Shinkaruk finishes hat trick with OT winner

Hunter Shinkaruk, a top prospect for the 2013 NHL Draft, capped his hat trick with a goal 2:05 into overtime to lift Canada to a 6-5 win against Finland and the bronze medal at the 2012 IIHF World Under-18 Championship on Sunday in the Czech Republic.

A center with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League, Shinkaruk took a pass from Scott Laughton while streaking down the left-wing boards. He beat Finland defenseman Esa Lindell, cut to the net and beat goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

"It was a good day," Shinkaruk told the IIHF website. "Laughton made a great pass to me, I had some speed and managed to beat the defenseman wide and the goalie and tuck it in. Right when I knew I had the goalie I got a big smile on my face and I couldn't wait to celebrate with my teammates."

In a game played at Kajot Arena in Brno, Canada captain Mathew Dumba had three assists, and Sam Reinhart and Brendan Gaunce also had goals. Matthew Murray, No. 18 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies for the 2012 NHL Draft, finished with 29 saves on 33 shots.

Dumba's performance Sunday gave him a tournament-high 12 points. The defenseman with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL is No. 11 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2012 NHL Draft.

"It's tough that we didn't win get an opportunity to play in the gold-medal game, but we did a great job preparing for this game even though it's a tough game to get up for, and I'm just happy I could contribute and help bring home the medal," Dumba told the IIHF website.

Finland forward Henrik Haapala had two goals and two assists, and Artturi Lehkonen, the tournament's leading goal-scorer, had a goal and an assist.

Canada took a 2-0 lead after one period on power-play goals by Shinkaruk and Reinhart, and after Haapala scored 47 seconds into the second, Canada restored a two-goal lead on Shinkaruk's second goal four minutes into the period. After Josh Morrissey was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing, Gaunce scored shorthanded at 10:34 of the period to make it 4-1.

Gaunce, a center for the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League, is No. 13 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for this year's draft.

Finland started their comeback just 49 seconds later on Lehkonen's power-play goal, and after a penalty on Canada's Felix Girard, Haapala scored his second of the game to make it 4-3 after two periods.

Haapala, a 5-foot-5, 133-pound right wing with Tappara in Finland's junior league, is No. 108 on Central Scouting's final ranking of European skaters for this year's draft.

Midway through the third, Rasmus Ristolainen scored to tie the game, setting the stage for Shinkaruk's heroics.

The bronze medal is Canada's first of any kind at the tournament in four years.

"We just really tried to stress the importance of this game for them not only from a team perspective but as individuals," Canada coach Jesse Wallin said. "Scouts are going to be evaluating these guys no matter what the situation, and coming off the tough loss to the U.S. [in the semifinals], they were going to look to see who was going to respond from that. That was something we challenged them on."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK