It’s so far, so good for Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Championship.
Team Black -- which includes Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary and forward Lynden Lakovic -- staged a third-period rally to take a 4-3 victory over Canada Red in the opening game of the tournament in Langley, B.C.
Team Black took a 1-0 lead out of the first period, but Team Red outshot Black 18-8 in the second period and came away with a 3-1 lead. That set up the final frame, where Zayne Parekh (OHL Saginaw) scored both the tying and game-winning goals, with the latter coming on the power play with 41 seconds remaining in the contest.
Clarke Caswell (WHL Swift Current) and Justin Poirier (QMJHL Baie-Comeau) also scored for Team Black, while Tarin Smith (WHL Everett), Michael Misa (OHL Saginaw) and Tomas Mrsic (WHL Medicine Hat) scored for Team Red.
Louka Cloutier (Quebec 18U AAA) had busy night in goal, turning aside 40 shots to earn the win, while Gabriel D’Aigle (QMJHL Victoriaville) stopped 19 shots for Team Red.
The Hockey Canada assignment is the first as a head coach for O’Leary after working as an assistant with Canada Red in 2018 and finishing fourth. The event is also the first with Hockey Canada for both Lakovic and Warriors defenceman Marek Howell with Canada Red.
The news wasn’t as good for Howell and his teammates, as they fell 3-2 to Sweden in their opener in Delta, B.C.
It was a bit of a heartbreaker, too, as Gavin Hodnett (WHL Edmonton) scored to tie the game with 1:16 remaining in the third period, only to see Sweden’s Linus Eriksson score the game winner 31 seconds later in the contest’s final minute.
Miguel Marques (WHL Lethbridge) scored Canada Red’s other goal, Alexander Zetterberg and Elliott Sigrell had Sweden’s other markers.
David Egorov (Junior A Hamilton) stopped 33 shots in taking the loss, Hugo Laring had a 25-save showing for Sweden to earn the win.
Canada Black is back on the ice Friday night against Finland, while Canada Red next faces Czechia on Saturday afternoon.
You can follow along with all the scores at www.hockeycanada.ca.
