CANADA EDGED LATE BY RUSSIANS AT HLINKA

DAVID BRIEN

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – A second-period goal Stelio Mattheos (Winnipeg, Man./Brandon, WHL) looked like it was going to stand up as the game-winner, but two goals in the final two minutes left Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team with a 2-1 loss to Russia on Tuesday at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.

It’s the first time the Canadians have come out on the wrong end of a final score against Russia since the bronze medal game in 2007; Canada is now 11-4 all-time against the Russians in summer U18 action.

The Canadians had their chances in the first period, firing 19 shots at Artyom Melnikov, but the Russian goaltender was up to the challenge and got the game to the intermission scoreless.

Mattheos struck just 1:18 into the second period, jumping on a rebound at the side of the Russian net and one-timing a quick shot past a diving Melnikov, but that would be it for offence for the Canadians.

Both teams had their chances in the second period, although Canada held Russia to just three shots on goal in the middle frame, and 11 though the first 40 minutes.

But the game opened up in the third, with the teams combining for 32 shots on goal – 17-15 in favour of Russia.

A hooking penalty to Maxime Comtois (Longueuil, Que./Victoriaville, QMJHL) with less than three minutes to go pushed the momentum to the Russians, and Ivan Chekhovich redirected a Mark Rubinchik point shot past Michael DiPietro (Amherstburg, Ont./Windsor, OHL), who made his first start in the Canadian goal, with 1:44 left.

Just 37 seconds later, Klim Kostin finished off a give-and-go with Yaroslav Alexeyev to put the Russians ahead.

DiPietro went to the bench in the final minute with the Canadians pressing, but they couldn’t find the tying goal and dropped to the third place in Group B with a 0-1-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record.

Canada will need a win in its preliminary-round finale Wednesday against unbeaten Sweden (8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT) if its hopes to win a ninth-consecutive gold medal at the tournament.