At a jam-packed Arena Metallurg, Canada opened with a 6-4 win over the U.S. on Thursday. Awaiting reinforcements, the Canadians played with just 18 skaters.

The Canadians, who trailed 1-0 in the first period and 2-1 in the second, showed resilience to overcome the defending champion Americans in this see-saw battle.

Raphael Lavoie led the way with two goals for Canada, including the third-period winner. Alexis Lafreniere, Liam Foudy, Kevin Bahl, and Akil Thomas
also scored.

Jack Hughes, the youngest American player at 16, was the top points-getter with
a goal and two assists. Oliver Wahlstrom scored two power play goals and Joel Farrabee added a single as the U.S. fell short in rookie head coach Seth Appert's U18 debut.

Both team's starting goalies wore number 1, but it was more of a night to remember for Canada's Colten Ellis than the U.S.'s Drew DeRidder. The U.S. outshot Canada 35-25 in the loss.

The Americans are looking for their eighth gold medal in the last 10 years and first on Russian ice. Canada last won this tournament in 2013 in Sochi, with its previous golds in 2003 and 2008.

Coach Don Hay, who led the Sochi team to gold, went with 11 forwards and seven defencemen. Forwards Joe Veleno (Drummondville Voltigeurs) and Aidan Dudas (Owen Sound Platers) and defenceman Oliver Rodrigue (Drummondville) were unable
to make it for the opener.

Unlike at the annual Ivan Hlinka summer tournament, the U.S. has historically dominated Canada at the U18 World Championship. The two nations last met in the
2016 bronze medal game in North Dakota, where the host Americans won 10-3.

As usual when the North American rivals face off, this was a physical tilt. U.S. defenceman Bode Eichwede-Wilde laid out Canadian forward Akil Thomas with an open-ice hit early on. The Canadians brought their gritty forecheck. Equipped with noisemakers, the Russian fans enjoyed the uncustomary display of north-south hockey on ice that normally showcases Metallurg Magnitogorsk and its KHL rivals.

The U.S. drew first blood at 4:56 with some deft puck movement. Cole Caulfield sent it to Jacob Wise behind the goal line, and Farrabee converted his centering pass from the left faceoff circle. In last year's 4-2 gold-medal victory over Finland, Farrabee scored twice, including the game-winner.

At 15:59, Lafreniere made it 1-1 with a fantastically shifty rush, executing a quick give-and-go in the neutral zone with Tyllan Dellandrea and then sifting through the U.S. defence before zapping a forehander past DeRidder. The 16-year-old sniper is already drawing comparisons to Sidney Crosby.

The U.S. besieged Canada's net during a two-man advantage early in the second period. Farrabee hit the post and Wise backhanded the puck through the crease. With just six seconds in the second Canadian minor - the second penalty for too
many men on the ice that Hay's team took - Wahlstrom stickhandled at the top of
the left faceoff circle before whizzing a high shot past Ellis's glove at 4:14.


The Canadians fought back quickly. Foudy made it 2-2 at 6:11, pulling up at the
top of the faceoff circle and unleashing a high one past DeRidder. At 10:14, Bahl pinched in to take Serron Noel's cross-ice feed and score five-hole for a 3-2 lead.

Canada went up 4-2 with 1:56 left in the middle frame. McShane snagged a loose puck on the left side just inside the U.S. zone and beautifully found Lavoie in
front for the tip. Ellis stood tall against Farrabee on a late breakaway to preserve the two-goal lead.

The third period brought more drama. Wahlstrom cut the deficit to 4-3 at 6:40 with his second power-play goal on a one-timer that Ellis coudln't contain.

Hughes scored a magical goal to tie it up at 9:35. He darted over the blue line, took a short pass from Trevor Janicke, and then roofed it high to the short side.

However, that was as good as it got for the Americans. At 11:07, Canada went up
5-4 on the rush. Lavoie hustled to the net to bat Foudy's superb pass past DeRidder.

Farabee came close to equalizing on a shorthanded breakaway with under two minutes left, but Ellis was equal to the task. Thomas added the 6-4 empty-netter for Canada at 19:41.

On Friday, the U.S. faces Switzerland and Canada takes on Belarus.

LUCAS AYKROYD

http://u18worlds2018.iihf.hockey/en/news/can-usa/
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