Canada beat the U.S. 4-3 after a nine-round shootout to close group play at the world women’s hockey championship and extend its win streak in the rivalry to five games, matching its longest run over the U.S. in 13 years.
Jamie Lee Rattray, Canada’s 13th forward, potted the shootout winner after the teams went scoreless in seven consecutive rounds against goalies Ann-Renée Desbiens (29th birthday Monday) and Aerin Frankel. In the third period, the U.S. scored twice on Desbiens in the last 39 seconds to force overtime.
Sarah Fillier, Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey scored in regulation for the hosts in Brampton, Ontario. Canada earned its 100th all-time win against the U.S. dating to the first worlds in 1990, according to Hockey Canada. (Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have historically differed on the all-time head-to-head record.)
“They’re loaded,” U.S. head coach John Wroblewski said of Canada, according to The Associated Press. “They’re big, they’re fast, they’re skilled. I’m super proud of our girls for holding them at bay, and then being able to take our swings.”
Hannah Bilka, Hilary Knight and Amanda Kessel scored for the U.S., which features a largely new-look roster without 2018 Olympic gold medalists Kendall Coyne Schofield (pregnant) and Brianna Decker (retired in March) and its No. 1 goalies from the last two Olympics -- Maddie Rooney and Alex Cavallini -- who didn’t make the team at a late March tryout camp.
Canada led 2-1 deep into the third period until Stacey scored an empty-net goal with 2:27 left. Knight cut the deficit back to one with 39 seconds to go, followed by Kessel’s equalizer with 3.4 seconds left.
Canada, the reigning Olympic and world champion, earned the top seed in Thursday’s quarterfinals, where it plays Germany, Sweden, Hungary or France. The second seed U.S. gets Germany, Sweden or Hungary.
Canada and the U.S. will meet again in Sunday’s final should each win its next two games.
Last summer, Canada repeated as world champion by beating the U.S. in the final, six months after beating the U.S. in the Olympic final. Canada is on its longest global title streak since winning all five Olympic or world titles between 1999 and 2004.
The Canadians are on a five-game win streak versus the Americans overall, winning this season’s seven-game rivalry series from down three games to none. Their 5-0 win in the decider in February was their largest margin of victory over the U.S. since 2005.
The last time Canada had a win streak over the U.S. of more than five games was in 2009-10, when it won six in a row, culminating in a 2-0 shutout in the Vancouver Olympic final.
“We’re so young,” Wroblewski said, according to the AP. “There’s got to be belief in that room that they can play with them and someday hopefully be able to beat them. Hopefully that’s Sunday when we earn our way to the gold-medal game.”
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JAMIE LEE RATTRAY SCORES THE SHOOTOUT WINNER FOR CANADA 🇨🇦🚨#WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/ePvJHg87Ds
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 11, 2023