2018 IIHF World Junior Championship

GOALTENDING LEADS CANADA TO JUNIOR CAMP WIN

JASON LA ROSE

PLYMOUTH, Mich. – Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, Alta./Everett, WHL) and Michael DiPietro (Amherstburg, Ont./Windsor, OHL) combined for 30 saves, backstopping Canada White to a 2-1 win over USA Blue in the second half of an all-North American doubleheader Tuesday night at Canada’s National Junior Team Sport Chek Summer Development Camp.

The victory earned the Canadians a split; USA White handed Canada Red an 8-2 loss earlier in the day.

Hart had to be sharp in the first period; despite Canada enjoying three power plays and holding a 12-10 advantage in shots on goal, the netminder had to turn away a trio of shorthanded breakaways to keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

Jordan Kyrou (Toronto, Ont,/Sarnia, OHL) opened the scoring just shy of the nine-minute mark of the second, finishing off a perfect give-and-go with Mason Shaw (Wainwright, Alta./Medicine Hat, WHL) by snapping the 1-0 goal past U.S. goaltender Joseph Woll.

Hart gave way to DiPietro with 5:36 remaining in the middle frame, having stopped all 19 shots he faced.

Tim Gettinger needed just three minutes of the third period to get USA Blue even, squeezing a backhand past DiPietro from a sharp angle to tie the game.

But Robert Thomas (Aurora, Ont./London, OHL) answered for the Canadians seven minutes later, taking a drop pass from Logan Stanley (Waterloo, Ont./Windsor, OHL) and rocketing a one-timer past Woll for the game-winner.

The Americans outshot Canada White 31-29.

Canada gets right back on the ice Wednesday afternoon, taking on Finland (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on TSN) before closing out camp against Sweden on Friday and the United States on Saturday.