Luchanko gives Canada lead over Latvia after second period at World Juniors
Published
Jett Luchanko's shorthanded goal was the lone marker as Canada heads into the third period with a 1-0 lead over Latvia at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Luchanko opened the scoring early in the second period, with Canadian forward Berkley Catton in the penalty box. The Philadelphia Flyers' prospect stole the puck at the blue line and slid the puck past Linards Feldbergs to break the scoreless tie.
The Canadians had a pair of chances to extend the lead with the man advantage but were unable to beat Feldbergs.
Jack Ivankovic continued his strong play in the second frame and has stopped 12 shots without allowing a goal through two periods.
Feldbergs has stopped 32 of 33 Canadian shots after two periods.
Defenceman Matthew Schaefer exited the game early in the first period with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.
On a power play four minutes into the contest, Schaefer skated into the Latvian zone and took a shot on goaltender Linards Feldbergs before running shoulder-first into the outside post. He slid hard into the end boards and stayed down for some time before heading straight to the dressing room on his own.