3 takeaways from Canada's opening win over U.S. at world juniors
The Canada-U.S. rivalry lived up to the hype once again.
The goals came in bunches at Ostravar Arena, as Canada narrowly held on for a 6-4 victory to open its world junior run in the Czech Republic. We examine a few key takeaways from the barn burner that kicked off preliminary play for each side.
1. Alexis Lafreniere is ready for the spotlight
The projected No. 1 selection of the 2020 NHL Draft wasted no time showing why he's pegged as one of the league's next generational talents. Lafreniere thrived under the bright lights against the archrival Americans, delivering when it mattered most.
The 18-year-old picked up three assists, and demonstrated pure star power in his final act of the contest. After the Americans stormed back with a pair of late tallies to tie the game 4-4, it took Lafreniere all of seven seconds to restore Canada's lead with an electrifying goal that stood as the winner.
Lafreniere's ability to draw the opposition's focus makes the rest of Canada's firepower even more potent. Watch as he lures in all four American penalty killers before finding a wide-open Barrett Hayton for his second assist of the contest.
The Quebec native had just one goal in five games as a 17-year-old at last year's world juniors, but he appears ready to embrace his role as Canada's top talent with another year of experience under his belt.
2. Special teams will make or break Canadian success
The good news? Canada's power play was on fire in its first game of the tournament, scoring three times on five opportunities. The bad news? The Canadians gave it back while shorthanded, as the U.S. potted its own trio of power-play tallies.
In a short tournament with little room for error, the importance of special teams is magnified. Canada scored only three power-play goals through five games at last year's event, stumbling to a sixth-place finish as its offense struggled down the stretch. This year's early improvement is promising, but it likely won't matter if Canada doesn't tighten up on the penalty kill.
The best way to avoid getting burned shorthanded is to stay out of the penalty box - something the Canadians need to work on going forward. Undisciplined penalties, including an ill-advised interference infraction in the final minutes that led to the Americans' tying goal, nearly cost the Red and White.
3. Canada no longer the rivalry favorite
John Carlson's epic overtime winner against Canada to claim the gold medal in 2010 signaled the Americans' official coming-out party on the world junior stage. The days of the U.S. underdog are long gone.
To find proof of U.S. progress, look no further than the NHL Draft. Seven of last year's top 15 selections were products of the American development program, and two of the last four No. 1 overall picks hail from south of the border.
The U.S. entered Thursday's contest holding a 6-5 head-to-head advantage against Canada since Carlson's heroics. Canada's eventual win also snapped a four-game win streak for the Americans in this rivalry, a stretch that included a 5-4 victory in the 2017 gold-medal game.
After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, it appeared the U.S. was on its way to extending its dominance. Canada may have pulled out the victory, but it's clear the parity of this rivalry is at an all-time high.