Chicago Blackhawks center putting up numbers that might rival Sidney Crosby's output in 2006. Canada survives and pulls out wild win on John Tavares' score after blowing five-goal lead.
Connor Bedard scored for the third straight game as defending champion Canada defeated Austria 7-6 in overtime on Tuesday at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and improved to 2-1-0-0 and eight points at the tournament.
At the IIHF Worlds, teams earn three points for a regulation win, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss and none for a regulation loss.
Canada prevailed on John Tavares' goal at 15 seconds into OT after blowing a five-goal lead in the third period. Tavares, Team Canada's and the Toronto Maple Leafs' captain, skated down the slot and snapped a wrister past goalie David Madlener.
The Canadians cruised into the third in control with a 6-1 advantage, but the Austrians rallied to it at 6-all with 49 seconds left on a goal by Minnesota Wild rookie Marco Rossi with Madlener pulled for an extra attacker.
Connor Bedard after scoring to put Canada ahead 5-1 on Tuesday.
IIHF
Rivaling Sid the Kid
The 18-year-old Bedard has five goals and one assist in his first three games at the World Championship. The Chicago Blackhawks center, had four shots on goal and played 16 minutes on Tuesday's wild contest at the Prague Arena.
Bedard, who led NHL rookies in goals (22) and points (61) in 2023-24, is on a pace at the Worlds that rivals another Canadian star, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby.
Crosby, a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, posted eight goals and 16 points in nine games as an 18-year-old at the annual tournament in 2006. The Penguins center was following up on an NHL season when he scored 39 goals and 63 assists in 81 games, and was named the top forward at the 2006 Worlds, held in Riga, Latvia.
But Bedard wants to do something Crosby didn't in 2006 when Canada finished fourth.
“I'm here to win a gold medal, and that's the focus here,” Bedard said.
Bedard's goal on Tuesday, at 9:32 of the second period, gave Canada a 5-1 lead. Pierre-Luc Dubois upped it to 6-1 with 2:04 left in the second before Austria stormed back.
The Austrians fell short of pulling off the biggest comeback win in tournament history.
