The 2018 IIHF World Champions are, believe it or not, Connor McDavid's first time captaining his country in an international tournament.

Never in an amateur setting, never at the senior level, quite literally for the first time in this tournament in Denmark. And McDavid has not disappointed, leaving his latest mark Monday with an important overtime, game-winning goal.

In what was a stressful afternoon for Canada, they needed overtime to defeat Latvia, 2-1, and in doing so, secure a spot in the quarterfinal round of this IIHF Championship.

Canada entered the day in fourth place in Group B; with the victory, they overtook Latvia and Denmark, jumping into third, and clinching a spot in the knockout stage, regardless of how Canada closes out pool play on Tuesday against Germany.

The move into third could also help Canada avoid Sweden, undefeated in the 2018 tournament, in the quarterfinal round.

McDavid scored 46 seconds into overtime, on the opening shift of the 3-on-3 session. Canada won the puck back and went to work from there, eventually ending with McDavid driving to the net, getting a shot on goal, and then batting his own rebound out of midair, on his backhand no less.

Connor McDavid with some unreal hand-eye to win it in OT for Team Canada over Latvia #IIHFWorlds2018 pic.twitter.com/qJHNlU0tKe — Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 14, 2018

It was McDavid's latest bit of heroics, having already scored a hat trick in a victory against Norway, and now with five goals and 11 points in six tournament games.

With a Latvia roster lacking NHL players, one familiar one for Canadian hockey fans was Kristers Gudlevskis, a goaltender now in the New York Islanders organization who gave Canada major scare at the 2014 Olympics, when he made 55 saves in a 2-1 Canada victory in the quarterfinal round.

Gudlevskis didn't have that same kind of effort on Monday, but he was back in the crease over four years later, and he stopped 30 of 32 Canadian shots, and surely had many wondering if the Olympic scripts was eerily playing itself out again.

Canada took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Anthony Beauvillier was able to slip a loose puck in the crease behind Gudlevskis. But it wasn't the same type of dominant effort from Canada from the Sochi Games, or the types of performances Canada had put in against every team not named the United States or Finland in this tournament. Canada led 1-0 through two periods, with 22 shots on goal to Latvia's 13.

Latvia only took two shots on goal in the third period, but made its first of the frame count, when Medicine Hat forward Kristians Rubins beat Darcy Kuemper on an innocent looking attempt to tie the game.

Latvia’s game-tying goal came less than two minutes into the 3rd when Rubins’ shot eluded Darcy Kuemper #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/tgUJwuHkWB — Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) May 14, 2018

While Canada outshot Latvia 9-1 after that tying goal, not many of those shots were really Grade-A chances, and the teams entered overtime with Latvia a shot away from pulling the upset they could not in the Olympics.

But McDavid took over from there, winning the game with his Crosbian display if hand-eye coordination, swinging Canada into the quarterfinal round.

Canada could still finish in second place in its group, a point behind Finland entering the final day of pool play. And the Finns will have a difficult task facing the United States, one of two undefeated teams remaining along with Sweden. A Canada victory over Germany, which would avenge their 2018 Olympic semifinal loss, would put the pressure on Finland to come up with a win of their own in any fashion.

Sporting News will provide live updates during the game (all times Eastern).

Overtime

4:31 p.m. Canada wastes no time getthig the game-winner. Connor McDavid bats the puck out of midair on his own rebound and past Guldevskis. It will be reviewed, but it will be upheld. Canada practically had the puck on its stick the entirety of overtime. Canada wins, 2-1

Third period

4:25 p.m. And that will do it for regulation. Rubins with the lone goal in the third period, and Latvia forces overtime and gains a massive point against Canada. Once again, Kristers Gudlevskis is giving a Canadian national team a major headache. Overtime on deck.

4:22 p.m. Following a Latvia icing, Gudlevskis tracks a Parayko point shot through traffic and holds it. Latvia is less than two minutes remaining from getting this game to overtime and earning a huge point.

4:18 p.m. Big pressure by Canada with a bunch of St. Louis Blues on the ice, including Schenn, Schwarttz, and Edmundson, but they can't get anything great on-goal. It's still a 1-1 game with under five minutes to play in the third.

4:06 p.m. Another big penalty kill for Latvia, and the score remains tied at 1-1 as the third period drags on.

4:06 p.m. And another chance here a few minutes later for the Canada power play to get the lead back. A roughing penalty called midway through the third will give Canada a chance to break a 1-1 tie.

4:00 p.m. Power play has expired for Canada. Two shots on goal, and two saves for Gudlevskis. Just as the penalty ends, Ryan O'Reilly just misses wide on a one-timer the goaltender may have never saw.

3:58 p.m. A bunch of whacks at a loose puck for Canada in the blue paint, but Gudlevskis dives on and covers the puck. Looked like Canada might find an opening to slip the puck through but the Latvian goaltender just jumped on and froze the play.

