Canada’s three-year gold medal streak at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup will come to an end, but their quest for a medal does not.
The United States went three for three in the shootout to beat Canada 4-3. Canada will play Finland for bronze tomorrow morning.
The Americans got up 1-0 early on a rebound goal, but Canada tied the score early in the second when Cypress River, Manitoba native Carson Carels worked a give-and-go passing play with Ethan Belchetz, who finished it off from the slot to tie the game.
The Americans took over the second period after that, however. They scored two more rebound goals to go up 3-1, and despite being outshot 15-8 at one point in the second, ended the period leading Canada in shots on goal.
Canada turned it up in the third to tie the score. First, Tynan Lawrence snapped a shot home on the power play. Then, at 5-on-5, Mathis Preston fired a shot off the rush from the right wing that found its way through a screen and in.
Ten minutes of three-on-three overtime would feature plenty of heart-in-mouth chances but no goals. In the shootout, all three American shooters scored in the five-round penalty shot contest.
The bronze medal game will be at 10:00 AM Central Time.
