PLAYED AT: ZS Poprad
Date: Apr 13, 2017
GAME NOTES: CANADA COMES OUT FIRING IN WORLDS-OPENING WIN
JASON LA ROSE
POPRAD, Slovakia – MacKenzie Entwistle (Georgetown, Ont./Hamilton, OHL) led the offence with a goal and an assist, helping Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team to a 4-1 win over Latvia in the opener for both Thursday at the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship.
The Canadians owned the puck for long stretches of the game; they held a 54-19 advantage in shots on goal, including 41-9 over the final 40 minutes. Despite the loss, Latvian goaltender Niklavs Rauza starred in a 50-save performance.
After a handful of early chances, Canada struck first just shy of the 12-minute mark of the first period. A turnover at the Latvian blue-line ended up on the stick of Stelio Mattheos (Winnipeg, Man./Brandon, WHL), who was awarded a penalty shot after he was pulled down with no one between him and Rauza.
Mattheos dangled his way in and went backhand to forehand before roofing a shot over the glove of the Latvian netminder from in close for the 1-0 goal.
The Europeans battled back to tie the game late in the opening frame; Rihards Paskausks buried a rebound past Canadian goaltender Ian Scott (Calgary, Alta./Prince Albert, WHL) to send the game to the intermission even at 1-1.
Canada ramped up the offence in the second period, outshooting Latvia 25-6, and took the lead for good when Entwistle went cross-crease to set up Maxime Comtois (Longueuil, Que./Victoriaville, QMJHL) for a power-play goal at 3:36.
Isaac Ratcliffe (London, Ont./Guelph, OHL) extended the advantage to two less than five minutes later, jumping on a face-off win by Nate Scharr (Waterloo, Ont./Guelph, OHL) and beating Rauza.
With the Canadians comfortably on their way to victory, Entwistle capped the scoring just past the midway mark of the third period, redirecting a wrist shot from Ty Smith (Lloydminster, Alta./Spokane, WHL).
Canada sees the ice next on Saturday, facing off against host Slovakia (1;30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT on TSN).
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Visiting Team: Canada
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Home Team: Latvia
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CANADA LINEUP
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| Pos |
No. |
Name |
| G | 1 | Scott, Ian | | G | 30 | McGrath, Jacob | | | 2 | Brook, Josh | | | 3 | Mitchell, Ian | | | 4 | Smith, Ty | | | 5 | Chainey, Jocktan | | | 8 | Woo, Jett | | | 9 | Ratcliffe, Isaac | | | 10 | Schnarr, Nate | | | 11 | Anderson-Dolan, Jaret | | | 12 | Mattheos, Stelio | | | 14 | Comtois, Maxime | | | 15 | Olson, Kyle | | | 16 | Thomas, Akil | | | 21 | Dellandrea, Ty | | | 24 | McIsaac, Jared | | | 26 | Entwistle, MacKenzie | | | 27 | Hawel, Liam | | | 28 | Strome, Matthew | | | | | | | | |
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CANADA PENALTIES
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| Per. |
No. |
Min |
Offence |
Off |
PP |
PS |
Start |
On |
| 1st | 14 | 2:00 | Hit to the Head | 5:31 | 1 | | 5:31 | 7:31 | | 1st | 14 | 10:00 | 10-Minute Misconduct | 5:31 | | | 5:31 | 15:31 | | 1st | 27 | 2:00 | Roughing | 14:50 | | | 14:50 | 16:50 | | 1st | 12 | 2:00 | Slashing | 14:50 | 1 | | 14:50 | 16:50 | | 2nd | 26 | 2:00 | Slashing | 14:43 | 1 | | 14:43 | 16:43 | | 2nd | 15 | 2:00 | Roughing | 16:01 | | | 16:01 | 18:01 | | 3rd | 15 | 2:00 | Checking from Behind | 13:30 | 1 | | 13:30 | 15:30 | | 3rd | 15 | 10:00 | 10-Minute Misconduct | 13:30 | | | 13:30 | 20:00 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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LATVIA LINEUP
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| Pos |
No. |
Name |
| G | 1 | Voris, Janis | | G | 30 | Rauza, Niklavs | | | 3 | Karkls, Renars | | | 4 | Bergmanis, Arvils | | | 6 | Udris, Regnars | | | 7 | Smons, Sandis | | | 8 | Kostjuks, Andrejs | | | 9 | Egle, Valters | | | 11 | Builis, Rudolfs | | | 12 | Berzins, Daniels | | | 13 | Sicevs, Lukass | | | 14 | Opelts, Toms | | | 16 | Vjaters, Ralfs | | | 19 | Zulevs, Ilja | | | 20 | Gegeris, Emils | | | 21 | Lapiks, Artjoms | | | 22 | Jasunovs, Viktors | | | 23 | Barkans, Martins | | | 24 | Petrovs, Edgars | | | 25 | Paskausks, Rihards | | | 26 | Krollis, Niks |
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LATVIA PENALTIES
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| Per. |
No. |
Min |
Offence |
Off |
PP |
PS |
Start |
On |
| 1st | 26 | 2:00 | Interference | 2:09 | 1 | | 2:09 | 4:09 | | 1st | 12 | | Tripping | 11:50 | | * | 11:50 | 11:50 | | 1st | 16 | 2:00 | Roughing | 14:50 | | | 14:50 | 16:50 | | 2nd | 19 | 2:00 | Holding | 3:27 | 1 | | 3:27 | 3:36 | | 2nd | 8 | 2:00 | Tripping | 9:17 | 1 | | 9:17 | 11:17 | | 2nd | 6 | 2:00 | Interference | 14:11 | 1 | | 14:11 | 16:11 | | 2nd | 23 | 2:00 | Roughing | 16:01 | | | 16:01 | 18:01 | | 3rd | 20 | 2:00 | Slashing | 11:35 | 1 | | 11:35 | 13:35 | | 3rd | 8 | 2:00 | Boarding | 15:48 | 1 | | 15:48 | 17:48 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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