The U.S. sled hockey team’s first loss this season came in its most pivotal game.
Canada easily dispatched the U.S. 4-1 in the world championship final, keeping the Americans from claiming back-to-back world titles en route to the Paralympics next year.
Canada scored two goals in each of the first two periods on Steve Cash, who had shut out Russia in the 2014 Paralympic final and Canada in the 2015 Worlds final.
The U.S. avoided a shutout with a Nikko Landeros goal late in the third period.
The U.S. entered the gold-medal game at the 2018 Paralympic site of Gangneung, South Korea, on a tear.