<p>The World Juniors are simply a different beast.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Held through the holidays, it’s a tournament that builds core memories for any die-hard hockey fan.</p>
<p>On Friday night, we were all shown why.</p>
<p>Exactly one year to the day, Canada gave Team Latvia a cruel beating, earning a 10-0 landslide victory. This time, the hockey gods had a different idea.</p>
<p>Despite sporting a roster featuring 11 first-round NHL picks and three other high-profile players who are expected to go high at the next two drafts, Canada&#8217;s offensive weapons seized up.</p>
<p>The bad luck kicked off in the first period, where top-5 2025 Draft hopeful Matthew Schaefer collided with the post off of a breakaway chance and did not return. On Saturday, he was announced out for the tournament with a broken collarbone.</p>
<p>That would be the biggest talking point of the opening period, as neither team could find a goal.</p>
<p>The host team did find the net in the second period, where Jett Luchanko pulled off a beautiful move off a shorthanded goal to capitalize on a Lativa giveaway.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">JETT LUCHANKO OPENS THE SCORING WITH A BEAUTY 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldJuniors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldJuniors</a> <a href="https://t.co/j9ec8exUvo">pic.twitter.com/j9ec8exUvo</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872820287479398731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Yet, despite holding a 33-13 shot advantage through two periods, that was all Canada could find offensively. And Latvia made them pay.</p>
<p>While on another powerplay, Latvia stunned the hockey world by evening the score after a threaded cross-ice feed from Bruno Osmanis found Eriks Mateiko for his second of the tournament.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LATVIA TIES THE GAME 😱</p>
<p>Eriks Mateiko finishes off the beautiful play to make it a 1-1 game late in the 3rd.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldJuniors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldJuniors</a> <a href="https://t.co/xl2ZOpugdU">pic.twitter.com/xl2ZOpugdU</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872840498827993585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Order was restored a little over one minute later, however, when Calum Ritchie blasted a one-timer on a powerplay of their own to regain the lead and allow the host country to breathe a sigh of relief.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">CANADA BACK ON TOP 🗣️</p>
<p>Calum Ritchie wires it home on the power-play to give Canada a late 2-1 lead.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldJuniors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldJuniors</a> <a href="https://t.co/S4m9f6Dn9T">pic.twitter.com/S4m9f6Dn9T</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872841440256225653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Once again, that relief was short-lived. The Latvians answered on another powerplay. This time, it was Peteris Bulans with the blast from the point to pick up his first goal of the tournament to even the score late in the third.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LATVIA TIES IT AGAIN 😱</p>
<p>Peteris Bulans wires home the power-play marker to make it 2-2.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldJuniors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldJuniors</a> <a href="https://t.co/H4frb5FSRm">pic.twitter.com/H4frb5FSRm</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872843672582226239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>That was the final goal we’d see.</p>
<p>The two teams played back-and-forth in a 3-on-3 overtime before the game had to be settled in a shootout.</p>
<p>After 15 scoreless attempts from each team – credit to each goaltender – the unthinkable happened…</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">LATVIA BEATS CANADA IN THE SHOOTOUT 😱</p>
<p>Eriks Mateiko scores the game winner!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldJuniors?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldJuniors</a> <a href="https://t.co/oIVP2ddA89">pic.twitter.com/oIVP2ddA89</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872850335615836583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Latvia’s initial goalscorer, Eriks Mateiko, wired a perfectly placed snapshot to beat Jack Ivankovic&#8217;s post and commit one of, if not the biggest, upsets in World Junior history and defeat the Canadians for the first time in history.</p>
<p>Reminiscent of an Arturs Silovs World Championship performance, Linards Feldbergs made 55 saves for a heroic performance to etch his name on Latvia&#8217;s history pages. With two points on the standings, the win gives Latvia much-needed wiggle room for the remainder of the tournament, with Switzerland, Kazakhstan, and Germany all sitting winless.</p>
<p>The loss is a stark reminder for Canada that no team offers easy points. They&#8217;ll regroup and take on another winless team in Germany on Sunday. But this time, they may not take them so lightly.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The World Juniors are simply a different beast.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;

Held through the holidays, it’s a tournament that builds core memories for any die-hard hockey fan.

On Friday night, we were all shown why.

Exactly one year to the day, Canada gave Team Latvia a cruel beating, earning a 10-0 landslide victory. This time, the hockey gods had a different idea.

Despite sporting a roster featuring 11 first-round NHL picks and three other high-profile players who are expected to go high at the next two drafts, Canada's offensive weapons seized up.

The bad luck kicked off in the first period, where top-5 2025 Draft hopeful Matthew Schaefer collided with the post off of a breakaway chance and did not return. On Saturday, he was announced out for the tournament with a broken collarbone.

That would be the biggest talking point of the opening period, as neither team could find a goal.

The host team did find the net in the second period, where Jett Luchanko pulled off a beautiful move off a shorthanded goal to capitalize on a Lativa giveaway.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872820287479398731

Yet, despite holding a 33-13 shot advantage through two periods, that was all Canada could find offensively. And Latvia made them pay.

While on another powerplay, Latvia stunned the hockey world by evening the score after a threaded cross-ice feed from Bruno Osmanis found Eriks Mateiko for his second of the tournament.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872840498827993585

Order was restored a little over one minute later, however, when Calum Ritchie blasted a one-timer on a powerplay of their own to regain the lead and allow the host country to breathe a sigh of relief.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872841440256225653

Once again, that relief was short-lived. The Latvians answered on another powerplay. This time, it was Peteris Bulans with the blast from the point to pick up his first goal of the tournament to even the score late in the third.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872843672582226239

That was the final goal we’d see.

The two teams played back-and-forth in a 3-on-3 overtime before the game had to be settled in a shootout.

After 15 scoreless attempts from each team – credit to each goaltender – the unthinkable happened…

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1872850335615836583

Latvia’s initial goalscorer, Eriks Mateiko, wired a perfectly placed snapshot to beat Jack Ivankovic's post and commit one of, if not the biggest, upsets in World Junior history and defeat the Canadians for the first time in history.

Reminiscent of an Arturs Silovs World Championship performance, Linards Feldbergs made 55 saves for a heroic performance to etch his name on Latvia's history pages. With two points on the standings, the win gives Latvia much-needed wiggle room for the remainder of the tournament, with Switzerland, Kazakhstan, and Germany all sitting winless.

The loss is a stark reminder for Canada that no team offers easy points. They'll regroup and take on another winless team in Germany on Sunday. But this time, they may not take them so lightly.

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="329" data-promotion-id="19111" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
&nbsp;

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