OTTAWA — Three phrases that we didn’t count on after the completion of Friday’s world junior hockey championship nightcap: Latvia beats Canada.
A 3-2 shootout defeat demonstrated how shut the remainder of the hockey world has come to catching as much as Canada.
“Unbelievable,” stated Latvian coach Artis Abols.
It should go down as one of many largest upsets in match historical past, however Latvia deserved to win. The Latvians competed, had the ability to include the Canadians and by no means misplaced their optimism regardless of trailing a lot of the sport.
All that persistence confirmed. Canada beat Latvia 10-0 eventually 12 months’s occasion and had outscored Latvia 41-4 of their earlier 4 conferences on the occasion, however the guests had different concepts this time.
In the meantime, Canada’s efficiency was shambolic, with the staff unable to create efficient stress.
“However (if) you most likely performed that sport (once more), you win it 9 out of 10 occasions,” stated Canada coach Dave Cameron. “So, it isn’t a lot about what we did not do, full marks to Latvia.”
Different Canadian gamers talked about how they favored Canada’s shot makes an attempt: the Latvian goaltender, Linards Feldbergs of the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, made 54 stops.
“Ran right into a scorching goalie, however yeah, I feel a few of these chances are high going to go in ultimately,” stated captain Brayden Yager.
Certain, Latvia’s goaltender performed properly. Nevertheless, outdoors of 1 put up hit early within the first interval by Berkly Catton, Feldbergs made only a few sensational saves.
It was a meltdown, pure and easy.
Canada’s particular groups didn’t present up and the staff was undisciplined, taking seven penalties, together with two in the previous couple of minutes of the third interval.
Even when the Canadian gamers and coaches wouldn’t admit it, regardless of the shot disparity of 57-27 in favour of the house facet, they have been held to the skin by a Latvian staff that merely wished it extra.
The staff with the most effective energy play usually wins this match. In Canada’s final 5 gold-medal runs, the staff had the most effective energy play within the match 3 times.
After star defenceman Matthew Schaefer went down with an damage within the first interval, the facility play was flat, with gamers being extremely static at occasions. On a second-period energy play, Canada circled across the Latvian finish for 2 minutes with out one shot in tight on Feldbergs.
At five-on-five, Canada dominated possession however was constantly held to the skin. A query heading into the match was whether or not Canada may get sufficient scoring with some high-quality gamers left off the roster in Beckett Sennecke, Michael Misa, Zayne Parekh and Carter Yakemchuk. Canada selected match over ability, and it burned them Friday
In the meantime, Latvia captain Peteris Bulans and Eriks Mateiko tormented Canada’s penalty kill, scoring two targets to tie the sport late within the third. On each events, Canada had possibilities to clear — Cole Beaudoin on the primary Latvian purpose after which Andrew Gibson on the second. However the Latvians used their ability to select aside Canada’s defensive construction by passing by means of the Canadian seams to present themselves Grade A alternatives that Bulans and Mateiko capitalized on late within the third interval.
Final 12 months, Canada “ran right into a scorching goalie” towards Czechia after they misplaced off an Oliver Bonk redirection late within the third interval. In that quarterfinal, Czech goaltender Michael Hrabal outdueled Mathis Rousseau however Canada may solely muster two targets, precisely like Friday night time.
With worldwide hockey expertise changing into deeper, extra outcomes like this shouldn’t be thought of stunning. Latvia has a number of gamers enjoying within the Canadian Hockey League. Mateiko, who gained the sport with the lone shootout purpose within the eighth spherical, was chosen within the third spherical, 90th general, of the 2024 NHL by the Washington Capitals.
In additional time, Canada had ample alternatives to reap the benefits of its pace and ability. However star ahead Gavin McKenna jumped on the ice earlier than Easton Cowan had come off, resulting in a too-many-men penalty, killing Canada’s likelihood of profitable in additional time.
“I do not know. I assumed he was off the ice, only a mistake,” McKenna stated in regards to the penalty after the sport.
“I really feel like they may have began to panic slightly bit on the finish,” stated Mateiko.
McKenna, the youngest participant on the staff, was one in every of Canada’s higher gamers general. However regardless of his finest efforts with eight pictures on purpose towards Latvia, it wasn’t sufficient. Final time Canada gained gold two years in the past, McKenna’s distant cousin Connor Bedard performed hero as a then-17-year-old pushed Canada to beat a Czech staff in additional time on dwelling soil in Halifax.
Counting on younger star gamers to bail Canada out gained’t work without end, although.
Regardless of one other 17-year-old in Jack Ivankovic stopping seven penalty pictures earlier than Mateiko beat him, Canada could not win.
“To be trustworthy, I blacked out slightly bit,” stated Mateiko after clinching the victory.
“If my staff, wasn’t actual good tonight, I might be actually fearful. However it was not. We had sufficient appears to win that hockey sport,” stated Cameron.
Cameron could possibly be attempting to melt the blow for his youngsters as they attempt to regroup.
Subsequent up for Canada is Germany on Sunday. Ottawa followers are used to a German maestro: they have been wowed by present Senator Tim Stutzle, who gained ahead of the match on the 2021 world juniors in Edmonton and who’s now supporting this German staff within the capital.
It’s not simply children from Ottawa, Markham, Victoriaville and New Westminster which are wonderful hockey gamers, high expertise additionally comes from locations like Riga, Latvia and Viersen, Germany. On this match, the Germans held their very own towards the star-studded People by means of the primary half of their sport earlier than succumbing after which narrowly misplaced to Finland.
The loss to Latvia displayed how susceptible Canada is on this match — and for years to return.
Schaefer left the sport early with an damage within the first interval after a tough collision with the Latvian purpose put up. After the sport, Cameron didn’t know the severity of Schaefer’s damage. Schaefer had been Canada’s finest defencemen in pre-tournament video games and within the opening sport of the match.
Canada determined to not fill its three open roster spots, though ahead Carson Rehkopf, defenceman Sawyer Mynio and goalie Carson Bjarnason stayed with the staff by means of camp. Canada may put Mynio on their roster, but in addition may add different offensive defenceman akin to Parekh (Saginaw Spirit) and Yakemchuk (Calgary Hitmen) to exchange Schaefer’s offensive manufacturing.
