Former Boston University forward Kiefer Bellows tallied Team
USA’s first goal of the day on a power play in regulation, and then added
another score in a shootout as the U.S. National Junior Team rebounded from a pair
of two-goal deficits to defeat Canada, 4-3, in a round-robin game in the 2018
IIHF World Junior Championship.
The game was held in snowy conditions before over 44,000 spectators
at New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y., home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. It was
the first outdoor match ever contested in the history of the WJC.
After Canada forged 2-0 and 3-1 leads, including the
game-opening goal by Cale Makar (Massachusetts), Scott Perunovich
(Minnesota-Duluth) got the U.S. within a goal early in the third period off a
power-play set-up by Casey Mittelstadt (Minnesota). Mittelstadt then picked up
his third assist of the afternoon when he orchestrated the tying goal by Brady
Tkachuk (Boston University) later in the stanza.
Following a scoreless five-minute overtime period, Bellows
and Tkachuk notched the only goals of the shootout to lift Team USA to the victory.
Jake Oettinger (Boston University) finished with 19 saves and added an assist
in regulation for the U.S., which lost to Slovakia on Thursday, and also did
not allow a shootout goal in four tries by Canada.
The U.S., which outshot Canada, 36-22, now trails its first-place
northern neighbor by two points in Group “A” play. The Americans will finish the
round-robin portion of the tournament on Sunday against Finland, while the Canadians
will take on winless Denmark on Saturday.
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