Another controversy at the World Cup. Kirk sent Great Britain into the lead, but the referees disallowed his goal. Canada was still losing

Canada plays Great Britain in Prague in the opener of the Ice Hockey World Championship. The paper underdog gave the favourite problems at the beginning of the game and eventually really took the lead. Liam Kirk was the author of the opening goal, but the referees initially disallowed his first goal.

Already in the third minute the British team prepared a shock for the Maple Leaf team in the form of the opening goal. Liam Kirk scored, but his joy was soon cut short by the referees.

The referees judged his teammate Johnny Curran’s position on the edge of the box and light contact with goalkeeper Joel Hofer as illegal. The Brits tried to overturn the verdict, so they took a coaching challenge.

However, this was ultimately unsuccessful as the head umpires did not change their verdict after reviewing the video. The Islanders therefore lost not only a surprising lead, but also a player on the ice for two minutes.

It was another controversial moment of this championship. In this case, a player in the crease hit the goalie in both the faceoff circle and the helmet. The referees therefore judged the goal situation correctly.

It was Curran who served the penalty for his bench, who committed the infraction at the Canadian goal. He stayed in the penalty box the whole time, but in the sixth minute his teammate Ben O’Connor went there. His tackle, which the referees judged questionable to say the least, stopped Kirk’s breakaway.

Kirk did, after all, get through

Shortly after O’Connor’s illegal defending, however, a Canadian, namely Michael Bunting, also fouled. In a four-on-four game, the score didn’t change, but it did during a shortened British power play.

It was Liam Kirk, who played in Litvínov this year, who scored a shot into the top left corner of the net to give Great Britain a 1:0 lead in the eighth minute.

However, it didn’t last long as the favourite found a quick answer. Half a minute later, Michael Bunting sent the puck from the blue line into the top of the net.

There was no further change in the scoreline or ejection before the break. The team from North America clearly outshot its first opponent at the 2024 World Championship 12:3 in the opening period.

Source: IIHF, CT Sport