2017-18 National Para Hockey Team

CANADA BLANKS U.S. TO EARN PARA SERIES SPLIT

JASON LA ROSE

PORT COLBORNE, Ont. - Tyler McGregor (Forest, Ont.) scored just 34 seconds in and Corbin Watson (Kingsville, Ont.) made it stand up with an eight-save shutout, helping Canada get a split of its two-game series with the United States thanks to a 3-0 win Saturday.

The Americans had edged Canada 2-1 in the series opener Thursday in Buffalo.

Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, Alta.) and Ben Delaney (Ottawa, Ont.) had the other goals for the Canadians, while Liam Hickey (St. John's, N.L.) and Rob Armstrong (Erin, Ont.) added two assists apiece.

McGregor got the party started on the first shift of the game, going high to the blocker side to beat U.S. goaltender Steve Cash for a 1-0 Canadian lead.

Arsenault doubled the advantage in the final minute of the opening frame, taking a feed from Hickey and beating Cash from the top of the circle for his first goal since Dec. 5, 2016.

Canada owned the puck in the first 15 minutes, outshooting the U.S. 7-1.

Delaney capped the scoring just part the midway mark of the second period, finishing a set-up from Armstrong and Billy Bridges (Summerside, P.E.I.) for the 3-0 goal.

That was more than enough offence for Watson, who helped Canada blank the Americans for the first time in almost five years; the last time the Canadians held the U.S. without a goal was a 1-0 win in the gold medal game of the 2013 IPC Sledge Hockey World Championship.

Next up for Canada is the announcement of its Paralympic roster on Sunday in Toronto. It opens the Paralympic tournament against Sweden on March 10 (5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT).