Canada defeated the U.S. 4-3 in the ninth round of a shootout during a preliminary game thriller at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship on Monday in Ontario. Here’s what you need to know:
- The matchup was each team’s final game of pool play. With the victory, Canada won Pool A and earned the higher seed in the playoffs.
- Jamie Lee Rattray netted the shootout-winner to snuff out the Americans’ comeback attempt.
- Team USA’s Hilary Knight and Amanda Kessel each scored a goal in the final minute of regulation to tie the game at 3-3.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Breaking down the final seconds
The end of that game was chaotic.
First, the scoreboard went out with around 90 seconds left in the game, which nobody noticed until Knight scored to make it 3-2. Then, the Canada coaching staff challenged the goal, believing it was offside. The refs reviewed the goal and adjusted the score clock and the end result was a 3-2 hockey game with 39 seconds remaining — although I’d like to see an explanation from the IIHF, as Taylor Heise appeared to be very much offside on the entry leading to the goal. Kessel tied the game with 3.4 seconds left, which ultimately led us to the nine-round shootout that was won on the stick of Canada’s 13th forward. — Salvian
