Connor McDavid waited a while to score his first goal of the tournament, but saved it for the perfect time. His goal at 11:24 of the first period was all the offence that Team Canada would need in defeating Finland 1-0 and winning their second straight gold medal at the IIHF World Championships in Moscow on Sunday. Matt Duchene added an empty net goal with a second left. Duchene also had an assist on McDavid’s first goal. It is the 20th time that Canada has won the tournament.
Connor McDavid Leads Canada To World Championship Gold
The game was a battle of goaltenders. Finnish goalie Mikko Koskinen played a starring role with 31 saves on 32 shots. While Canada controlled possession for most of the game, Cam Talbot provided his own heroics when called upon. He finished with 16 saves for the shutout.
The win avenged a 4-0 victory by Finland over Canada in the preliminary round. That loss is the only one Canada has had in the last two years, as they are 19-1. The Canadian victory also prevents Finland from sweeping the IIHF men’s competitions for 2016 after they won gold at the World Juniors and Under 18 earlier this year.
Earlier in the day, Team Russia won the Bronze Medal on home ice, defeating the Americans by a score of 7-2. Vadim Shiapchyov finished as the top scorer in the tournament with 18 points in 10 games.
Finland’s Patrik Laine was named MVP of the tournament, scoring 7 goals to lead the World Championships. The 18-year-old sniper is projected to be one of the top two picks in the 2016 NHL Draft.
The tournament provided a number of memorable moments, including Hungary winning their first game in the top division since 1939, and the battle between Laine and fellow projected top pick Auston Matthews. It ended today with the dramatic gold medal game.
Canada has won six of the last seven IIHF sanctioned events held on Russian ice, including the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Corey Perry now joins the triple gold club with an Olympic Gold Medal, Stanley Cup, and World Championship Gold. He also has a Memorial Cup, and World Junior Gold Medal. He hopes to be named to Team Canada’s World Cup squad, where will try to win the tournament, so that he can join former teammate Scott Niedermayer as the only players to win all six of these tournaments.
Main Photo:
Main PHoto:
Canada’s forward Connor McDavid (#97) scores past Finland’s goalie Mikko Koskinen (R) during the gold medal game Finland vs Canada at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Moscow on May 22, 2016. / AFP / YURI KADOBNOV (Photo credit should read YURI KADOBNOV/AFP/Getty Images)
