Goalscorer Anthony Duclair celebrates an early goal in Canada’s emotional 5-4 gold medal win over Russia at the 2015 World Juniors.
The Canadian Press/IIHF

Canada held off Russia 5-4 to win the gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championship at a frenzied Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Using a quick start thanks to Anthony Duclair’s goal 23 seconds in, they never trailed. It’s their first gold at the prestigious tournament since 2009 and 15th overall.

Max Domi was sensational finishing with a goal and two assists. Named the tournament’s MVP, Domi dominated most of his shifts with Duclair and Reinhart. That line was outstanding.

Consensus number one pick Connor McDavid scored and Sabres prospect Sam Reinhart got the winner in what was a wild second period. At one point, Canada scored three straight to take a commanding 5-1 lead. But Russia mounted a furious rally scoring three goals in a 3:16 span to close the period within 5-4. Goals from Ivan Barbashev and Sergei Tolchinski 16 seconds apart made it a two-goal contest. A Nikolai Goldobin power play tally suddenly made it one.

Ironically, Reinhart took a hooking penalty at the end of the second that had an entire country holding its collective breath. But Canada was able to recover following intermission. They did a great job killing it off and were outstanding defensively. Due in large part to Oilers D prospect Darnell Nurse, they kept Russia’s chances to the outside. Nurse was very physical and reminded me of a former Devils Hall Of Fame defenseman. Yes. I went there. I was glad they named him Star Of The Game. He was that dominant.

Overall, Canada did a strong job in the neutral zone also standing up at the blueline forcing Russia to the perimeter. They got their sticks on loose pucks and really bottled them up. Rangers prospect Pavel Buchnevich tried his best along with Tolchinski and determined teammates to get it tied. They just couldn’t do it. Buchnevich probably had the most dangerous chance firing a tricky shot from the right circle that winning Canadian goalie Zachary Fucale got a piece of. He finished with 26 saves.

Goals from Duclair and Nick Paul chased Russian starter Igor Shestyorkin. Islanders prospect Ilya Sorokin replaced him and made some key saves to give his team a lift. He denied Duclair twice. Russia picked it up and finally got on the board when Yudin followed up a rebound slicing the deficit to one halfway through the first. The game remained that way entering the second.

The second was classic hockey between two historic rivals dating back to the Summit Series in 1972. Early, it looked like Canada would pull away for an easy gold medal victory. Josh Morrissey sprung McDavid with a perfect seam pass leading to a sweet finish five-hole for a two-goal lead. Over two minutes later, Domi cruised in to the Russia zone and fired a laser from the left circle past Yudin glove side making it 4-1. With the crowd going wild, Russia called timeout. It didn’t help initially. Not with Reinhart getting a piece of a Domi shot deflecting it five-hole for a 5-1 Canada lead.

But just when Toronto was ready to party, Canada took some undisciplined penalties. A boarding call on Jake Virtanen led directly to one of Russia’s two power play goals. Buchnevich made a strong move to the net forcing Fucale into a difficult save. The rebound caromed out right to Barbashev, who deposited it to cut it to 5-2. On the next shift, the Russians pounced with Tolchinski burying a chance in front to suddenly make it a two-goal game. A Samuel Morin trip drawn by Buchnevich allowed Russia to draw even closer with Goldobin finishing from Tolchinski and Vladislav Kamenev.

That’s as close as Russia got. They really showed tremendous heart outshooting Canada 11-4 in a much more conservative third. Russia outshot Canada 21-9 the last two periods. Ultimately, a determined bunch of Canadians prevailed on home ice touching off fireworks and a wild celebration.