Former Kelowna Rocket, Leon Draisaitl, scored on a breakaway in overtime to give Team Europe a 3-2 win over Team Czech Republic at the World Cup of Hockey on Monday.
The 20-year-old German forward, who played for the Rockets during the 2014-15 season and is now member of the Edmonton Oilers, beat Czech Petr Mrazek with a low shot to the stick side at 2:06 in the 3-on-3 OT after taking a pass through the neutral zone from Mats Zuccarello.
It's over. #WCH2016 pic.twitter.com/tjraQogUKM
— #WCH2016 (@NHL) September 19, 2016
Draisaitl has scored in three consecutive World Cup games dating back to pre-tournament play.
The preliminary-round win put Team Europe (2-0-0) on top of Group A and forced Team USA (0-1-0) into a must-win situation against Team Canada (1-0-0) on Tuesday (5 p.m. Pacific). If Team USA doesn’t win Tuesday, it cannot reach the semifinal.
Team Europe outshot Team Czech Republic 41-30 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and never trailed. It led twice on goals from Zdeno Chara and Zuccarello.
Team Czech Republic answered on goals from Jakub Voracek and Martin Hanzal.
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Scoring four goals in a span of 6:14 in the second period, Team Russia pulled out a 4-3 victory over Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey on Monday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Team Russia (1-1-0) got goals from Vladislav Namestnikov, Nikita Kucherov, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vladimir Tarasenko while Sergei Bobrovsky made 40 saves for the goaltending win.
Auston Matthews, Morgan Rielly and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for Team North America (1-1-0). Goaltender Matt Murray was pulled in favour of John Gibson at 15:43 of the second period after allowing the four goals on 19 shots.
North America, who scored a goal in each period, outshot the Russians 46-25 but couldn’t put more than three shots past Sergei Bobrovsky.
Edwin Encarnacion hit his 41st homer of the season and Marco Estrada limited the Seattle Mariners to one hit in seven innings as the Toronto Blue Jays downed their hosts 3-2 in Major League Baseball play on Monday.
The win brought the Jays even with the Baltimore Orioles for the first wild card spot in the American East Division. The Orioles lost 5-2 to the division-leading Boston Red Sox on Monday. Both the Jays and O’s are 2 1/2 games in front of Detroit and now are three ahead of Seattle and Houston in the battle for the wild card.
Estrada (9-9) had a no-hitter going until the seventh inning when Robinson Cano led off the frame with a hit up the middle. Leonys Martin hit two-run home in the bottom of the ninth off Jays reliever, Roberto Osuna.
The Jays and Mariners will play again on Tuesday in Seattle beginning at 7:10 p.m. Pacific. J.A. Happ (19-4) is on the mound for Blue Jays while Hisashi Iwakuma (16-11) goes for the Mariners.
Related: Canadian fans nervous in Seattle
Related: It didn't seem as close as it was
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