Tavares scored a late power-play goal to keep Canada’s Gold Medal hopes alive, but were done in by a shootout.
Despite his best effort, Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares will have to settle for the Bronze Medal Game after his Canada squad fell 3-2 in a shootout to Switzerland at the 2024 World Hockey Championship in Prague.
Switzerland had a 2-0 lead over the Canadians after the first period, but Canada managed to erase the deficit. Part that included Tavares’ power-play goal with 2:07 to go in regulation time.
CAPTAIN CANADA 🇨🇦!
John Tavares scores the game-tying goal after feeds from fellow first-overall picks Connor Bedard and Owen Power.
2-2 ball game. pic.twitter.com/Wt4CxWYmWp
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 25, 2024
After a 10-minute overtime settled nothing, Canada fell in a shootout with Switzerland’s Sven Andrighetto scoring the winner.
Sven Andrighetto scores the shootout winning goal in the 4th round of the shootout!
They advance to face Czechia in the gold medal game. pic.twitter.com/j8jUBLTQYR
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 25, 2024
Tavares has two goals and eight assists in eight games for the tournament and he has the best points per game of any player on the team at 1.25. But the loss certainly stings as Canada now has to shift their focus for the Bronze Medal Game against Sweden.
“One goal game, it’s as close as it gets, still hard to believe really,” Tavares told TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton after the game. “A lot of credit to the guys just sticking with it, battling back. Obviously, it comes down to that circumstance. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top.”
Tavares was named player of the match for Canada. He was not selected to take part in the shootout.
Switzerland’s NHL talent is certainly growing and they were led by some dynamic players like Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi and New Jerse Devils forward Nico Hischier. The country has a history of upsetting Canada on the world stage, having defeated Canada in the semis of the 2018 tournament. In 2006, Switzerland also upset Canada in preliminary-round action at an Olympics that featured a best-on-best format.
No matter how things finish for Canada, the tournament appears to have done Tavares some good as the Leafs captain looks to finish his hockey-playing season strong.
