The annual World Junior Championships matchup between North America’s big hockey rivals ended in exultation for the visiting squad.
USA vs. Canada final score, 2017 World Juniors: Team USA rides early lead to big win over Canadian rivals
Team USA wins Group A by upsetting the home country.
Team USA jumped out to an early lead over Canada on Saturday, winning Group B of the 2017 World Juniors with a 3-1 win. The loss at the Air Canada Centre broke a 11-game World Juniors win streak for the Canadians on home ice.
Canada will play the third-place team from Group A in the quarterfinal on Monday. That will likely be the Czech Republic. The United States will play Switzerland.
Canada found itself in early penalty trouble and it immediately put them behind the eight-ball. With USA forward Kieffer Bellows and Canada forward Tyson Jost off for two-minute minor penalties, Jordan Greenway fed the puck to Colin White in front of the net for the first goal of the game.
For White, an Ottawa Senators prospect, it was his fourth goal in as many games to open the tournament.
Greenway cashed in as well just moments later. With Bellows’ penalty expired, Greenway jumped to the front of the net unimpeded and stuffed the puck through to give the United States a 2-0 lead.
It was the Minnesota Wild prospect’s second point of the day and second goal of the tournament.
Team USA scored on two of its first three shots against Canada goalie Connor Ingram, who got the start instead of regular Carter Hart. Since both teams had punched tickets to the quarterfinals already, Canada was likely giving Hart some rest before the knockout round.
The Americans started out strong on the penalty kill, shutting down a first period 5-on-3 chance for Canada without incident.
It was the USA’s turn to dive into penalty trouble in the second period when captain Luke Kunin was ejected for interference in the first five minutes. Canada ended up on a 5-on-3, with Thomas Chabot scoring his second of the tournament to cut the score to 2-1.
The Americans wasted no time answering back. Minutes after Chabot’s goal, Jordan Greenway fired at the net and Jeremy Bracco potted a rebound to restore Team USA’s two-goal lead.
Canada attempted a comeback in the third period, but were hampered by a late penalty to Pierre-Luc Dubois for unsportsmanlike conduct. The United States held on for the win, only their 16th victory against Canada in 45 tries at the World Juniors.
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