3:57 p.m. Canada will get an opportunity to take the lead right back, going on its first power play of the afternoon. Matthew Barzal draws a hold, and Canada will go on the man-advantage.

3:53 p.m. Officially time to sweat if you're a Canadian supporter. A point shot from Kristians Rubins sneaks through the pads of Kuemper, and we've got a tie game minutes into the third, with Latvia finding the equalizer 110 seconds into the third. The game is tied, 1-1

3:50 p.m. Puck is down for the third period. Again, much at stake here from Canada. They lead 1-0 to start the third period against Latvia. A win for Canada clinches a spot in the quarterfinal round.

Second period

3:35 p.m. The second period concludes how the first ended. Canada leads Latvia 1-0 after a scoreless middle 20 minutes. Latvia got its legs under it a bit in that period, but nothing of such great quality that tested Darcy Kuemper. Canada had the shots on-goal edge in that period but it was only 12-9, pushing its lead to 22-13 for the game.

3:34 p.m. Of course it's Connor McDavid in the middle of everything. He drives to the net and forces a good save out of Gudlevskis with a crowd of Latvian players collapsing on him. Less than a minute to play in the second period.

3:27 p.m. A pretty decen look in the slot for Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but his one-time shot goes just wide of the goal. Canada getting some good pressure though on this shift as the second period winds down.

3:23 p.m. Not much doing for Latvia on that power play whatsoever, and Canada kills it off without much consequence.

3:21 p.m. Another power play coming for Latvia late in the second period. A much better 20 minutes from them, spending some good time in Canada's end.

3:08 p.m. At the other end, best save of the afternoon for Kuemper, who flashes the glove (with perhaps a bit of extra dramatics) to snare a wrist shot that looked labeled for the corner.

3:08 p.m. Really quality save by Gudlesvkis, who comes out and challenges Islanders teammate Josh Bailey, who had the puck on his stick low in the slow, keeping the Latvia deficit at 1-0.

3:06 p.m. Nearly a tie game, as a net-mouth scramble results in a loose puck that Latvia pops just wide of an open goal. A bit of momentum here for Latvia for a couple of shifts following that unsuccessful power play.

3:05 p.m. Not much doing on that power play for Latvia, and the penalty is killed. A single shot on goal that Kuemper saw from distance and was able to stop.

3:03 p.m. An early chance in the second for Latvia to even the score, with Colton Parayko heading off for tripping 63 seconds into the period. Also forced a decent save out of Darcy Kuemper right as the penalty was committed.

3:01 p.m. Back for the second, with Canada 40 minutes away from punching its ticket in the quarterfinal round, but holding a slim, 1-0 lead against Latvia.

First period

2:45 p.m. That's it for the first period. Canada leads 1-0, and aside from a small stretch midway through the period the Canadians weren't particularly threatening to Gudļevskis despite looking by far the better of the two teams.

2:39 p.m. This period is flying by. Few stoppages and no penalties will do that. Just over four minutes to go.

2:35 p.m. Only two shots given up by Canada so far, and no penalties for either team as of yet.

2:30 p.m. Halfway through the period and Gudļevskis has ben a very busy man over the past few minutes.

2:24 p.m. The Canadians are all over Latvia early in this period, although there's been very little in the way of good scoring chances.

2:19 p.m. Canada scores! The Canadians take a shot which Latvian goaltender Gudļevskis saves but somehow doesn't smother. The puck sits behind the goalie until Beauvillier pokes it in with 17:09 to go in the period. Canada leads 1-0.

2:15 p.m. The puck has been dropped and we're underway!

Pregame

1:53 p.m. Hockey Canada just announced its lines for the game. Brayden Schenn skating with Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins now, while Jaden Schwartz playing with Ryan O'Reilly and Josh Bailey.

Though the task seems doable for Canada on Monday, it will be quite important nonetheless as the Canadians near an end to group play at the 2018 IIHF World Championships.

Canada will take on Latvia Monday in Group B action, two days after Canada suffered a 5-1 setback against Finland.

It saw the Finns break a tie with Canada and move into second place in the group, while a Denmark victory against Korea saw them also leapfrog Canada, moving into third.

If Canada was to lose in any fashion against Latvia on Monday, then the Latvians would control their destiny entering the final day of group play on Tuesday, with a matchup against Denmark, and Canada set to play Germany. A victory though would clinch Canada's spot in the knockout stage.

And as many Canadian hockey fans know, Latvia can always provide a pesky thorn in Canada's side.

During the 2014 Olympics, Kristers Gudlevskis, now part of the New York Islanders organization, made 55 saves, keeping the game tied 1-1 until late in the third when Shea Weber produced the winning tally. (Gudlevskis is on the Latvian roster for the 2018 Worlds, but has yet to appear in a game, the crease belonging to Elvis Merzlikins.)

Canada has lost twice in Demark, opening the tournament with a shootout setback against the United States, and then getting beat badly by Finland over the weekend.

In its three victories though, Canada has been dominant, outscoring its opponents by a combined 22-1.