Dave Cameron stepped in entrance of the microphones and attempted to spin what had simply opened up.
A parade of Canadian gamers then proceeded to toe the corporate line after a jaw-dropping loss on the global junior hockey championship.
Tanner Molendyk snapped this system and nation again to truth.
Eriks Mateiko scored the one objective of the shootout Friday as Latvia shocked an alarmingly uninspired Canada 3-2 within the powerhouse country’s yard.
“They battled,” mentioned Cameron, the Canadian head trainer. “Credit score to them.”
Molendyk, an alternative captain, used to be requested later about his feelings following an embarrassing loss to a rustic the hosts had outscored 41-4 in 4 earlier conferences on the under-20 event.
“Devastating,” mentioned the defenceman from McBride, B.C.
“An eye fixed-opener,” Molendyk added later. “It’s now not one you need to lose, now not one you notice your self dropping.”
That’s precisely what took place.
Mateiko, who additionally scored within the 3rd duration for the plucky Latvians, moved in on his nation’s 8th shootout try sooner than firing the puck house to sign in one of the crucial greatest upsets in global junior historical past.
“We discovered some way,” mentioned head trainer Artis Abols, who picked up simply his nation’s 3rd victory in 38 all-time contests on the event. “In a single hockey recreation, the whole thing is conceivable.”
Peteris Bulans had the opposite objective in law for the hard-working Europeans of their first look at this 12 months’s 10-team exhibit. Linards Feldbergs stopped 55 pictures over 65 mins sooner than including 8 extra within the shootout.
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Bruno Osmanis had two assists for the Latvians, who misplaced 10-0 to Canada some three hundred and sixty five days in the past.
“Loopy,” Feldbergs mentioned.
“Can’t imagine what we did. I’m nonetheless in surprise.”
Calum Ritchie and Jett Luchanko responded for the Canadians, who’re coming off a disappointing fifth-place end ultimate 12 months in Sweden. Jack Ivankovic made 24 saves.
“No longer the most efficient feeling,” mentioned Ritchie, a made of Oakville, Ont.
“We’re gonna soar again.”
After the Latvians tied the sport 1-1 on a person benefit within the 3rd duration, Ritchie blasted a one-timer upstairs.
However Canada’s Ethan Gauthier used to be whistled for hooking with simply over 3 mins to move and Bulans tied it on that energy play with 2:29 left.
Canada took a penalty for too many males in a 3-on-3 extra time consultation that incorporated a number of alternatives, however survived that short-handed state of affairs to power the shootout now not many noticed coming sooner than the outlet faceoff.
“It sucks to lose,” Canadian captain Brayden Yager mentioned. “However now we’re gonna be told from it.”
Latvia’s Eriks Mateiko (left) celebrates his game-winning shootout objective towards Canada with Toms Mots (12) and Davids Livsics (7) in IIHF International Junior Hockey Championship initial around motion in Ottawa on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Ivankovic is solely the 3rd 17-year-old goaltender to play for Canada on the under-20 event, and the primary to start out a recreation since Jimmy Waite in 1987. Brian Finley were given right into a duration of motion at age 17 in 1999.
The goaltender from Mississauga, Ont., began instead of Carter George at the tail finish of a back-to-back after he made 31 saves in a 4-0 victory over Finland within the nation’s Crew A opener Thursday.
“I’m simply being a goalie,” Ivankovic mentioned. “I don’t suppose age in reality issues.”
Hockey Canada’s mind believe spoke sooner than those global juniors about how the gang used to be significantly better ready following the disastrous efficiency in Gothenburg that noticed them ousted via Czechia within the quarterfinals.
The training group of workers led via Cameron used to be put in early. This system additionally held a summer season camp and employed a full-time scout.
Control insisted the entire items had been in position. There have been, in brief, no excuses.
Canada, on the other hand, didn’t have many solutions towards one of the crucial game’s minnows in spite of dressing 11 first-round NHL alternatives and 3 different gamers anticipated to move prime on the subsequent two drafts.
A disjointed efficiency within the opening 20 mins used to be marked via an harm to big name defenceman Matthew Schaefer — a 17-year-old attainable No. 1 variety in June — after he crashed into the Latvian internet.
Issues didn’t enhance a lot from there.
Canada did get at the board 3:28 into the center duration when Luchanko stole a puck on a penalty kill and scored on a breakaway after Feldbergs determined to stick in his crease.
The Canadians, 0-for-3 at the energy play towards Finland, dropped to 0-for-6 later in the second one after two in large part dead guy benefits.
“We had our alternatives, however we simply didn’t end,” Molendyk mentioned. “A large number of our effort leads as much as that.”
Along with his group apparently content material to stick at the out of doors and now not problem the Latvians for the center of the ice – an unlucky hallmark of the rustic’s failed 2024 iteration – Cameron lit into his gamers at the bench.
The gang at Canadian Tire Centre attempted to boost their youngsters halfway in the course of the 3rd, however the crew persisted to seek for solutions that merely weren’t there to be discovered.
Canadian defenceman Andrew Gibson took an elbowing penalty to arrange Mateiko’s equalizer that made it 1-1 with 6:42 left in law sooner than Ritchie and Mateiko traded overdue targets.
The Latvians then surprised the hockey global within the shootout.
“There’s much more we will be able to give,” Molendyk mentioned. “We all know that within the room. Each and every man’s were given any other equipment.
“We haven’t hit that but.”
Canada higher get there quickly.
Up subsequent
Latvia faces the US on Saturday. Canada meets Germany on Sunday.
&reproduction 2024 The Canadian Press
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