DORIAN GEIGER / KYLE IRELAND
Sports Writers

Two things dear to Canadian hearts are hockey and drinking beer. 15,171 Saskatonians were able to combine both on New Year’s Eve when Canada showed down with the United States in a game that saw Canada achieve North American dominance with a 5-4 margin.

In the 20th game of the IIHF World Under 20 Championship — hosted jointly by Regina and Saskatoon — the competitive level of hockey reached its peak point of the tournament, resulting in overtime and a eventually a Canadian shootout victory.

The intensity expected of the match had been brewing for some time — and for two main reasons: the intense rivalry between Canada and the U.S. speaks for itself but also because the Yankees are the biggest challenge the Canadians have faced thus far in the tournament. Both teams entered the game unbeaten in the tournament, boasting 3-0 records.

So many people filed into Credit Union Centre on New Years Eve that the 50/50 draw exceeded $100,000 before the first puck was even dropped. To top that off, the boos that resounded throughout the building from the Canada faithful when the U.S. hit the ice for their pre-game skate rang louder than any Blades games in the past decade.

Neck and neck, back and forth

Canada continued their offensive prowess and scored the first goal of the game as they have done in the past three games against Latvia, Switzerland and Slovakia. Only 2:03 minutes into the first period, Stefan Della Rovere, a Washington Capitals draft pick made a sold-out CUC erupt in a frenzy of red and white. The Red, White and Blue soon answered a little over a minute later to knot the game at 1-1 with a goal from Phillip McRae, assisted by Jerry D’Amigo.

With 12:52 remaining in the second period, the U.S. went up on Canada 2-1 with a shorthanded breakaway goal by Jordan Schroeder that was assisted by Tyler Johnson. It was the first time Canada has trailed since the tournament started on Dec. 26.

Jordan Eberle got his name on the score sheet in a big way, tying the game up at 2-2 a few minutes later for Canada. Assists on the Eberle conversion went to Brayden Schenn and Marco Scandella.

After getting three days’ rest between the pipes, goaltender Jake Allen stepped up to the plate for Canada and prevented the U.S. from going up another goal, shutting down a U.S. forward from close range with a pad save to keep the game notched at 2-2.

Unfortunately, Canadian defenceman Colten Teubert disrupted U.S. forward Chris Kreider from behind on the play and was awarded a penalty shot. Once again Allen made his presence felt and soundly shut down the breakaway attempt to keep the U.S. at bay.

Saskatoon fans were soon introduced to what emerged in the second period as the “Jake Allen Show” and minutes later netminder Allen again rejected another U.S. breakaway and a rebound to keep the game even.

With 10.9 seconds remaining in the second period, the U.S. unexpectedly converted for their second shorthanded goal on the evening to make it 3-2 in favour of the U.S. Tyler Johnson received credit for the goal, assisted by D’Amigo. Contrary to the name of U.S. player D’Amigo, these two North American teams were anything but friends heading into the third period.

The animosity permeating the air during the second period intermission was absolutely inescapable. An Alouettes fan would have felt like a kid in a candy shop in Regina during the Grey Cup compared to an American watching Canada and the U.S. clashing in Saskatoon.

A little over a minute into the third period, the U.S. widened their margin to 4-2 with a Danny Kristo goal that was assisted by captain Derek Stepan.

Just past the 10-minute mark in the third period, Canada converted on a wrist shot from Eberle that was assisted by Brandon McMillan and Schenn to bring Canada within one of the U.S.

For the first time since the first period, the crowd at CUC was finally revived and mocking chants of “Camp-bell” reverberated throughout the venue in attempts to disrupt U.S. goaltender Jack Campbell’s concentration.

Seconds into an Eberle highsticking penalty, Canadian defenceman and assistant captain Alex Pietrangelo netted a top shelf shorthanded goal after fending off two U.S. defencemen to tie things up at 4-4.

It appeared that both teams’ power-play strategies had become more of liability than an asset with three shorthanded goals in the game.

Overtime and shootouts

Similar to the Riders’ falsely celebrated Grey Cup win that was called back, CUC erupted in cheers in what fans thought to be Canada’s go-ahead goal with minutes to go in the third, after defenceman Travis Hamonic blasted a slapshot past U.S. netminder Campbell. What would have been Canada’s game winning goal was reversed due to a Canadian player being in the crease. Everything from foam hockey pucks to beer cups rained onto the ice in disapproval of the officials’ decision but the call stuck. As the minutes continued to wind down in the third period, it was clear this game was going to have to be decided in overtime.

After five minutes of heated but scoreless overtime action, Canada and the U.S. were destined for a shootout — the pinnacle of excitement in international hockey.

Jordan Eberle converted for Canada’s first attempt dekeing past Campbell and poking a backhand shot into the twine past the U.S. goaltender. U.S. forward Kristo later netted a top shelf snap shot past Allen to even things up again.

Tied at 1-1 in the shootout, Canada’s Nazem Kadri walked around Campbell to easily tap in Canada’s second goal of the shoot out. Once again, the U.S. answered back with a Jeremy Morin goal. On the following play, Brandon Kozun wristed a shot past Campbell for Canada’s third shootout goal.

Allen topped his already impressive performance and shut down Ryan Borque on the Americans’ final attempt, sealing Canada’s epic win and 5-4 victory over the U.S.

After the game, Canadian coach Willie Desjardins acknowledged the challenge the team faced tonight.

“People think that we didn’t play that well tonight, but really the United States just played unreal,” said Desjardins.

The United States will have to build from tonight’s game as they can potentially play Canada again in the semi-final on Jan. 3.

The New Year’s Eve match marked the final game of the round robin tournament for Canada and the team now gets a by past the first round of tournament playoffs and will prepare for the semi-final game on Jan. 3 against the winner of the quarterfinal game to be played Jan. 2 at CUC.

Player of the Game: Jordan Eberle

See below for post-game interviews from Canada’s Alex Pietrangelo and Jordan Eberle and the reaction of Canada’s first goal at Saskatoon’s CUC.

Canada’s first goal:

Alex Pietrangelo post game interview:

Jordan Eberle:

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images & video: Dorian Geiger