Photo by Stefan Kubus/MiHockey

Mantha continues to roll in Team Canada’s last-second win over Slovakia

 

By @StefanKubus – 

In this year’s IIHF Men’s World Championship, Anthony Mantha is picking up right where he left off at the end of the Red Wings’ season.

After a 3-1 loss to Finland, Team Canada’s offense came to life in a 8-0 win over Great Britain on Sunday. And Mantha led the way, scoring twice and adding three helpers for a five-point night.

And on Monday, Mantha contributed once again, as he popped home an important goal and assist late in the first period. With Canada already down 2-0 to Slovakia within the first nine minutes, Mantha first buried a one-timer home at 16:20 off a nice passing play with line mates Kyle Turris and Jared McCann. He then picked up an assist on Shea Theodore’s equalizer just 1:50 later to send both teams off the ice knotted at two after the opening period.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone, on his birthday no-less, ultimately went on to score with 1.8 seconds on the clock to deliver the win for Team Canada, with the game tied 5-5 late in the third period and Canada on a power play.

Through three games with Team Canada in the World Championship, Mantha has amassed three goals and seven points, good for second among all tournament scorers behind only Sweden’s William Nylander.

Mantha, 24, finished the year in Detroit with eight goals and seven assists in the season’s last eight games, which included a five-point game against Boston on March 31. He posted a career-high 25 goals and tied his career-high in points (48), having done so in 13 fewer games than it took him to set that mark last season.

A look at Mantha’s first-period tally: