Mason McTavish's Heroics and Kent Johnson's Golden Goal Power Canada in Gold Medal Game

Canada and Finland squared off for all the marbles in the 2022 World Junior gold medal game for the first time ever, and Rogers Place is as full as it has been in this tournament. Finland F Brad Lambert is a healthy scratch, and Canada looks to win the gold on home ice.

Starting goaltenders;

Canada - Dylan Garand
Finland - Juha Jatkola

Canada owned the puck early on, pinning the Finns in their own zone for much of the opening frame. Brennan Othmann threw a huge hit early on, helping set the tone for his team. Canada's captain Mason McTavish was only three points shy of the the program's all-time scoring record, and he has been the lifeblood of Canada's team so far.

With a strong individual effort, McTavish wheeled the puck behind Finland's net, let loose a shot, and left a juicy rebound for Joshua Roy to clean up:

Roy scored his third goal and eighth point of the tournament, while Mason McTavish pulled within two points of Brayden Schenn's total of 18.

Carrying a 1-0 lead into the second period, Canada continued to pour it on and on, owning the puck and the fair share of offense. William DuFour, who scored 56 goals for the Saint John Sea Dogs and showed how capable he was when he beamed one past Jatkola:

The Finns would struggle to stay out of the box for the rest of the period, giving Canada one too many opportunities with the man advantage. Fortunately for Finland, Canada's powerplay would go 0-for-5 through the first 50 minutes, keeping the Finns in the game. Dylan Garand had been lights out for Canada so far, and it would take a funky shot from the point to beat him in this one:

After Heimosalmi's goal, Finland looked rejuvenated. Riding the game's momentum, the Finns had Canada on their heels, desperate to protect their now-one goal lead. With their opponent collapsing on their own net, two of Finland's top players combined to bury another past Garand:

Looking dangerous, Finland had all the mojo in the world right now, and they were clearly in control. But they would continue to land in the penalty box, adding two more minor penalties after tying the game, which is the quickest way to suck the wind out of one's sails.

Canada would go 0-for-8 on the powerplay through regulation.

Overtime would be required in crowning a winner, and instead of an overtime period followed by a shootout, continuous 3-on-3 overtime would commence until a goal is scored. Very exciting.

The action was non-stop in OT, and Finland had a near-goal saved off the goal-line by Mason McTavish. That is leadership right there.

In transition, Logan Stankoven sent the puck over to Kent Johnson, who made a dazzling play but was stopped by a brilliant save from Jatkola before Johnson snatched up the rebound and buried the golden goal:

They played La Bamba after the goal, in honor of the late Ben Stelter, which was pretty awesome. Canada wins 3-2.

Players of the Game:

Canada:
- Mason McTavish

Finland
- Aleksi Heimosalmi

Tournament MVP:
- Mason McTavish

Best Goalie of the Tournament:
- Jesper Wallstedt

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