Russia's Andrei Sigarev scores the game-winning goal on Canada's Laurent Brossoit in the Canada-Russia junior hockey challenge in Halifax on Monday, August 13, 2012. Russia won 6-5 and leads the series 2-1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
August 13, 2012 - 10:12 PM
HALIFAX - Andrei Sigarev scored his second goal of the game with 6:23 left to play as Russia edged Canada 6-5 in Game 3 of the Canada-Russia Hockey Challenge on Monday night.
Sigarev collected the loose puck in front of net and slipped it past goaltender Laurent Brossoit in front of 8,144 fans at Halifax Metro Centre.
Russia now leads the four-game exhibition series 2-1 with the final game set for Tuesday night in Halifax.
The first two games were played in Yaroslavl, Russia, on Thursday and Friday. Canada won the opener 3-2.
Russia grabbed an early lead with two goals in the first six minutes.
Sigarev notched his first of the game when he skated into the high slot before floating a low wrist shot past Brossoit on the glove side.
Russia went up 2-0 when Daniil Romantsev made a beautiful backhand pass to Vladimir Tkachev, who raced to the net and knocked the puck into the open side.
Two minutes later Canada got on the board while on a two-man advantage as Ryan Murphy ripped a slap shot to the inside post at 8:49. With 2:47 left in the period, his defence partner Ryan Murray slipped a point shot through Russian goalie Andrei Makarov to tie the game.
Russia regained the lead less than a minute later when defenceman Mikhail Naumenkov's point shot deflected off a Canadian player in the slot.
Anton Zlobin scored a short-handed goal to make it 4-2 for Russia early in the second, but Canada fought off the jet lag and rallied with goals by Sean Monahan and Charles Hudon to tie it 4-4 going into the final period.
Anoton Slepyshev and Jonathan Huberdeau exchanged power-play goals early in the third.
The series is being played as a tribute to Kontinental Hockey League team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
The club was devastated by a plane crash last September that killed 44 players and coaches, including former NHL defenceman Brad McCrimmon.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012