TORONTO — Canada held on to claim a nail-biting 5-4 win over Russia in the final of the ice hockey junior world championships on Monday to end a five-year wait for a gold medal.
It was Canada's 16th gold but first since 2009 and it did not come easy.
Russia left a capacity Air Canada Center crowd, which included Prime Minister Stephen Harper, on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer.
Leading 5-1 late in the second period, Canada nearly let the victory slip away as Russia scored three quick goals to slash the deficit to one goal.
But the Russians could not complete the comeback as Canadian netminder Zach Fucale shut out the visitors in the final period.
Canada scored 23 seconds after the opening faceoff on a goal from Anthony Duclair. Nick Paul put Canada 2-1 up before Dmitry Yudin pulled one back for Russia before the end of the opening period.
Canada looked ready to pull away in the second, going 5-1 up on goals from Max Domi, Sam Reinhart and Connor McDavid, the most talked about player since Sidney Crosby and widely expected to be the number one pick in this year's NHL draft.
But the Russians would answer back with three quick tallies late in the period, Ivan Barbashev and Sergei Tolchinsky scoring 32 seconds apart and Nikolai Goldobin adding another.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
