Bedard’s goal for the ages pushes Canada past Slovakia to semifinals

HALIFAX — You want to talk about someone other than Connor Bedard after every one of Canada’s games at the world juniors, but he’s not making it easy. 

You want to show the diversity and depth of Canada’s talent. This year’s team has a pretty decent lineup, with Logan Stankoven, Dylan Guenther, Joshua Roy, Brennan Othmann, Olen Zellweger, Zack Ostapchuk, Brandt Clarke, Shane Wright and Adam Fantilli all deserving of their own moment in the spotlight. 

In another time, another era, we’d be talking more about other players. 

But this is Bedard’s era, and all the other players are just living in it. 

Bedard did it again Monday, scoring a goal that will be shown alongside Sidney Crosby’s golden goal as one of the most clutch of an era to give Canada a thrilling 4-3 overtime win over Slovakia and push his team to the semifinals.  

“I’ve got to keep thinking of a new word every day to describe him,” Canada coach Dennis Williams said afterward. “What really is impressive is just how humbling he is and how good of a teammate, and how he really wants to win.”

True dat. Bedard was not be denied on this night. Shoved, face-washed, cross-checked while on the ice, smack-talked during whistles, the Slovaks did everything short of licking his visor to get him off his game. 

After Bedard opened the scoring 6:07 in with a record-breaking goal (more on that later), it worked. Until it didn’t. 

“I mean, it's hockey,” he said. “It’s not like I haven't been hit before or anything. So, it’s part of the game and I didn't really think too much of it.” 

Canada faced its toughest test since the Czechia game, as the rugged Slovaks kept coming while playing an old-school, in-your-face, chippy, no-holds-barred tactical game that was bolstered by a stellar performance from goalie Adam Gajan. 

A Guenther goal was answered by Libor Nemec’s first. Then, Ostapchuk’s goal was answered by Robert Baco’s. The Slovaks headed into the final period outshot 34-15 but down just 3-2. Nemec’s equalizer came near the midway point of the third. 

And then things got interesting.  

Canada took a power play into overtime after Simon Nemec was sent to the box for cross-checking a fallen Bedard. The power play turned into a 4-on-3 in overtime, but the Canadians couldn’t capitalize, and it felt like momentum might shift for the subsequent 3-on-3 portion. 

Getting double-shifted in the extra period, Bedard had chances, but was repeatedly denied by the tight-checking Slovaks. 

On the winner, however, it seemed like Bedard had simply had enough and wanted to call it a night. Enough toying. Keeping the puck in the zone on his strong side, he did his patented glide-stride, deking right past one Slovak defender, then left into the slot past another before quickly showing right and stickhandling left to the backhand, which he slid past a sprawling Gajan, to immediate bedlam. 

“I saw the one guy kind of make a move and there was a lane to the net, and tried to make another move,” Bedard said. “I think it's kind of instinct and luckily it went in.” 

His teammates were a little more effusive. 

“You know what he's capable of, and he does something like that to even take it to a whole 'nother level,” said Clarke. “It's absolutely crazy. Yeah, he's a very, very special talent.” 

“(He had) so much poise, so much confidence to make that play,” Wright said. “After a period and half of overtime as well, the ice wasn't too great, so to be able make that play, pull to the middle and finish on the back end on the goalie like that, just to have the confidence on that play is just incredible. Not many players can actually make that play.” 

Canada now faces the United States in the second semifinal on Wednesday. Opening faceoff is 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT. Top-ranked Czechia faces Sweden in the other semifinal, starting at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT. 

Let’s not forget the other amazing goal: Bedard’s first-period goal broke the record for most goals by a Canadian held by Jordan Eberle (which was 14) as well as the team record for points in one tournament, previously held by three players (which was 18). He also broke Eric Lindros’ career world juniors points record of 31, and now has 34. Bedard currently has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) across this year's tournament, with Peter Forsberg’s record-setting total of 31 next in his sights. 

And he has two games left. 

The record-setting goal was another example of Bedard’s quiet brilliance: drifting at the periphery near the goal line, he turned up ice when the Slovaks temporarily gained control of the puck. Some might say he was taking his time getting back.  

But, given what we’ve seen him do, it’s more reasonable to say Bedard somehow knew the puck was going to get turned over. And when Stankoven did exactly that, grabbing the puck back, Bedard turned and charged to the net, taking the pass behind the last Slovak defenceman. In alone, he stickhandled quickly before snapping a shot above Gajan’s glove. That’s how history is made. 

“Doesn't really matter that much,” Bedard said of the record. “I think for myself, it's about winning, and that's what we want to do.” 

Under-the-radar performance: For the second game in a row, we can safely say Canada doesn’t win without clutch saves by goalie Milic. 

A save on a partial breakaway by Peter Repcik after a Canada giveaway on the power play, with the score 1-0, was crucial. Who knows how the momentum could have shifted had Repcik scored to tie it while the Slovaks were shorthanded. 

His point-blank save off Alex Sotek in close three-plus minutes into the second, a scorpion off a scramble almost halfway through the third and a glove save off Martin Misiak right after the Slovaks tied it, held the fort, and continued to into overtime. 

“I keep telling him, like, ‘You're the best, you got this. You're the rock back there,” Clarke said. “And he keeps telling me, he's like, 'I know. I know I am.’ That’s what you need in your goaltender. … He was determined; he wasn't going to let us lose that game.” 

Milic was screened on the first goal and had his crease concentration disrupted by a sliding Bedard — who hit his head on the post while trying to prevent the Slovak chance — on the second goal, and Nemec was all alone in front on his second goal. 

“We don't get (to overtime) without Thomas in net,” Williams said. “He was lights-out. He made some key saves in overtime, some big-time saves in the third for us. … There were some grade-A opportunities that we needed Milly to step up and play his game, and obviously I thought he was dynamite for us tonight.” 

A goalie sometimes gets a lot of help from posts on a night like this, but Milic instead got help from defenceman Tyson Hinds, whose goal-line glove save after Milic made a sprawling save with less than four minutes left reminded players and coaches of Mason McTavish’s similar game-saver in the summer tournament. 

“He did a good job of backing me up on the rebound there and, smart on him to not catch the puck either in the crease,” Milic said. 

Viral moment of the game: Bedard’s game-winner will be played over and over again for years. Count on it.