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Manitoba wins Canada Games hockey bronze

The To-Ba chants began well before the game.

The To-Ba chants began well before the game.

If that wasn't enough to get Team Manitoba fired up to take on Quebec in the Canada Winter Games men's hockey bronze medal game Saturday night, Cayden Kraus and Hayden Ostir took it upon themselves to work their yellow-jacketed fans at CN Centre into a frenzy.

They each scored two goals in a 5-2 victory, the first Canada Games hockey medal for the guys from Manitoba since they won silver in 2007.

"Everyone was playing a great game, we all wanted to win and there was a lot of pride out there with all our fans helping us, giving us the energy, it was a great game to play," said Kraus, a 16-year-old from East St. Paul, Man., placed on the Victoria Royals' protected list two weeks ago.

"We deserved it, we played our hearts out and everyone was ready to go from the start."

Manitoba dictated play in the first period, outshooting Quebec 11-4, but the teams were tied 1-1 after 20 minutes. Kraus opened the scoring with a low wrist shot on a quick rush into the Quebec end at 12:28 but Quebec tied it up a few minutes later on a power play. Alex Olivier-Voyer got the puck on net and Arnaud Morand scooped up the rebound and fed it across the crease for Joel Teasdale, who had plenty of net showing for his fourth of the tournament.

In the second period, Anthony Poulin worked a give-and-go play with linemate Tommy Cardinal, getting the return pass in front to put Quebec up 2-1. Manitoba continued to pepper goalie Matthew Radomsky and was rewarded thanks to some hard work by Connor Dewar, who stripped the puck off a Quebec player behind the net and fed it out front for his linemate Ostir, who fired it in.

Kraus made it 3-2 with 4:40 gone in the third period, getting free in the slot after a toe-drag move to fool defenceman Charlie Lacombe. But just 10 seconds later, the puck skipped off he stick of Manitoba defenceman Jett Woo and Poulin took it in deep and the Quebec captain picked the corner behind Radomsky.

The winner came 9:06 into the period. Leif Mattson got his stick in front of a pass attempt in front of the Quebec net and James McIsaac batted to back to Mattson, who lifted in a backhander. Ostir ended the suspense with a empty-netter, sent into the clear by defenceman Max Martin.

"It was an up and down game and we just battled through and finished our chances when we got them," said Martin, a Prince George Cougars' draft pick. "Our D, from the beginning of the tournament have, we've just been moving pucks quick plain and simple, getting them up to the forwards and hoping they do the rest for us. Obviously it's not the finish we wanted but bronze feels pretty good right now."

Manitoba's defence was airtight most of the game, clogging the middle of the ice and rarely allowing Quebec's high-powered offence to set up.

"We kept to our game plan, we played that way all week and we're a difficult team to play against," said Manitoba coach Wayne Bartley. "We play very structured, we're hard on pucks and that's frustrating for teams that try to come through the neutral zone on us. We kind of wore them down and eventually we tucked a couple goals in."

Manitoba outshot Quebec 38-18.

Nova Scotia won Saturday's battle for fifth place with a 3-2 win over B.C. Nova Scotia overcame a 2-0 deficit in the second period. Jack Cameron scored the winner on a power play, 12:46 into the third period. Shane Bowers and Austin Miller also scored for Nova Scotia, which outshot B.C. 30-29. Michael Rasmussen and Jake Harrison scored for B.C. the defending Canada Games champs, who ended up with a 2-4 record.

Dorrin Luding of Prince George took the loss in the B.C. nets, giving up three goals on 17 shots after coming in for the second period to replace starting goalie Jordan Hollett. Matthew Welsh made 27 saves for Nova Scotia.

Saskatchewan won the seventh-place playoff 3-2 over New Brunswick. Jake Hobson scored two goals for Saskatchewan and Connor Tuffs notched what stood up as the game-winner, 39 seconds into the second period. Ethan Crossman and Michael Cyr were the New Brunswick goalscorers.

Hunter Arps made 25 saves for Saskatchewan, while New Brunswick goalie Jack Ryan turned aside 25 shots.