A stunning third period comeback has given Team Canada the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championships.
Canada beat Russia 4-3 on Sunday afternoon to claim the title. Akil Thomas scored the winning goal for Canada at 16:02 of the third period. The game winner was the third unanswered goal for Canada in the third period after the Russians had taken a 3-1 lead in the third.
The two teams went scoreless in the first period before Nikita Alexandrov opened the scoring for Russia at 9:37 of the second period. Dylan Cozens tied the game at 1 at 11:01 of the second period. The tie would not last long though, as Russia's Grigori Denisenko scored at 14:46 to make it 2-1 going into the second intermission.
Russia took a 3-1 lead at 8:46 of the third period when Maxim Sorkin found the back of the Canadian net. But then, it was all Canada the rest of the period. Connor McMichael of the London Knights scored at 9:20 to get Canada within one, before Barrett Hayton scored to tie the game at 3 at the 11:21 mark of the third. Just a few minutes later, Thomas scored to seal Canada's win.
Petrolia's Dale Hunter coached the team to gold, and his brother Mark was the General Manager. The Hunters own the London Knights.
AKIL THOMAS. 3:58. ETCHED IN HISTORY.pic.twitter.com/xyeeD7nac5
— #WorldJuniors (@HC_WJC) January 5, 2020