Michael Hage scored on a power play 44 seconds into overtime as Canada withstood a blown lead to claim a 2-1 victory over Latvia at the world junior hockey championship on Saturday.
Cole Reshni had a different goal for the Canadians. Jack Ivankovic made 26 saves. Gavin McKenna had two assists.
Rudolf Berzkalns answered for Latvia. Nils Maurins stopped 36 shots.
Hage scored on a 4-on-3 with McKenna's lead in the extra period to save his country before the Montreal Canadiens prospect was mobbed by his teammates after Latvian Roberts Nodins was whistled for a delay of game late in the third.
Canada, which beat the Czech Republic 7-5 in Friday's opener after being eliminated by the same quarter-final opponent in the last two tournaments, neatly checked another revenge box after a stunning penalty shootout loss to Latvia – one of the biggest upsets in tournament history – exactly a year earlier in Ottawa.
Canada's next game in the men's under-20 tournament is Monday against Denmark, followed by Group B play wrapping up against Finland on New Year's Eve.
The lackluster Canadians, who like last year were playing a second straight game against the rested Latvians in their curtain call at the annual showcase, broke through in the second period after Martins Klaucans was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for an illegal hit to the head of Zane Parekh.
Reshni took a pass from McKenna on the ensuing power play and drove into the slot before the Calgary Flames prospect fired past Morins at 2:22. Tii Iginla then hit a shot off the post, but that's as close as Canada will get to doubling its lead with a man advantage against the determined Latvians.
Ben Danford, a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was given a double minor for high sticking later in the period when Canada scored without even being in real danger.
Caleb Denoyer had a great chance to make it 2-0 midway through the third but Morins denied him on the cusp and Brady Martin blasted his shot off the crossbar less than five minutes from full time.
That left the door open for the Latvians to pounce with 1:58 remaining when Berzkalns skated the puck to his stick to tie the game before a Naudins penalty set the stage for late drama.
Ivankovic, who was not at fault for the crash in Latvia 365 days earlier and took the start at 3M Arena on the University of Minnesota campus after Carter George played Friday, had to be sharp from the start.
The North Americans, who outlasted Latvians 57-26 a year ago, didn't record a shot on goal at 5-on-5 until midway through the first period, and Markus Siradkis appeared to give Latvians the lead. But the puck was thought to have been cleared before Canada began to attack late in the period, which ended 0-0 – the same score as last year's stunning goal in the nation's capital.
Hours before the puck dropped at 3:30 p.m. local time, Porter Martone apologized for his actions in the final minutes of Friday's win. The Canadian captain scored the decisive goal with an empty net and was then given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after driving past the Czech Republic bench and hitting forward Adam Novotny from behind.
“Unacceptable,” Martone told reporters at the team hotel. “Sets a bad (example)… I take full responsibility.”
Canada's hockey team also apologized after the team failed to participate in a handshake with the Czechs after the game.
“Hockey Canada takes full responsibility for this oversight and we have apologized to the team, the Czech Hockey Association and the International Hockey Federation for our error,” the federation said in a statement Saturday.
