2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup

RUSSIA EDGES CANADA IN SHOOTOUT

QUINTON AMUNDSON

PARADISE, N.L. – Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) scored two goals for Canada, including an equalizer with 5:30 remaining, but Russia scored on both its shootout attempts to secure a 3-2 victory on Monday night at the 2019 Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup.

McGregor had a chance to score for a third time as he was called upon in the first round of the shootout, but Russian goaltender Vladimir Kamantsev stymied him and Liam Hickey (St. John’s, N.L.) in the second round to deny Canada its second win in as many days.

Nikolai Terentev led the way for Russia with a goal in regulation and a tally in the second round of the shootout. Also finding the back of the net for Russia was Dmitrii Lisov in the first round of the shootout and Airat Khamzin in regulation time. Konstantin Shikhov also played a pivotal role in the win with two assists.

Dominic Larocque (Quebec City, Que.) made 12 saves in defeat while Kamentsev countered with 11 stops for the win.

Quality chances in the attacking zone were hard to come by for either team in a scoreless first period as the defensive units took away time and space with strong positioning and fierce checking.

Both teams managed three shots on goal in the opening 15 minutes.

The stalemate was broken at 2:55 of the second period by McGregor, who glided in from the blue-line to dangle the puck by Kamantsev for a Canadian power-play goal.

Terentev leveled the match at one goal apiece just 78 seconds later, drilling a forehand shot off the rush past Larocque.

Khamzin put Russia in the driver’s seat with a man-advantage marker just over seven minutes into the second stanza with a quick shot from the slot after receiving a tape-to-tape cross-ice pass from Shikhov.

The Canadians pressed diligently to equalize the game before the second intermission but they could not slip a puck past Kamantsev, who inspired gasps from spectators by denying a point-blank tip shot from McGregor with just a minute to go in the period.

Shots on goal were 5-5 in the middle frame.

Period three was defined by two breakaway opportunities by McGregor. Kamantsev got the better of the Canadian forward on the first attempt at about the five-minute mark with a spectacular pad save, but McGregor got his revenge with a forehand deke that slipped past the outstretched Russian goaltender.

Russia outshot Canada 5-4 in the third; both teams registered a single attempt in the extra frame.