Coming off its overtime loss to Team Canada Black in the tournament opener Saturday evening at Canalta Centre, Team Canada White waltzed right into the awaiting hands of Team USA, fresh off its 10-1 shellacking of the Czech Republic just 24 hours ago.
Team Canada White delivered what Team USA must have felt was a much more stern test, but it wasn’t enough to earn the home side a victory.
USA was quicker to pucks in the early going and displayed eye-popping team speed on the transition. They never trailed in the contest Monday night and earned a well-deserved 6-4 decision.
“We didn’t get the start we wanted,” said Team Canada White head coach, Sylvain Favreau (Halifax; QMJHL). “They’re a team that likes to cheat offensively, that’s their style of play.
“It’s a little disappointing – our start, but our second was a great period and in the third we had some push back. We have to move forward for Tuesday’s game.”
USA opened the scoring at 2:38 converting a three-on-two break into the Team Canada White zone. Ryan St. Louis, the son of former National Hockey Leaguer Martin St. Louis, sent a crisp, cross-ice feed to Colby Saganiuk, who got just enough stick on the puck to slide it past goaltender William Rousseau (Trois Rivieres, LMHAAAQ).
Team Canada White evened the score at 10:24 when Riley Kidney (Acadie-Bathhurst, QMJHL) intercepted a clearing pass and ripped a shot past a surprised Kaidan Mbereko in the USA cage.
USA struck for two goals 50 seconds apart to quiet what to that point had been rather a boisterous crowd at Canalta Centre.
Sasha Pastujov drifted a harmless looking shot toward the Team Canada White net and the puck bounced in off Caden Brown, who was cruising through the crease. Dylan Duke extended the lead to 3-1 when he carried the puck into the attacking zone, toe-dragged around a defenceman and beat Rousseau high glove.
Team Canada White had a late opportunity to narrow the gap when Dylan Guenther (Edmonton, WHL) picked up a loose puck on the doorstep, but Mbereko turned the shot away with a touch of leather larceny that had the building abuzz.
“It’s cool to play against these guys, see all these other countries,” Guenther said. “They’re treating us like pros here. It’s fun to see players take their game to the next level.”
The teams combined for four goals in the second stanza – two apiece.
Chaz Lucius converted a feed from Saganiuk at 2:09 when the two went in all alone on Rousseau. Jack Beck (Ottawa; OHL) got that goal back for Team Canada White at 4:49.
Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils) and Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) tallied on the power play at 8:49, then Cole Sillinger (Medicine Hat, WHL) outmuscled a defender in front of the USA and deflected an Oscar Plandowski (Charlottetown; QMJHL) point shot while Team Canada White had the man advantage.
“I think we didn’t come out as hard as we wanted to,” Sillinger said. “We knew they’d be a good team, they’ve been playing together a long time.”
The teams opened the final frame with a flurry, scoring twice in the first three minutes. Team Canada White moved to within a goal at 2:07 when Sillinger knocked down a clearing attempt and rifled a shot past Mbereko. Just 45 seconds later, USA restored its two-goal cushion when Aidan Hreschuk sifted a shot through traffic that eluded Rousseau.
Mbereko and Rousseau shut the door the rest of the way.
Team USA leads the pool with two straight wins and six points. Team Canada White is tied with the Czech Republic with one point, as neither team has garnered a victory so far.
“Every team here is world class,” Sillinger said, when asked about the game against the Czech Republic. “We’re expecting a good, hard team. It’ll be fast and physical, so we’ll be ready for that.”
The two team square off on Tuesday. USA will meet Team Canada Black in a match that will determine first place in the pool.
SUMMARY
First Period
1. USA: Saganiuk (St. Louis, Behrens) 2:38 (ES). 2. WHITE: Kidney 10:24 (ES). 3. USA: Brown (Pastajov, Behrens) 10:57 (ES). 4. USA: Duke (Pastujov) (ES)
Penalties: WHITE Armsby (hooking) 6:21; USA Devine (holding stick) 8:22; USA Gilmartin (charging) 13:35; WHITE Harrison (cross checking) 15:03
Second Period
5. USA: Lucius (Saganiuk) 2:09 (ES). 6. WHITE: Beck (Stillman, Hinds) 4:49 (ES). 7. USA: L. Hughes (Lucius, Duke) 8:48 (PP). 8. WHITE: Sillinger (Plandowski, Richard) 14:59 (PP)
Penalties: WHITE Kidney (hooking) 7:58; USA Gallagher (roughing) 14:23 WHITE Savoie (interference) 18:33; USA Pastujov (slashing) 19:43
Third Period
9. WHITE: Sillinger 2:07 (PP). 10. USA: Hreschuk (Janicke) 2:52 (ES)
Penalties: USA Savage (tripping) 1:44; WHITE Harrison (slashing) 10:07; USA Brown (interference) 11:34; USA Savage (tripping) 14:05
Shots on Goal:
WHITE 9/11/6: 26
USA 6/12/8: 26
Goaltenders:
WHITE: Rousseau (59:00) 20/26
USA: Mbereko (60:00) 22/26
Game stars: USA – Saganiuk. WHITE – Sillinger.
Notes…All eight teams were in action Monday, with two games in both Swift Current and Medicine Hat. Both early games were decided in shootouts, as Finland edged Russia 5-4 at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current. Russia has dropped two straight games, though it collected one point in the standings against the Finns. Finland dropped its tournament opener to Sweden…At the CanAlta Centre in Medicine Hat, Team Canada Black defeated a game Czech Republic team, 5-4. Black has gone to extra time in each of its starts and has four points to show so far. Defenceman Corson Ceulemans, who was selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors at the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, but plays for the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL, has been a stud on the backend for Black. He chipped in with two points against the Czechs, but took a heavy fall into the end boards during overtime an after being attended to by the training staff, he proceeded directly to the dressing room…Round robin play concludes on Tuesday. In Swift Current, Russia and Sweden play the early game before Team Canada Red entertains Finland.
