With one flick of the stick, Denis Alexeev, ended the suspense.
The 19-year-old Russian centre cruised down the left wing and ripped a high shot that fooled goalie Connor Ingram for the game-winner, 55 seconds into overtime to give Team Russia a 3-2 win over Team WHL Monday in Game 1 of the CIBC Canada-Russia Series.
That spoiled what had been a magical night for Prince George Cougars centre Jansen Harkins, the obvious choice as player of the game for the WHL selects. Alexeev’s blast was the first shot on goal in the five-minute overtime period.
Russia went ahead 3:46 into the third period taking advantage of a four-on-two chance. Russian captain Danila Kvartalnov took a pass in the slot from linemate Kiril Urakov and snapped it from 30 feet away, high in behind Ingram.
But WHL scoring leader Sam Steel had an answer for that, cashing in on his team’s seventh power-play chance of the game, to knot the score 2-2 with 9:34 gone in the third.
Steel won an offensive-zone draw back to pointman Kale Clague, who got the puck back to Nick Merkley, who left it for Steel in the face-off circle. The Regina Pats centre laid it on net with players converging on the goal, skated in and jammed in the loose puck to tie the game.
Team WHL dominated the third period, outshooting the Russians 10-3 and had a 34-20 shot advantage heading into 4-on-4 overtime.
From start to finish, the high level of play from both teams engaged in a close battle, not seen since the series came to CN Centre in 2010, made for a hugely entertaining display of hockey. It was an electric atmosphere, with a standing-room-only crowd of 5,802 in attendance.
The Russians grabbed the early lead, scoring on their first shot just 1:13 into the game. Nikita Li spun off his check and let go a shot along the ice from a sharp angle and it slipped through the skate of Ingram.
WHL had two early power plays and peppered Russian goalie Anton Krasotkin the first 10 minutes but were held off the scoreboard until Harkins got in the act. He skated hard to the net and took a perfect backhand pass from Kamloops Blazers winger Deven Sideroff for the tap-in to tie the game 1-1.
Harkins was centring a line with Sideroff and Lane Pederson of the Swift Current Broncos and that combination also played well without the puck, shadowing the Russians at every step to prevent any extended offensive zone time. Harkins kept his feet moving all night and drew the penalty midway through the third period which led to Steel’s goal.
The Russians got themselves in penalty trouble early on, forced to kill off five minors, before the game was half over and took one more penalty before second intermission.
Team WHL had a two-man advantage for a 44-second stretch four minutes into the second period but was unable to muster a great chance on the Russian goal. Harkins and Victoria Royals forward Tyler Soy came closest to breaking the deadlock in the middle frame, each getting free in the slot for labelled drives, but Krasotkin was equal to the task, keeping the WHL empty-handed with the extra skater.
Ingram didn’t get much work but was sharp when he had to be, especially at the end of the period when he stood up to take away the angle on a speeding Danil Yurtaikin. Ingram, a likely candidate for the world junior team, was honed in on Klim Kostin’s dangerous shot through a crowd of legs just outside the crease with 1:53 left in the period.
The big crowd had one other Cougar to cheer for. Right winger Brad Morrison was added to the team last week as an injury replacement and he played right wing on a line with Kelowna Rocket sniper Merkley, an Arizona Coyotes prospect, and Montreal Canadiens draft pick Giorgio Estephan, who plays for the Lethbridge Hurricanes. They were held off the scoresheet but also played well in the defensive end. Morrison came up with a key shot-block in the third period to keep the game tied.
Team WHL head coach Tim Hunter will serve as an assistant coach for the world junior team under head coach Dominique Ducharme, who was in the building Monday among the big crowd. The Russia series is the last chance to audition for 20 WHL players hoping to play for their country in the tournament, which starts Dec. 26.
The series resumes tonight in Edmonton, where the same teams meet again before the Russians travel to Ontario for a two-game set against the Ontario Hockey League selects, Thursday in Barrie and Sunday in Hamilton.
The Russians will play the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League stars in Quebec, Nov. 15 in Chicoutimi and Nov. 17 in Baie-Comeau.
