Updated 2x at 10:03 PM: Team Canada defeated Latvia 5-2 in the teams’ first of four “round robin” games at the World Junior Championship on Wednesday, but, as you’ll see and read below, the game was a little closer than the score indicate. Red Wings prospect and Edmonton Oil Kings goaltender Sebastian Cossa had to work very hard in the 3rd period in order to ensure that Latvia didn’t stage a late-game rally.
Ultimately, Cossa stopped 22 of 24 shots–with 14 of those saves coming in the 3rd period.
Donovan Sebrango had both a primary assist on the game’s opening goal and he finished at +2 with 2 shots in 19:53 played (on the Canadians’ first defensive pair). The more I see Sebrango play, the more he reminds me of another throwback defenseman in former Leaf nemesis turned 2-time Wings Cup winner Bob Rouse. Sebrango is spare and “sneaky dirty” at times, but he’s workmanlike, using his long stick to break up plays and his skating to steer opponents away from the puck. He’s got an edge to him, but mostly, he’s quietly efficient.
As for Cossa, he’s starting to really develop into a strong goaltender, as Team Canada coach Dave Cameron noted yesterday, and while I don’t expect him to unseat Jussi Olkinuora and Victor Brattstrom in the Griffins’ crease, I think that he’s going to be just fine in Edmonton.
In terms of the game’s narrative, here are some highlight clips from TSN:
Here’s Sebrango’s primary assist on the Connor Bedard goal, as noted by the Detroit News’s Gregg Krupa on Twitter…
Connor Bedard puts Canada on the board! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/jrLwTAmxYz— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2022
But Latvia tied things up with a strange goal chipped over Cossa’s blocker on a fluttering shot by Rainers Darzins, late in the first period…
Rainers Darzins ties it for Latvia! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/9N9wA1gRfq— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2022
After a BIG shorthanded stop from Cossa, the Canadians struck on their second 2nd period power play…
Lukas Cormier gives Canada a 2-1 lead in the second period! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/1gxrV73sSK— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2022
On their THIRD 2nd period power play, Olen Zellweger ripped another point shot through a ton of screening bodies in front of Patriks Berzins…
Olen Zellweger with the power play goal to make it 3-1! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/SsJ5BY65gE— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2022
And Ridly Greig gave Canada some breathing room with a 4-1 marker before the 2nd period ended…
Ridly Greig with the one-hander, giving Canada a 4-1 lead!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/hvAxgMw4z6— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2022
Cossa made a wild diving poke check at the end of the 2nd period, and it almost backfired spectacularly, but the Latvian player bumbled the puck, affording Cossa an incredibly awkward save.
Just over 5 minutes into the 3rd period, Latvia got their second power play of the 3rd period, with Bogdans Hodass scoring on Cossa via a tip off of Sebrango’s shot block, making it 4-2…
Bogdans Hodass cuts Canada’s lead to 4-2.#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/4mJls5xNJU— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 11, 2022
Cossa got a fairly steady workload as the Latvians earned a third and fourth power play (partially a 5-on-3) due to some particularly sloppy Canadian play, and thereafter, the Latvians were just damn sharp and willing to exploit a Canadian team that ran out of gas…
But Cossa got more and more technically sound as the Latvians approached and hit the 20-shot mark…
And Canada got itchy with 5:16 left in the 3rd, with William Dufour chipping in a bouncing wrister on a one-timer opportunity. Suddenly, Canada led 5-2, and they collectively let out the breath they’d been holding:
William Dufour puts Canada ahead 5-2! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/duBGn5lNyX— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 11, 2022
Ultimately, Canada out-shot Latvia 44-24, but Cossa was one of the stars of the 3rd period as Canada really ran out of gas and got into penalty trouble. That, and Latvia remained tenacious and tough throughout the game.
Update: TSN posted a non-embeddable video of Cossa speaking with Tessa Bonhomme regarding the game…
Update #2: Here are the game highlights from the IIHF:
