2019 IIHF World Junior Championship

WHITE FALLS ONE SHORT AGAINST AMERICANS AT JUNIOR SHOWCASE

JASON LA ROSE

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Barrett Hayton (Peterborough, Ont./Sault Ste. Marie, OHL) and Cody Glass (Winnipeg, Man./Portland, WHL) scored to erase a two-goal deficit, but Canada White finished on the wrong end of a 3-2 decision Tuesday in the first of two all-North American match-ups on the schedule at the Sport Chek World Junior Showcase.

Glass converted on a power play to bring the Canadians even just 2:33 into the third period, but Brady Tkachuk forced a turnover behind the net and found Sasha Chmelevski in front for the game-winner with 10:05 left.

Chmelevski had a pair of goals for the Americans, and Logan Hutsko counted once.

The U.S. struck early, with Jake Wise throwing a no-look backhand pass into the slot for Chmelevski, who hammered a quick one-timer past Canadian goaltender Olivier Rodrigue (Chicoutimi, Que./Drummondville, QMJHL) at 2:21.

Hutsko jumped on a loose puck in the offensive zone before beating Rodrigue under the glove to double the advantage at 12:04, but Hayton redirected in an Evan Bouchard (Burlington, Ont./London, OHL) point shot just 40 seconds later to get White on the board.

After a scoreless second period, a bouncing puck found Glass in the slot and he wired a shot upstairs on American netminder Kyle Keyser to make it 2-2 early in the third, only for Chmelevski to net the winner less than eight minutes later.

Rodrigue and Matthew Welsh (Halifax, N.S./Charlottetown, QMJHL) split the goaltending duties for White, which finished with a narrow 25-24 advantage in shots on goal.

After the split-squad games Tuesday, both teams will be back in action Thursday at the Sandman Centre – the U.S. takes on Sweden at 1 p.m. PT, followed by the Canadians facing Finland at 6 p.m. PT.