, and Beauvillier swept the puck in from where it was loose behind Gudslevskis.

Kristians Rubins broke the shutout and pulled Latvia even 1:50 into the third period with a shot from the point that found the back of the net through a maze of bodies in front.

The two teams played to a stalemate through the rest of the third, both pushing for the game winner in regulation before McDavid’s winner ended it in overtime.